Code health and comments

src/core/lib/iomgr/error.c

@@ -140,14 +140,15 @@ grpc_error *grpc_error_ref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
                            const char *func) {
   if (grpc_error_is_special(err)) return err;
   gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "%p: %" PRIdPTR " -> %" PRIdPTR " [%s:%d %s]", err,
-          err->refs.count, err->refs.count + 1, file, line, func);
-  gpr_ref(&err->refs);
+          err->atomics.refs.count, err->atomics.refs.count + 1, file, line,
+          func);
+  gpr_ref(&err->atomics.refs);
   return err;
 }
 #else
 grpc_error *grpc_error_ref(grpc_error *err) {
   if (grpc_error_is_special(err)) return err;
-  gpr_ref(&err->refs);
+  gpr_ref(&err->atomics.refs);
   return err;
 }
 #endif
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ static void error_destroy(grpc_error *err) {
   GPR_ASSERT(!grpc_error_is_special(err));
   unref_errs(err);
   unref_strs(err);
-  gpr_free((void *)gpr_atm_acq_load(&err->error_string));
+  gpr_free((void *)gpr_atm_acq_load(&err->atomics.error_string));
   gpr_free(err);
 }
 
@@ -191,15 +192,16 @@ void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err, const char *file, int line,
                       const char *func) {
   if (grpc_error_is_special(err)) return;
   gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "%p: %" PRIdPTR " -> %" PRIdPTR " [%s:%d %s]", err,
-          err->refs.count, err->refs.count - 1, file, line, func);
-  if (gpr_unref(&err->refs)) {
+          err->atomics.refs.count, err->atomics.refs.count - 1, file, line,
+          func);
+  if (gpr_unref(&err->atomics.refs)) {
     error_destroy(err);
   }
 }
 #else
 void grpc_error_unref(grpc_error *err) {
   if (grpc_error_is_special(err)) return;
-  if (gpr_unref(&err->refs)) {
+  if (gpr_unref(&err->atomics.refs)) {
     error_destroy(err);
   }
 }
@@ -328,8 +330,8 @@ grpc_error *grpc_error_create(const char *file, int line, const char *desc,
 
   internal_set_time(&err, GRPC_ERROR_TIME_CREATED, gpr_now(GPR_CLOCK_REALTIME));
 
-  gpr_atm_no_barrier_store(&err->error_string, 0);
-  gpr_ref_init(&err->refs, 1);
+  gpr_atm_no_barrier_store(&err->atomics.error_string, 0);
+  gpr_ref_init(&err->atomics.refs, 1);
   GPR_TIMER_END("grpc_error_create", 0);
   return err;
 }
@@ -369,7 +371,7 @@ static grpc_error *copy_error_and_unref(grpc_error *in) {
                        grpc_slice_from_static_string("cancelled"));
       internal_set_int(&out, GRPC_ERROR_INT_GRPC_STATUS, GRPC_STATUS_CANCELLED);
     }
-  } else if (gpr_ref_is_unique(&in->refs)) {
+  } else if (gpr_ref_is_unique(&in->atomics.refs)) {
     out = in;
   } else {
     uint8_t new_arena_capacity = in->arena_capacity;
@@ -382,10 +384,12 @@ static grpc_error *copy_error_and_unref(grpc_error *in) {
 #ifdef GRPC_ERROR_REFCOUNT_DEBUG
     gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "%p create copying %p", out, in);
 #endif
-    gpr_ref_init(&out->refs, 1);
-    gpr_atm_no_barrier_store(&out->error_string, 0);
-    size_t skip = sizeof(gpr_refcount) + sizeof(gpr_atm);
-    memcpy((void *)out + skip, (void *)in + skip,
+    // manually set the atomics of the error.
+    gpr_atm_no_barrier_store(&out->atomics.error_string, 0);
+    gpr_ref_init(&out->atomics.refs, 1);
+    // bulk memcpy of the rest of the struct.
+    size_t skip = sizeof(&out->atomics);
+    memcpy((void *)((uintptr_t)out + skip), (void *)((uintptr_t)in + skip),
            sizeof(*in) + (in->arena_size * sizeof(intptr_t)) - skip);
     out->arena_capacity = new_arena_capacity;
     ref_strs(out);
@@ -694,7 +698,7 @@ const char *grpc_error_string(grpc_error *err) {
   if (err == GRPC_ERROR_OOM) return oom_error_string;
   if (err == GRPC_ERROR_CANCELLED) return cancelled_error_string;
 
-  void *p = (void *)gpr_atm_acq_load(&err->error_string);
+  void *p = (void *)gpr_atm_acq_load(&err->atomics.error_string);
   if (p != NULL) {
     GPR_TIMER_END("grpc_error_string", 0);
     return p;
@@ -714,9 +718,9 @@ const char *grpc_error_string(grpc_error *err) {
 
   char *out = finish_kvs(&kvs);
 
-  if (!gpr_atm_rel_cas(&err->error_string, 0, (gpr_atm)out)) {
+  if (!gpr_atm_rel_cas(&err->atomics.error_string, 0, (gpr_atm)out)) {
     gpr_free(out);
-    out = (char *)gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&err->error_string);
+    out = (char *)gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&err->atomics.error_string);
   }
 
   GPR_TIMER_END("grpc_error_string", 0);

src/core/lib/iomgr/error_internal.h

@@ -46,14 +46,25 @@ struct grpc_linked_error {
   uint8_t next;
 };
 
+// c core representation of an error. See error.h for high level description of
+// this object.
 struct grpc_error {
-  gpr_refcount refs;
-  gpr_atm error_string;
+  // All atomics in grpc_error must be stored in this nested struct. The rest of
+  // the object is memcpy-ed in bulk in copy_and_unref.
+  struct atomics {
+    gpr_refcount refs;
+    gpr_atm error_string;
+  } atomics;
+  // These arrays index into dynamic arena at the bottom of the struct.
+  // UINT8_MAX is used as a sentinel value.
   uint8_t ints[GRPC_ERROR_INT_MAX];
   uint8_t strs[GRPC_ERROR_STR_MAX];
   uint8_t times[GRPC_ERROR_TIME_MAX];
+  // The child errors are stored in the arena, but are effectively a linked list
+  // structure, since they are contained withing grpc_linked_error objects.
   uint8_t first_err;
   uint8_t last_err;
+  // The arena is dynamically reallocated with a grow factor of 1.5.
   uint8_t arena_size;
   uint8_t arena_capacity;
   intptr_t arena[0];