fix #13790; ptr char (+friends) should not implicitly convert to cstring (#20761)

* fix =#13790 ptr char (+friends) should not implicitly convert to cstring

* Apply suggestions from code review

* first round; compiles on windows

* nimPreviewSlimSystem

* conversion is unsafe, cast needed

* fixes more tests

* fixes asyncnet

* another try another error

* last one

* true

* one more

* why bugs didn't show at once

* add `nimPreviewCstringConversion` switch

* typo

Co-authored-by: xflywind <43030857+xflywind@users.noreply.github.com>

changelog.md

@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@
 - Enabling `-d:nimPreviewSlimSystem` removes the import of `channels_builtin` in
   in the `system` module.
 
+- Enabling `-d:nimPreviewCstringConversion`, `ptr char`, `ptr array[N, char]` and `ptr UncheckedArray[N, char]` don't support conversion to cstring anymore.
+
 - The `gc:v2` option is removed.
 
 - The `mainmodule` and `m` options are removed.

compiler/nim.cfg

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ define:booting
 define:nimcore
 define:nimPreviewFloatRoundtrip
 define:nimPreviewSlimSystem
+define:nimPreviewCstringConversion
 define:nimPreviewRangeDefault
 threads:off
 

compiler/sigmatch.nim

@@ -1391,16 +1391,18 @@ proc typeRel(c: var TCandidate, f, aOrig: PType,
     of tyNil: result = f.allowsNil
     of tyString: result = isConvertible
     of tyPtr:
-      # ptr[Tag, char] is not convertible to 'cstring' for now:
+      if isDefined(c.c.config, "nimPreviewCstringConversion"):
-      if a.len == 1:
+        result = isNone
-        let pointsTo = a[0].skipTypes(abstractInst)
+      else:
-        if pointsTo.kind == tyChar: result = isConvertible
+        if a.len == 1:
-        elif pointsTo.kind == tyUncheckedArray and pointsTo[0].kind == tyChar:
+          let pointsTo = a[0].skipTypes(abstractInst)
-          result = isConvertible
+          if pointsTo.kind == tyChar: result = isConvertible
-        elif pointsTo.kind == tyArray and firstOrd(nil, pointsTo[0]) == 0 and
+          elif pointsTo.kind == tyUncheckedArray and pointsTo[0].kind == tyChar:
-            skipTypes(pointsTo[0], {tyRange}).kind in {tyInt..tyInt64} and
+            result = isConvertible
-            pointsTo[1].kind == tyChar:
+          elif pointsTo.kind == tyArray and firstOrd(nil, pointsTo[0]) == 0 and
-          result = isConvertible
+              skipTypes(pointsTo[0], {tyRange}).kind in {tyInt..tyInt64} and
+              pointsTo[1].kind == tyChar:
+            result = isConvertible
     else: discard
 
   of tyEmpty, tyVoid:

tests/stdlib/config.nims

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 switch("styleCheck", "usages")
 switch("styleCheck", "error")
-switch("define", "nimPreviewSlimSystem")
+switch("define", "nimPreviewSlimSystem")
+switch("define", "nimPreviewCstringConversion")

tests/tools/config.nims

@@ -1 +1,2 @@
---d:nimPreviewSlimSystem
+--d:nimPreviewSlimSystem
+--d:nimPreviewCstringConversion