:orphan:

.. _ABI:

.. highlight:: none

Type Metadata
-------------

The Swift runtime keeps a **metadata record** for every type used in a program,
including every instantiation of generic types. These metadata records can
be used by (TODO: reflection and) debugger tools to discover information about
types. For non-generic nominal types, these metadata records are generated
statically by the compiler. For instances of generic types, and for intrinsic
types such as tuples, functions, protocol compositions, etc., metadata records
are lazily created by the runtime as required. Every type has a unique metadata
record; two **metadata pointer** values are equal iff the types are equivalent.

In the layout descriptions below, offsets are given relative to the
metadata pointer as an index into an array of pointers. On a 32-bit platform,
**offset 1** means an offset of 4 bytes, and on 64-bit platforms, it means
an offset of 8 bytes.

Common Metadata Layout
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All metadata records share a common header, with the following fields:

- The **value witness table** pointer references a vtable of functions
  that implement the value semantics of the type, providing fundamental
  operations such as allocating, copying, and destroying values of the type.
  The value witness table also records the size, alignment, stride, and other
  fundamental properties of the type. The value witness table pointer is at
  **offset -1** from the metadata pointer, that is, the pointer-sized word
  **immediately before** the pointer's referenced address.

- The **kind** field is a pointer-sized integer that describes the kind of type
  the metadata describes. This field is at **offset 0** from the metadata
  pointer.

  The current kind values are as follows:

  * `Class metadata`_ has of kind of **0** unless the class is required to
    interoperate with Objective-C.  If the class is required to interoperate
    with Objective-C, the kind field is instead an *isa pointer* to an
    Objective-C metaclass.  Such a pointer can be distinguished from an
    enumerated metadata kind because it is guaranteed to have a value larger
    than **2047**.  Note that this is a more basic sense of interoperation
    than is meant by the ``@objc`` attribute: it is what is required to
    support Objective-C message sends and retain/release.  All classes are
    required to interoperate with Objective-C on this level when building
    for an Apple platform.
  * `Struct metadata`_ has a kind of **1**.
  * `Enum metadata`_ has a kind of **2**.
  * `Optional metadata`_ has a kind of **3**.
  * **Opaque metadata** has a kind of **8**. This is used for compiler
    ``Builtin`` primitives that have no additional runtime information.
  * `Tuple metadata`_ has a kind of **9**.
  * `Function metadata`_ has a kind of **10**.
  * `Protocol metadata`_ has a kind of **12**. This is used for
    protocol types, for protocol compositions, and for the ``Any`` type.
  * `Metatype metadata`_ has a kind of **13**.
  * `Objective C class wrapper metadata`_ has a kind of **14**.
  * `Existential metatype metadata`_ has a kind of **15**.

Struct Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, struct metadata records
contain the following fields:

- The `nominal type descriptor`_ is referenced at **offset 1**.

- If the struct is generic, then the
  `generic argument vector`_ begins at **offset 2**.

- A vector of **field offsets** begins immediately after the generic
  argument vector.  For each field of the struct, in ``var`` declaration
  order, the field's offset in bytes from the beginning of the struct is
  stored as a pointer-sized integer.

Enum Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, enum metadata records
contain the following fields:

- The `nominal type descriptor`_ is referenced at **offset 1**.

- If the enum is generic, then the
  `generic argument vector`_ begins at **offset 2**.

Optional Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Optional metadata share the same basic layout as enum metadata.  They are
distinguished from enum metadata because of the importance of the
``Optional`` type for various reflection and dynamic-casting purposes.

Tuple Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, tuple metadata records
contain the following fields:

- The **number of elements** in the tuple is a pointer-sized integer at
  **offset 1**.
- The **labels string** is a pointer to the labels for the tuple elements
  at **offset 2**. Labels are encoded in UTF-8 and separated by spaces, and
  the entire string is terminated with a null character.  For example, the
  labels in the tuple type ``(x: Int, Int, z: Int)`` would be encoded as the
  character array ``"x  z \0"``. A label (possibly zero-length) is provided
  for each element of the tuple, meaning that the label string for a tuple
  of **n** elements always contains exactly **n** spaces. If the tuple has
  no labels at all, the label string is a null pointer.

- The **element vector** begins at **offset 3** and consists of an array of
  type-offset pairs. The metadata for the *n*\ th element's type is a pointer
  at **offset 3+2*n**. The offset in bytes from the beginning of the tuple to
  the beginning of the *n*\ th element is at **offset 3+2*n+1**.

Function Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, function metadata records
contain the following fields:

- The function flags are stored at **offset 1**.  This includes information
  such as the semantic convention of the function, whether the function
  throws, and how many parameters the function has.
- A reference to the **result type** metadata record is stored at *offset 2**.
  If the function has multiple returns, this references a `tuple metadata`_
  record.
- The **parameter type vector** follows the result type and consists of
  **NumParameters** type metadata pointers corresponding to the types of the parameters.
- The optional **parameter flags vector** begins after the end of
  **parameter type vector** and consists of **NumParameters** 32-bit flags.
  This includes information such as whether the parameter is ``inout`` or
  whether it is variadic.  The presence of this vector is signalled by a flag
  in the function flags; if no parameter has any non-default flags, the flag
  is not set.

Currently we have specialized ABI endpoints to retrieve metadata for functions
with 0/1/2/3 parameters - `swift_getFunctionTypeMetadata{0|1|2|3}` and the general
one `swift_getFunctionTypeMetadata` which handles all other function types and
functions with parameter flags e.g. `(inout Int) -> Void`. Based on the usage
information collected from Swift Standard Library and Overlays as well as Source
Compatibility Suite it was decided not to have specialized ABI endpoints for
functions with parameter flags due their minimal use.

Protocol Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, protocol metadata records
contain the following fields:

- A **layout flags** word is stored at **offset 1**. The bits of this word
  describe the existential container layout used to represent
  values of the type. The word is laid out as follows:

  * The **number of witness tables** is stored in the least significant 24 bits.
    Values of the protocol type contain this number of witness table pointers
    in their layout.
  * The **special protocol kind** is stored in 6 bits starting at
    bit 24. Only one special protocol kind is defined: the `Error` protocol has
    value 1.
  * The **superclass constraint indicator** is stored at bit 30. When set, the
    protocol type includes a superclass constraint (described below).
  * The **class constraint** is stored at bit 31. This bit is set if the type
    is **not** class-constrained, meaning that struct, enum, or class values
    can be stored in the type. If not set, then only class values can be stored
    in the type, and the type uses a more efficient layout.

- The **number of protocols** that make up the protocol composition is stored at
  **offset 2**. For the "any" types ``Any`` or ``AnyObject``, this
  is zero. For a single-protocol type ``P``, this is one. For a protocol
  composition type ``P & Q & ...``, this is the number of protocols.

- If the **superclass constraint indicator** is set, type metadata for the
  superclass follows at the next offset.
  
- The **protocol vector** follows. This is an inline array of pointers to
  descriptions of each protocol in the composition. Each pointer references
  either a Swift `protocol descriptor`_ or an Objective-C `Protocol`; the low
  bit will be set to indicate when it references an Objective-C protocol. For an
  "any" or "AnyObject" type, there is no protocol descriptor vector.

Metatype Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, metatype metadata records
contain the following fields:

- A reference to the metadata record for the **instance type** that the metatype
  represents is stored at **offset 1**.

Existential Metatype Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, existential metatype
metadata records contain the following fields:

- A reference to the metadata record for the **instance type** of the metatype
  is stored at **offset 1**.  This is always either an existential type
  metadata or another existential metatype.

- A word of flags summarizing the existential type are stored at **offset 2**.

Class Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Class metadata is designed to interoperate with Objective-C; all class metadata
records are also valid Objective-C ``Class`` objects. Class metadata pointers
are used as the values of class metatypes, so a derived class's metadata
record also serves as a valid class metatype value for all of its ancestor
classes.

- The **destructor pointer** is stored at **offset -2** from the metadata
  pointer, behind the value witness table. This function is invoked by Swift's
  deallocator when the class instance is destroyed.
- The **isa pointer** pointing to the class's Objective-C-compatible metaclass
  record is stored at **offset 0**, in place of an integer kind discriminator.
- The **super pointer** pointing to the metadata record for the superclass is
  stored at **offset 1**. If the class is a root class, it is null.
- On platforms which support Objective-C interoperability, two words are
  reserved for use by the Objective-C runtime at **offset 2** and **offset
  3**; on other platforms, nothing is reserved.
- On platforms which support Objective-C interoperability, the **rodata 
  pointer** is stored at **offset 4**; on other platforms, it is not present. 
  The rodata pointer points to an Objective-C compatible rodata record for the 
  class. This pointer value includes a tag.
  The **low bit is always set to 1** for Swift classes and always set to 0 for
  Objective-C classes.
- The **class flags** are a 32-bit field at **offset 5** on platforms which 
  support Objective-C interoperability; on other platforms, the field is at 
  **offset 2**.
- The **instance address point** is a 32-bit field following the class flags.
  A pointer to an instance of this class points this number of bytes after the
  beginning of the instance.
- The **instance size** is a 32-bit field following the instance address point.
  This is the number of bytes of storage present in every object of this type.
- The **instance alignment mask** is a 16-bit field following the instance size.
  This is a set of low bits which must not be set in a pointer to an instance
  of this class.
- The **runtime-reserved field** is a 16-bit field following the instance
  alignment mask.  The compiler initializes this to zero.
- The **class object size** is a 32-bit field following the runtime-reserved
  field.  This is the total number of bytes of storage in the class metadata
  object.
- The **class object address point** is a 32-bit field following the class
  object size.  This is the number of bytes of storage in the class metadata
  object.
- The `nominal type descriptor`_ for the most-derived class type is referenced
  at an offset immediately following the class object address point. On 64-bit
  and 32-bit platforms which support Objective-C interoperability, this is,
  respectively, at **offset 8** and at **offset 11**; in platforms that do not
  support Objective-C interoperability, this is, respectively, at **offset 5** 
  and at **offset 8**.
- For each Swift class in the class's inheritance hierarchy, in order starting
  from the root class and working down to the most derived class, the following
  fields are present:

  * First, a reference to the **parent** metadata record is stored.
    For classes that are members of an enclosing nominal type, this is a
    reference to the enclosing type's metadata. For top-level classes, this is
    null.

    TODO: The parent pointer is currently always null.

  * If the class is generic, its `generic argument vector`_ is stored inline.
  * The **vtable** is stored inline and contains a function pointer to the
    implementation of every method of the class in declaration order.
  * If the layout of a class instance is dependent on its generic parameters,
    then a **field offset vector** is stored inline, containing offsets in
    bytes from an instance pointer to each field of the class in declaration
    order. (For classes with fixed layout, the field offsets are accessible
    statically from global variables, similar to Objective-C ivar offsets.)

  Note that none of these fields are present for Objective-C base classes in
  the inheritance hierarchy.

- Optionally, witness table pointers for fast existential casts are stored at
  negative offsets, starting at **offset -4**. If a class conforms to a
  protocol at the given index, the entry points to the corresponding witness
  table. If the class does _not_ conform to the protocol, the entry is null.
  The list of protocols for fast existential checks is managed by the SIL
  optimizer and the information about it is kept in the SILVTable.
  This is currently only used for metadata which is built at compile time,
  but not for metadata which is built at runtime, e.g. for generic classes.


Objective C class wrapper metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Objective-C class wrapper metadata are used when an Objective-C ``Class``
object is not a valid Swift type metadata.

In addition to the `common metadata layout`_ fields, Objective-C class
wrapper metadata records have the following fields:

- A ``Class`` value at **offset 1** which is known to not be a Swift type
  metadata.

Generic Argument Vector
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Metadata records for instances of generic types contain information about their
generic arguments. For each parameter of the type, a reference to the metadata
record for the type argument is stored.  After all of the type argument
metadata references, for each type parameter, if there are protocol
requirements on that type parameter, a reference to the witness table for each
protocol it is required to conform to is stored in declaration order.

For example, given a generic type with the parameters ``<T, U, V>``, its
generic parameter record will consist of references to the metadata records
for ``T``, ``U``, and ``V`` in succession, as if laid out in a C struct::

  struct GenericParameterVector {
    TypeMetadata *T, *U, *V;
  };

If we add protocol requirements to the parameters, for example,
``<T: Runcible, U: Fungible & Ansible, V>``, then the type's generic
parameter vector contains witness tables for those protocols, as if laid out::

  struct GenericParameterVector {
    TypeMetadata *T, *U, *V;
    RuncibleWitnessTable *T_Runcible;
    FungibleWitnessTable *U_Fungible;
    AnsibleWitnessTable *U_Ansible;
  };

Foreign Class Metadata
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Foreign class metadata describes "foreign" class types, which support Swift
reference counting but are otherwise opaque to the Swift runtime.

- The `nominal type descriptor`_ for the most-derived class type is stored at
  **offset 0**.
- The **super pointer** pointing to the metadata record for the superclass is
  stored at **offset 1**. If the class is a root class, it is null.
- Three **pointer-sized fields**, starting at **offset 2**, are reserved for
  future use.

Nominal Type Descriptor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Warning: this is all out of date!**

The metadata records for class, struct, and enum types contain a pointer to a
**nominal type descriptor**, which contains basic information about the nominal
type such as its name, members, and metadata layout. For a generic type, one
nominal type descriptor is shared for all instantiations of the type. The
layout is as follows:

- The **kind** of type is stored at **offset 0**, which is as follows:

  * **0** for a class,
  * **1** for a struct, or
  * **2** for an enum.

- The mangled **name** is referenced as a null-terminated C string at
  **offset 1**. This name includes no bound generic parameters.
- The following four fields depend on the kind of nominal type.

  * For a struct or class:

    + The **number of fields** is stored at **offset 2**. This is the length
      of the field offset vector in the metadata record, if any.
    + The **offset to the field offset vector** is stored at **offset 3**.
      This is the offset in pointer-sized words of the field offset vector for
      the type in the metadata record. If no field offset vector is stored
      in the metadata record, this is zero.
    + The **field names** are referenced as a doubly-null-terminated list of
      C strings at **offset 4**. The order of names corresponds to the order
      of fields in the field offset vector.
    + The **field type accessor** is a function pointer at **offset 5**. If
      non-null, the function takes a pointer to an instance of type metadata
      for the nominal type, and returns a pointer to an array of type metadata
      references for the types of the fields of that instance. The order matches
      that of the field offset vector and field name list.

  * For an enum:

    + The **number of payload cases** and **payload size offset** are stored
      at **offset 2**. The least significant 24 bits are the number of payload
      cases, and the most significant 8 bits are the offset of the payload
      size in the type metadata, if present.
    + The **number of no-payload cases** is stored at **offset 3**.
    + The **case names** are referenced as a doubly-null-terminated list of
      C strings at **offset 4**. The names are ordered such that payload cases
      come first, followed by no-payload cases. Within each half of the list,
      the order of names corresponds to the order of cases in the enum
      declaration.
    + The **case type accessor** is a function pointer at **offset 5**. If
      non-null, the function takes a pointer to an instance of type metadata
      for the enum, and returns a pointer to an array of type metadata
      references for the types of the cases of that instance. The order matches
      that of the case name list. This function is similar to the field type
      accessor for a struct, except also the least significant bit of each
      element in the result is set if the enum case is an **indirect case**.

- If the nominal type is generic, a pointer to the **metadata pattern** that
  is used to form instances of the type is stored at **offset 6**. The pointer
  is null if the type is not generic.

- The **generic parameter descriptor** begins at **offset 7**. This describes
  the layout of the generic parameter vector in the metadata record:

  * The **offset of the generic parameter vector** is stored at **offset 7**.
    This is the offset in pointer-sized words of the generic parameter vector
    inside the metadata record. If the type is not generic, this is zero.
  * The **number of type parameters** is stored at **offset 8**. This count
    includes associated types of type parameters with protocol constraints.
  * The **number of type parameters** is stored at **offset 9**. This count
    includes only the primary formal type parameters.
  * For each type parameter **n**, the following fields are stored:

    + The **number of witnesses** for the type parameter is stored at
      **offset 10+n**. This is the number of witness table pointers that are
      stored for the type parameter in the generic parameter vector.

Note that there is no nominal type descriptor for protocols or protocol types.
See the `protocol descriptor`_ description below.

Protocol Descriptor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Protocol descriptors describe the requirements of a protocol, and act as a
handle for the protocol itself. They are referenced by `Protocol metadata`_, as
well as `Protocol Conformance Records`_ and generic requirements. Protocol
descriptors are only created for non-`@objc` Swift protocols: `@objc` protocols
are emitted as Objective-C metadata. The layout of Swift protocol descriptors is
as follows:

- Protocol descriptors are context descriptors, so they are prefixed by context
  descriptor metadata. (FIXME: these are not yet documented)
- The 16-bit kind-specific flags of a protocol are defined as follows:

  * **Bit 0** is the **class constraint bit**. It is set if the protocol is
    **not** class-constrained, meaning that any struct, enum, or class type
    may conform to the protocol. It is unset if only classes can conform to
    the protocol.
  * **Bit 1** indicates that the protocol is **resilient**.
  * **Bits 2-7** indicate specify the **special protocol kind**. Only one
    special protocol kind is defined: the `Error` protocol has value 1.    

- A pointer to the **name** of the protocol.
- The number of generic requirements within the **requirement signature** of
  the protocol. The generic requirements themselves follow the fixed part
  of the protocol descriptor.
- The number of **protocol requirements** in the protocol. The protocol
  requirements follow the generic requirements that form the **requirement
  signature**.
- A string containing the **associated type names**, a C string comprising the
  names of all of the associated types in this protocol, separated by spaces,
  and in the same order as they appear in the protocol requirements.
- The **generic requirements** that form the **requirement signature**.
- The **protocol requirements** of the protocol.

Protocol Conformance Records
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A *protocol conformance record* states that a given type conforms to a
particular protocol. Protocol conformance records are emitted into their own
section, which is scanned by the Swift runtime when needed (e.g., in response to
a `swift_conformsToProtocol()` query). Each protocol conformance record
contains:

- The `protocol descriptor`_ describing the protocol of the conformance,
  represented as an (possibly indirect) 32-bit offset relative to the field.
  The low bit indicates whether it is an indirect offset; the second lowest
  bit is reserved for future use.
- A reference to the **conforming type**, represented as a 32-bit offset
  relative to the field. The lower two bits indicate how the conforming
  type is represented:

    0. A direct reference to a nominal type descriptor.
    1. An indirect reference to a nominal type descriptor.
    2. Reserved for future use.
    3. A reference to a pointer to an Objective-C class object.

- The **witness table field** that provides access to the witness table
  describing the conformance itself, represented as a direct 32-bit relative
  offset. The lower two bits indicate how the witness table is represented:

    0. The **witness table field** is a reference to a witness table.
    1. The **witness table field** is a reference to a **witness table
       accessor** function for an unconditional conformance.
    2. The **witness table field** is a reference to a **witness table
       accessor** function for a conditional conformance.
    3. Reserved for future use.

- A 32-bit value reserved for future use.

Recursive Type Metadata Dependencies
------------------------------------

The Swift type system is built up inductively by the application of
higher-kinded type constructors (such as "tuple" or "function", as well
as user-defined generic types) to other, existing types.  Crucially, it
is the "least fixed point" of that inductive system, meaning that it
does not include **infinite types** (µ-types) whose basic identity can
only be defined in terms of themselves.

That is, it is possible to write the type::

  typealias IntDict = Dictionary<String, Int>

but it is not possible to directly express the type::

  typealias RecursiveDict = Dictionary<String, RecursiveDict>

However, Swift does permit the expression of types that have recursive
dependencies upon themselves in ways other than their basic identity.
For example, class ``A`` may inherit from a superclass ``Base<A>``,
or it may contain a field of type ``(A, A)``.  In order to support
the dynamic reification of such types into type metadata, as well as
to support the dynamic layout of such types, Swift's metadata runtime
supports a system of metadata dependency and iterative initialization.

Metadata States
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A type metadata may be in one of several different dynamic states:

- An **abstract** metadata stores just enough information to allow the
  identity of the type to be recovered: namely, the metadata's kind
  (e.g. **struct**) and any kind-specific identity information it
  entails (e.g. the `nominal type descriptor`_ and any generic arguments).

- A **layout-complete** metadata additionally stores the components of
  the type's "external layout", necessary to compute the layout of any
  type that directly stores a value of the type.  In particular, a
  metadata in this state has a meaningful value witness table.

- A **non-transitively complete** metadata has undergone any additional
  initialization that is required in order to support basic operations
  on the type.  For example, a metadata in this state will have undergone
  any necessary "internal layout" that might be required in order to
  create values of the type but not to allocate storage to hold them.
  For example, a class metadata will have an instance layout, which is
  not required in order to compute the external layout, but is required
  in order to allocate instances or create a subclass.

- A **complete** metadata additionally makes certain guarantees of
  transitive completeness of the metadata referenced from the metadata.
  For example, a complete metadata for ``Array<T>`` guarantees that
  the metadata for ``T`` stored in the generic arguments vector is also
  complete.

Metadata never backtrack in their state.  In particular, once metadata
is complete, it remains complete forever.

Transitive Completeness Guarantees
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A complete class metadata makes the following guarantees:

- Its superclass metadata (if it has a superclass) is complete.
- Its generic arguments (if it has any) are complete.
- By implication, the generic arguments of its superclasses are complete.

A complete struct, enum, or optional metadata makes the following guarantees:

- Its generic arguments (if it has any) are complete.

A complete tuple metadata makes the following guarantees:

- Its element types are complete.

Other kinds of type metadata do not make any completeness guarantees.
The metadata kinds with transitive guarantees are the metadata kinds that
potentially require two-phase initialization anyway.  Other kinds of
metadata could otherwise declare themselves complete immediately on
allocation, so the transitive completeness guarantee would add significant
complexity to both the runtime interface and its implementation, as well
as adding probably-unrecoverable memory overhead to the allocation process.

It is also true that it is far more important to be able to efficiently
recover complete metadata from the stored arguments of a generic type
than it is to be able to recover such metadata from a function metadata.

Completeness Requirements
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Type metadata are required to be transitively complete when they are
presented to most code.  This allows that code to work with the metadata
without explicitly checking for its completeness.  Metadata in the other
states are typically encountered only when initializing or building up
metadata.

Specifically, a type metadata record is required to be complete when:

- It is passed as a generic argument to a function (other than a metadata
  access function, witness table access function, or metadata initialization
  function).
- It is used as a metatype value, including as the ``Self`` argument to a
  ``static`` or ``class`` method, including initializers.
- It is used to build an opaque existential value.

Metadata Requests and Responses
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When calling a metadata access function, code must provide the following
information:

- the required state of the metadata, and
- whether the callee should block until the metadata is available
  in that state.

The access function will then return:

- the metadata and
- the current dynamic state of the metadata.

Access functions will always return the correct metadata record; they
will never return a null pointer.  If the metadata has not been allocated
at the time of the request, it will at least be allocated before the
access function returns.  The runtime will block the current thread until
the allocation completes if necessary, and there is currently no way to
avoid this.

Since access functions always return metadata that is at least in the
abstract state, it is not meaningful to make a non-blocking request
for abstract metadata.

The returned dynamic state of the metadata may be less than the requested
state if the request was non-blocking.  It is not otherwise affected by
the request; it is the known dynamic state of the metadata at the time of
the call.  Note that of course this dynamic state is just a lower bound
on the actual dynamic state of the metadata, since the actual dynamic
state may be getting concurrently advanced by another thread.

In general, most code should request metadata in the **complete**
state (as discussed above) and should block until the metadata is
available in that state.  However:

- When requesting metadata solely to serve as a generic argument of
  another metadata, code should request **abstract** metadata.  This
  can potentially unblock cycles involving the two metadata.

- Metadata initialization code should generally make non-blocking
  requests; see the next section.

Metadata access functions that cache their results should only cache
if the dynamic state is complete; this substantially simplifies the caching
logic, and in practice most metadata will be dynamically complete.
Note that this rule can be applied without considering the request.

Code outside of the runtime should never attempt to ascertain a
metadata's current state by inspecting it, e.g. to see if it has a value
witness table.  Metadata initialization is not required to use
synchronization when initializing the metadata record; the necessary
synchronization is done at a higher level in the structures which record
the metadata's dynamic state.  Because of this, code inspecting aspects
of the metadata that have not been guaranteed by the returned dynamic
state may observe partially-initialized state, such as a value witness
table with a meaningless size value.  Instead, that code should call
the ``swift_checkMetadataState`` function.

Metadata Allocation and Initialization
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In order to support recursive dependencies between type metadata,
the creation of type metadata is divided into two phases:

- allocation, which creates an abstract metadata, and
- initialization, which advances the metadata through the progression
  of states.

Allocation cannot fail.  It should return relatively quickly and
should not make any metadata requests.

The initialization phase will be repeatedly executed until it reaches
completion.  It is only executed by one thread at a time.
Compiler-emitted initialization functions are given a certain amount
of scratch space that is passed to all executions; this can be used
to skip expensive or unrepeatable steps in later re-executions.

Any particular execution of the initialization phase can fail due
to an unsatisfied dependency.  It does so by returning a **metadata
dependency**, which is a pair of a metadata and a required state for
that metadata.  The initialization phase is expected to make only
non-blocking requests for metadata.  If a response does not satisfy
the requirement, the returned metadata and the requirement should
be presented to the caller as a dependency.  The runtime does two
things with this dependency:

- It attempts to add the initialization to the **completion queue**
  of the dependent metadata.  If this succeeds, the initialization
  is considered blocked; it will be unblocked as soon as the
  dependent metadata reaches the required state.  But it can also
  fail if the dependency is already resolved due to concurrent
  initialization; if so, the initialization is immediately resumed.

- If it succeeds in blocking the initialization on the dependency,
  it will check for an unresolvable dependency cycle.  If a cycle exists,
  it will be reported on stderr and the runtime will abort the process.
  This depends on the proper use of non-blocking requests; the runtime
  does not make any effort to detect deadlock due to cycles of blocking
  requests.

Initialization must not repeatedly report failure based on stale
information about the dynamic state of a metadata.  (For example,
it must not cache metadata states from previous executions in the
initialization scratch space.)  If this happens, the runtime may spin,
repeatedly executing the initialization phase only to have it fail
in the same place due to the same stale dependency.

Compiler-emitted initialization functions are only responsible for
ensuring that the metadata is **non-transitively complete**.
They signal this by returning a null dependency to the runtime.
The runtime will then ensure transitive completion.  The initialization
function should not try to "help out" by requesting complete metadata
instead of non-transitively-complete metadata; it is impossible to
resolve certain recursive transitive-closure problems without the
more holistic information available to the runtime.  In general, if
an initialization function seems to require transitively-complete
metadata for something, try to make it not.

If a compiler-emitted initialization function returns a dependency,
the current state of the metadata (**abstract** vs. **layout-complete**)
will be determined by inspecting the **incomplete** bit in the flags
of the value witness table.  Compiler-emitted initialization functions
are therefore responsible for ensuring that this bit is set correctly.
