Support dotted access to ports of a direct hier_block instance. (#6595)

Accessing the ports of hier_block instances directly under the current
hier_block (or top level) work just fine (the heir stub .sv has them),
and this can simplify hooking up dotted references into hier blocks:
push part of the reference under the hier block into the hier block, and
wire it to a port, then resolve the rest of the reference to the port of
the instance.

docs/guide/verilating.rst

@@ -143,8 +143,11 @@ Limitations
 
 Hierarchy blocks have some limitations, including:
 
-* The hierarchy block cannot be accessed using dot (.) from the upper
+* Internals of the hierarchy block cannot be accessed using dot (.) from
-  module(s) or other hierarchy blocks.
+  the upper module(s) or other hierarchy blocks, except that ports of a
+  hierarchy block instance can be accessed from the directly enclosing
+  nested hierarchy block, or from the top level non-hierarchical portions
+  of the design if not a nested hierarchy block.
 
 * Modport cannot be used at the hierarchical block boundary.
 

src/V3LinkDot.cpp

@@ -729,8 +729,8 @@ public:
             if (lookupSymp) {
                 if (const AstCell* const cellp = VN_CAST(lookupSymp->nodep(), Cell)) {
                     if (const AstNodeModule* const modp = cellp->modp()) {
-                        if (modp->hierBlock()) {
+                        if (modp->hierBlock() && !leftname.empty()) {
-                            refLocationp->v3error("Cannot access inside hierarchical block");
+                            refLocationp->v3error("Cannot access scope inside hierarchical block");
                         } else if (VN_IS(modp, NotFoundModule)) {
                             refLocationp->v3error("Dotted reference to instance that refers to "
                                                   "missing module/interface: "
@@ -3004,6 +3004,22 @@ class LinkDotResolveVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
         }
     }
 
+    // Returns true and issues error iff 'varp' cannot be accesed with a VarXRef
+    // in a hier_block given by 'scopeSymp'
+    bool errorHierNonPort(AstVarXRef* refp, AstVar* varp, VSymEnt* scopeSymp) {
+        // OK to access ports on hier_block
+        if (varp->isIO()) return false;
+        // OK if not an instance
+        const AstCell* const cellp = VN_CAST(scopeSymp->nodep(), Cell);
+        if (!cellp) return false;
+        // Ok if not a hier_block
+        const AstNodeModule* const modp = cellp->modp();
+        if (!modp->hierBlock()) return false;
+        // Bad
+        refp->v3error("Cannot access non-port symbols inside hierarchical block");
+        return true;
+    }
+
 #define LINKDOT_VISIT_START() \
     VL_RESTORER(m_indent); \
     ++m_indent;
@@ -4104,6 +4120,8 @@ class LinkDotResolveVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
                 nodep->varp(varp);
                 updateVarUse(nodep->varp());
                 UINFO(7, indent() << "Resolved " << nodep);  // Also prints varp
+                // If found, check if it's ok to access in case it's in a hier_block
+                if (nodep->varp() && errorHierNonPort(nodep, nodep->varp(), dotSymp)) return;
                 if (!nodep->varp()) {
                     nodep->v3error("Can't find definition of "
                                    << AstNode::prettyNameQ(baddot) << " in dotted signal: '"
@@ -4130,6 +4148,8 @@ class LinkDotResolveVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
                 VSymEnt* const foundp
                     = m_statep->findSymPrefixed(dotSymp, nodep->name(), baddot, true);
                 AstVarScope* vscp = foundp ? VN_AS(foundp->nodep(), VarScope) : nullptr;
+                // If found, check if it's ok to access in case it's in a hier_block
+                if (vscp && errorHierNonPort(nodep, vscp->varp(), dotSymp)) return;
                 if (!vscp) {
                     nodep->v3error("Can't find varpin scope of "
                                    << AstNode::prettyNameQ(baddot) << " in dotted signal: '"

test_regress/t/t_hier_block.v

@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ module t (/*AUTOARG*/
 
    always_ff @(posedge clk) begin
       if (out3 != out3_2) $stop;
-      $display("%d out0:%d %d %d %d %d", count, out0, out1, out2, out3, out5, out6);
+      $display("%d %m out0:%d %d %d %d %d", count, out0, out1, out2, out3, out5, out6);
+      $display("%d %m child input  ports: %d %d %d", count, i_sub1.in, i_sub2.in, i_sub3.in);
+      $display("%d %m child output ports: %d %d %d", count, i_sub1.out, i_sub2.out, i_sub3.out);
       if (count == 16) begin
          if (out6 == 19) begin
              $write("*-* All Finished *-*\n");
@@ -192,8 +194,16 @@ module sub3 #(
    assign out = out4;
    /* verilator lint_off REALCVT */
    sub4 #(.P0(1.6), .P1(3.1), .P3(4.1)) i_sub4_0(.clk(clk), .in(ff), .out(out4));  // incr 2
-   sub4 #(.P0(2.4), .P1(3.1), .P3(5)) i_sub4_1(.clk(clk), .in(ff), .out(out4_2));
+   sub4 #(.P0(2.4), .P1(3.1), .P3(5)) i_sub4_1(.clk(clk), .in(), .out(out4_2));
    /* verilator lint_on REALCVT */
+   /* verilator lint_off ASSIGNIN */
+   assign i_sub4_1.in = ff;  // Hierarchical reference to port of hier_block is OK
+   /* verilator lint_off ASSIGNIN */
+
+   always @(posedge clk) begin
+     $display("%d %m child input  ports: %d %d", $time, i_sub4_0.in, i_sub4_1.in);
+     $display("%d %m child output ports: %d %d", $time, i_sub4_0.out, i_sub4_1.out);
+   end
 endmodule
 
 module sub4 #(
@@ -248,6 +258,10 @@ module sub4 #(
                    $display("in[%d][%d] act:%d exp:%d", i, j, sub5_out[i][j], exp);
                    $stop;
                 end
+                if (i_sub5.out[i][j] != exp) begin
+                   $display("in[%d][%d] act:%d exp:%d", i, j, i_sub5.out[i][j], exp);
+                   $stop;
+                end
             end
          end
       end

test_regress/t/t_hier_block0_bad.out

@@ -3,7 +3,15 @@
    21 |    sub0 #(UNPACKED) i_sub0(.clk(clk), .in(8'(count)), .out(out0));
       |           ^~~~~~~~
         ... See the manual at https://verilator.org/verilator_doc.html?v=latest for more assistance.
-%Error: t/t_hier_block0_bad.v:26:42: Cannot access inside hierarchical block
+%Error: t/t_hier_block0_bad.v:62:41: Cannot access non-port symbols inside hierarchical block
-   26 |       $display("%d %d %d", count, i_sub0.ff, out1);
+                                   : ... note: In instance 't.i_sub0'
-      |                                          ^~
+   62 |       $display("%m: i_sub.x: %d", i_sub.x);
+      |                                         ^
+%Error: t/t_hier_block0_bad.v:26:50: Cannot access non-port symbols inside hierarchical block
+                                   : ... note: In instance 't'
+   26 |       $display("%d i_sub0.ff: %d", count, i_sub0.ff);
+      |                                                  ^~
+%Error: t/t_hier_block0_bad.v:27:63: Cannot access scope inside hierarchical block
+   27 |       $display("%d i_sub0.i_sub.out: %d", count, i_sub0.i_sub.out);
+      |                                                               ^~~
 %Error: Exiting due to

test_regress/t/t_hier_block0_bad.v

@@ -22,8 +22,12 @@ module t (/*AUTOARG*/
    sub1 #(.T(logic[7:0])) i_sub1(.in(out0), .out(out1));
 
    always_ff @(posedge clk) begin
-      // dotted access under hierarchical block is not allowed
+      // dotted access under hierarchical block is not allowed ...
-      $display("%d %d %d", count, i_sub0.ff, out1);
+      $display("%d i_sub0.ff: %d", count, i_sub0.ff);
+      $display("%d i_sub0.i_sub.out: %d", count, i_sub0.i_sub.out);
+      // ... Except for ports on a dierct hierarchical child
+      $display("%d i_sub0.out: %d", count, i_sub0.out);
+      $display("%d out1: %d", count, out1);
       if (count == 16) begin
          if (out1 == 15) begin
              $write("*-* All Finished *-*\n");
@@ -49,6 +53,16 @@ module sub0 #(
 
    always_ff @(posedge clk) ff <= in;
    assign out = ff;
+
+   logic [7:0] gg;
+   sub0_sub0 i_sub(.in(ff), .out(gg));
+
+   always_ff @(posedge clk) begin
+      // dotted access under hierarchical block is not allowed ...
+      $display("%m: i_sub.x: %d", i_sub.x);
+      // ... Except for ports on a direct hierarchical child
+      $display("%m: i_sub.out: %d", i_sub.out);
+   end
 endmodule
 
 module sub1 #(
@@ -56,4 +70,15 @@ module sub1 #(
    ) (
     input wire T in, output wire T out); `HIER_BLOCK
    assign out = in;
+
+   sub1_sub #(T) sub(in, out);
+endmodule
+
+module sub0_sub0 (
+  input  wire [7:0] in,
+  output wire [7:0] out
+);
+  `HIER_BLOCK
+  wire [7:0] x = in + 1;
+  assign out = x;
 endmodule