Fix false CONSTVAR error on initializers (#4992).

Changes

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Verilator 5.041 devel
 * Improve `covergroup with function sample` handling  (#6387). [Jakub Wasilewski]
 * Improve DFG type system (#6390). [Geza Lore]
 * Optimize dead functions without references (#6380). [Artur Bieniek, Antmicro Ltd.]
+* Fix false CONSTVAR error on initializers (#4992).
 * Fix cell scoping performance (#6059). [Jerry Tianchen]
 * Fix while loop hang on timing-delayed assignment (#6343) (#6354). [Krzysztof Bieganski, Antmicro Ltd.]
 * Fix driver analysis of partially assigned variables (#6364) (#6378). [Geza Lore]

docs/guide/warnings.rst

@@ -485,6 +485,17 @@ List Of Warnings
    from other simulators.
 
 
+.. option:: CONSTWRITTEN
+
+   Error that a :code:`const` data typed variable is being assigned a
+   value.
+
+   IEEE 1800-2023 6.20.6 requires this error.
+
+   Suppressing this error will suppress the error message check; it will
+   simulate as if the :code:`const` as not present.
+
+
 .. option:: CONTASSREG
 
    .. TODO better example

src/V3Error.h

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ public:
         I_TRACING,      // Tracing is on/off from /*verilator tracing_on/off*/
         I_UNUSED,       // Unused genvar, parameter or signal message (Backward Compatibility)
         // Error codes:
+        E_CONSTWRITTEN, // Error: Const variable being written.
         E_LIFETIME,     // Error: Reference to a variable might outlive the variable.
         E_NEEDTIMINGOPT,  // Error: --timing/--no-timing option not specified
         E_NOTIMING,     // Timing control encountered with --no-timing
@@ -202,7 +203,8 @@ public:
             " I_CELLDEFINE", " I_COVERAGE", " I_DEF_NETTYPE_WIRE", " I_LINT", " I_TIMING",
             " I_TRACING", " I_UNUSED",
             // Errors
-            "LIFETIME", "NEEDTIMINGOPT", "NOTIMING", "PORTSHORT", "TASKNSVAR", "UNSUPPORTED",
+            "CONSTWRITTEN", "LIFETIME", "NEEDTIMINGOPT", "NOTIMING", "PORTSHORT", "TASKNSVAR",
+            "UNSUPPORTED",
             // Warnings
             " EC_FIRST_WARN", "ALWCOMBORDER", "ALWNEVER", "ASCRANGE", "ASSIGNDLY", "ASSIGNIN",
             "BADSTDPRAGMA", "BADVLTPRAGMA", "BLKANDNBLK", "BLKLOOPINIT", "BLKSEQ", "BSSPACE",

src/V3LinkParse.cpp

@@ -396,11 +396,13 @@ class LinkParseVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
                 // Making an AstAssign (vs AstAssignW) to a wire is an error, suppress it
                 FileLine* const newfl = new FileLine{fl};
                 newfl->warnOff(V3ErrorCode::PROCASSWIRE, true);
+                newfl->warnOff(V3ErrorCode::E_CONSTWRITTEN, true);
                 // Create a ParseRef to the wire. We cannot use the var as it may be deleted if
                 // it's a port (see t_var_set_link.v)
                 AstAssign* const assp = new AstAssign{
                     newfl, new AstParseRef{newfl, VParseRefExp::PX_TEXT, nodep->name()},
                     VN_AS(nodep->valuep()->unlinkFrBack(), NodeExpr)};
+                UINFOTREE(1, assp, "", "new");
                 if (nodep->lifetime().isAutomatic()) {
                     nodep->addNextHere(new AstInitialAutomatic{newfl, assp});
                 } else {
@@ -408,9 +410,12 @@ class LinkParseVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
                 }
             }  // 4. Under blocks, it's an initial value to be under an assign
             else {
+                FileLine* const newfl = new FileLine{fl};
+                newfl->warnOff(V3ErrorCode::E_CONSTWRITTEN, true);
                 nodep->addNextHere(
-                    new AstAssign{fl, new AstVarRef{fl, nodep, VAccess::WRITE},
+                    new AstAssign{newfl, new AstVarRef{newfl, nodep, VAccess::WRITE},
                                   VN_AS(nodep->valuep()->unlinkFrBack(), NodeExpr)});
+                UINFOTREE(1, nodep->nextp(), "", "new");
             }
         }
     }

src/V3Width.cpp

@@ -2608,7 +2608,9 @@ class WidthVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
                    && !VN_IS(m_procedurep, InitialStatic)) {
             // Too loose, but need to allow our generated first assignment
             // Move this to a property of the AstInitial block
-            nodep->v3error("Assigning to const variable: " << nodep->prettyNameQ());
+            nodep->v3warn(E_CONSTWRITTEN, "Writing to 'const' data-typed variable "
+                                              << nodep->prettyNameQ()
+                                              << " (IEEE 1800-2023 6.20.6)");
         }
         nodep->didWidth(true);
     }

test_regress/t/t_var_const2.py

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test driver/expect definition
+#
+# Copyright 2025 by Wilson Snyder. This program is free software; you
+# can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU
+# Lesser General Public License Version 3 or the Perl Artistic License
+# Version 2.0.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only OR Artistic-2.0
+
+import vltest_bootstrap
+
+test.scenarios('linter')
+
+test.lint()
+
+test.passes()

test_regress/t/t_var_const2.v

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test module
+//
+// This file ONLY is placed under the Creative Commons Public Domain, for
+// any use, without warranty, 2025 by Wilson Snyder.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
+
+// verilog_format: off
+`define stop $stop
+`define checkd(gotv,expv) do if ((gotv) !== (expv)) begin $write("%%Error: %s:%0d:  got=%0d exp=%0d\n", `__FILE__,`__LINE__, (gotv), (expv)); `stop; end while(0);
+`define checkh(gotv,expv) do if ((gotv) !== (expv)) begin $write("%%Error: %s:%0d:  got='h%x exp='h%x\n", `__FILE__,`__LINE__, (gotv), (expv)); `stop; end while(0);
+`define checks(gotv,expv) do if ((gotv) != (expv)) begin $write("%%Error: %s:%0d:  got='%s' exp='%s'\n", `__FILE__,`__LINE__, (gotv), (expv)); `stop; end while(0);
+`define checkp(gotv,expv_s) do begin string gotv_s; gotv_s = $sformatf("%p", gotv); if ((gotv_s) != (expv_s)) begin $write("%%Error: %s:%0d:  got='%s' exp='%s'\n", `__FILE__,`__LINE__, (gotv_s), (expv_s)); `stop; end end while(0);
+// verilog_format: on
+
+module t;
+  const static int a1;
+  const static int a2 = 0;
+
+  const automatic int b1;
+  const automatic int b2 = 0;
+
+  initial begin
+    const static int c1;
+    const static int c2 = 0;
+
+    const automatic int d1;
+    const automatic int d2 = 0;
+  end
+
+  function static void tb_func1();
+    const static int e1;
+    const static int e2 = 0;
+
+    const automatic int f1;
+    const automatic int f2 = 0;
+  endfunction
+
+  function automatic void tb_func2();
+    const static int g1;
+    const static int g2 = 0;
+
+    const automatic int h1;
+    const automatic int h2 = 0;
+  endfunction
+endmodule

test_regress/t/t_var_const_bad.out

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-%Error: t/t_var_const_bad.v:17:7: Assigning to const variable: 'five'
+%Error-CONSTWRITTEN: t/t_var_const_bad.v:17:7: Writing to 'const' data-typed variable 'five' (IEEE 1800-2023 6.20.6)
-                                : ... note: In instance 't'
+                                             : ... note: In instance 't'
    17 |       five = 3'd4;
       |       ^~~~
-        ... See the manual at https://verilator.org/verilator_doc.html?v=latest for more assistance.
+                     ... For error description see https://verilator.org/warn/CONSTWRITTEN?v=latest
 %Error: Exiting due to