memcpy: describe different cases in more depth

1 files changed, 46 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/lib/src/common.c b/lib/src/common.c
index dd806bf..aa8d2ba 100644
--- a/lib/src/common.c
+++ b/lib/src/common.c
@@ -18,15 +18,53 @@ void* memset(void* s, int c, size_t n) {
 }
 
 void* memcpy(void* d, const void* s, size_t n) {
-    // When `d` points into `[s, s+n[` we would override `s` while copying into `d`.
-    //   |------------|--------|
-    //   s            d        s+n
-    // -> We don't support.
-    //
-    // When `d` points into `]s-n, s[` it is destructive for `s` but all data
-    // from `s` are copied into `d`. The user gets what he asks for.
-    // -> Supported.
+    // Cases to distinguish resulting from s and d pointers.
+    //
+    // Case 1 - same
+    //   |------------|
+    //   s            s+n
+    //   d            d+n
+    //
+    //   -> Nothing to copy.
+    //
+    // Case 2 - disjunct
+    //   |------------|       |------------|
+    //   s            s+n     d            d+n
+    //
+    //   -> Nothing to worry, just copy the bytes from s to d.
+    //
+    // Case 3 - head overlap
+    //         |------------|
+    //         s            s+n
+    //   |------------|
+    //   d            d+n
+    //
+    //   -> Destructive copy for s but all bytes get properly copied from s to d.
+    //      The user gets what he/she asked for.
+    //
+    // Case 4 - tail overlap
+    //   |------------|
+    //   s            s+n
+    //         |------------|
+    //         d            d+n
+    //
+    //   -> With a simple forward copy we would override the tail of s while
+    //      copying into the head of d. This is destructive for s but we would
+    //      also copy "wrong" bytes into d when we copy the tail of s (as it is
+    //      already overwritten).
+    //      This copy could be done properly by copying backwards (on x86 we
+    //      could use the direction flag for string operations).
+    //   -> We don't support this here as it is not needed any of the examples.
+
+    // Case 4.
     ERROR_ON(s <= d && d < (void*)((unsigned char*)s + n), "memcpy: Unsupported overlap!");
+
+    // Case 1.
+    if (d == s) {
+        return d;
+    }
+
+    // Case 2/3.
     asm volatile(
         "cld"
         "\n"