ranges-ext

An efficient range/interval set data structure designed for no_std environments, with support for metadata, smart merging, and interval splitting.

Core Features

• Trait-based Design - Support custom interval types via RangeInfo trait
• Smart Merging - Automatically merge overlapping or adjacent intervals with the same kind
• Metadata Support - Each interval can carry custom metadata (kind)
• Overwrite Control - Precise control over which intervals can be overwritten
• Dual Mode Support - heapless mode (stack-allocated) and alloc mode (heap-allocated)
• Interval Splitting - Remove operations can automatically split existing intervals
• Zero-copy Iteration - Efficient interval traversal
• no_std Compatible - Suitable for embedded and bare-metal environments

Installation

Basic Installation (heapless mode)

[dependencies]

ranges-ext = "0.5"

Enable Alloc Feature (optional)

[dependencies]

ranges-ext = { version = "0.5", features = ["alloc"] }

This library is #![no_std] by default and can be used directly in embedded environments. Enable the alloc feature to use dynamic capacity mode in standard environments.

Quick Start

Heapless Mode (suitable for no_std environments)

use ranges_ext::{RangeInfo, RangeVecOps};
use std::ops::Range;

#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
struct MyRange {
    range: Range<i32>,
    kind: &'static str,
    overwritable: bool,
}

impl Default for MyRange {
    fn default() -> Self {
        Self {
            range: 0..0,
            kind: "",
            overwritable: false,
        }
    }
}

impl RangeInfo for MyRange {
    type Kind = &'static str;
    type Type = i32;

    fn range(&self) -> Range<Self::Type> {
        self.range.clone()
    }

    fn kind(&self) -> Self::Kind {
        self.kind
    }

    fn overwritable(&self) -> bool {
        self.overwritable
    }

    fn clone_with_range(&self, range: Range<Self::Type>) -> Self {
        Self {
            range,
            kind: self.kind,
            overwritable: self.overwritable,
        }
    }
}

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    // Create temporary buffer (required for heapless mode)
    let mut temp_buffer = [0u8; 1024];

    // Use heapless::Vec as container
    let mut set: heapless::Vec<MyRange, 16> = heapless::Vec::new();

    // Add intervals (adjacent/overlapping intervals with same kind will auto-merge)
    set.merge_add(MyRange {
        range: 10..20,
        kind: "A",
        overwritable: true,
    }, &mut temp_buffer)?;

    set.merge_add(MyRange {
        range: 30..40,
        kind: "A",
        overwritable: true,
    }, &mut temp_buffer)?;

    set.merge_add(MyRange {
        range: 15..35,
        kind: "A",
        overwritable: true,
    }, &mut temp_buffer)?;

    // Three intervals merge into one
    assert_eq!(set.len(), 1);
    assert_eq!(set.as_slice()[0].range(), 10..40);

    // Query
    assert!(set.contains_point(10));
    assert!(!set.contains_point(45));

    Ok(())
}

Alloc Mode (suitable for standard environments)

use ranges_ext::{RangeInfo, RangeVecAllocOps};

// [Same MyRange definition as above]

#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    // Use alloc::vec::Vec as container (no temporary buffer needed)
    let mut set: alloc::vec::Vec<MyRange> = alloc::vec::Vec::new();

    // Add intervals (no temporary buffer needed)
    set.merge_add(MyRange {
        range: 10..20,
        kind: "A",
        overwritable: true,
    })?;

    set.merge_add(MyRange {
        range: 15..35,
        kind: "A",
        overwritable: true,
    })?;

    // Auto-merge
    assert_eq!(set.len(), 1);

    Ok(())
}

Simple Intervals Without Metadata

If you don't need metadata, you can use the unit type ():

use ranges_ext::{RangeInfo, RangeVecOps};

#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
struct SimpleRange {
    range: core::ops::Range<i32>,
    overwritable: bool,
}

impl Default for SimpleRange {
    fn default() -> Self {
        Self {
            range: 0..0,
            overwritable: false,
        }
    }
}

impl RangeInfo for SimpleRange {
    type Kind = ();
    type Type = i32;

    fn range(&self) -> core::ops::Range<Self::Type> {
        self.range.clone()
    }

    fn kind(&self) -> Self::Kind {
        ()
    }

    fn overwritable(&self) -> bool {
        self.overwritable
    }

    fn clone_with_range(&self, range: core::ops::Range<Self::Type>) -> Self {
        Self {
            range,
            overwritable: self.overwritable,
        }
    }
}

let mut temp_buffer = [0u8; 1024];
let mut set: heapless::Vec<SimpleRange, 16> = heapless::Vec::new();

set.merge_add(SimpleRange {
    range: 10..20,
    overwritable: true,
}, &mut temp_buffer)?;

Core Concepts

RangeInfo Trait

RangeInfo is the core trait that defines the requirements for interval types:

pub trait RangeInfo: Debug + Clone + Sized + Default {
    type Kind: Debug + Eq + Clone;  // Metadata type
    type Type: Ord + Copy;           // Interval value type

    fn range(&self) -> Range<Self::Type>;      // Get interval
    fn kind(&self) -> Self::Kind;              // Get metadata (owned)
    fn overwritable(&self) -> bool;            // Whether it can be overwritten
    fn clone_with_range(&self, range: Range<Self::Type>) -> Self;  // Clone with new range
}

Important Change (0.5.0): The kind() method now returns the owned type Self::Kind instead of a reference &Self::Kind.

Two Operation Modes

RangeVecOps (Heapless Mode)

Provides interval operations for fixed-capacity vectors (like heapless::Vec<T, N>):

• Requires temporary buffer: All methods need a &mut [u8] for temporary storage
• Use cases: no_std environments, embedded systems, deterministic memory usage

fn merge_add(&mut self, new_info: T, temp: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), RangeError<T>>;
fn merge_remove(&mut self, range: Range<T::Type>, temp: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), RangeError<T>>;
fn merge_extend<I>(&mut self, ranges: I, temp: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), RangeError<T>>
where I: IntoIterator<Item = T>;
fn contains_point(&self, value: T::Type) -> bool;

RangeVecAllocOps (Alloc Mode)

Provides interval operations for dynamic vectors (alloc::vec::Vec<T>):

• No temporary buffer needed: Internally manages temporary storage
• Use cases: Standard environments, dynamic capacity needed

fn merge_add(&mut self, new_info: T) -> Result<(), RangeError<T>>;
fn merge_remove(&mut self, range: Range<T::Type>) -> Result<(), RangeError<T>>;
fn merge_extend<I>(&mut self, ranges: I) -> Result<(), RangeError<T>>
where I: IntoIterator<Item = T>;
fn contains_point(&self, value: T::Type) -> bool;

Kind System

Kind is metadata for each interval, used to:

1. Control merging behavior: Only adjacent intervals with the same kind will merge
2. Distinguish interval types: e.g., "read-only", "read-write", "reserved"
3. Implement business logic: e.g., different memory region types, permission levels

Example:

// Same kind, will merge
set.merge_add(MyRange::new(0..10, "A", true), &mut temp)?;
set.merge_add(MyRange::new(10..20, "A", true), &mut temp)?;
// Result: [0, 20) kind="A"

// Different kinds, won't merge
set.merge_add(MyRange::new(0..10, "A", true), &mut temp)?;
set.merge_add(MyRange::new(10..20, "B", true), &mut temp)?;
// Result: [0, 10) kind="A", [10, 20) kind="B"

Temporary Buffer Explanation

In heapless mode, merge_add and merge_remove operations require a temporary buffer.

Why is it needed?

• Interval splitting and merging need temporary storage for intermediate results
• heapless::Vec cannot dynamically expand during operations
• Using byte buffers avoids additional generic parameters

How to calculate size?

// Temporary buffer size = element size × expected max number of elements
let elem_size = std::mem::size_of::<MyRange>();
let max_elements = 128;  // Adjust based on actual needs
let mut temp_buffer = [0u8; elem_size * max_elements];

// More conservative calculation (considering alignment and splitting operations)
let mut temp_buffer = [0u8; elem_size * max_elements * 2];

Best practices:

• Reserve sufficient space: At least enough to store all current elements
• Reusable: The same buffer can be used for multiple operations
• Can be static: Suitable for global singleton scenarios

Usage Guide

Interval Overwrite Control

let mut set: heapless::Vec<MyRange, 16> = heapless::Vec::new();
let mut temp = [0u8; 1024];

// Add a non-overwritable interval
set.merge_add(MyRange {
    range: 10..30,
    kind: "protected",
    overwritable: false,  // Not overwritable
}, &mut temp)?;

// Attempting to add a conflicting interval will fail
let result = set.merge_add(MyRange {
    range: 20..40,
    kind: "new",
    overwritable: true,
}, &mut temp);
assert!(matches!(result, Err(RangeError::Conflict { .. })));

// Overwritable intervals can be replaced
set.merge_add(MyRange {
    range: 5..15,
    kind: "overwritable",
    overwritable: true,  // Overwritable
}, &mut temp)?;

set.merge_add(MyRange {
    range: 10..25,
    kind: "replacer",
    overwritable: true,
}, &mut temp)?;
// [5, 15) is partially overlapped and merged by [10, 25)

Interval Splitting

let mut set: heapless::Vec<MyRange, 16> = heapless::Vec::new();
let mut temp = [0u8; 1024];

set.merge_add(MyRange::new(10..40, "A", true), &mut temp)?;
// Current: [10, 40) kind="A"

// Remove middle part
set.merge_remove(20..30, &mut temp)?;
// Result: [10, 20) kind="A", [30, 40) kind="A"
assert_eq!(set.len(), 2);

Batch Operations

let ranges = vec![
    MyRange::new(0..10, "A", true),
    MyRange::new(10..20, "A", true),
    MyRange::new(20..30, "B", true),
];

// heapless mode
set.merge_extend(ranges, &mut temp)?;

// alloc mode
set.merge_extend(ranges)?;

Error Handling

pub enum RangeError<T>
where
    T: RangeInfo,
{
    /// Insufficient capacity (heapless mode only)
    Capacity,

    /// Interval conflict: attempting to overwrite a non-overwritable interval
    Conflict {
        new: T,        // Newly added interval
        existing: T,   // Existing conflicting interval
    },
}

Example:

match set.merge_add(new_range, &mut temp_buffer) {
    Ok(()) => println!("Add successful"),
    Err(RangeError::Capacity) => println!("Insufficient capacity"),
    Err(RangeError::Conflict { new, existing }) => {
        println!("Conflict: new interval {:?} conflicts with {:?}", new, existing);
    }
}

Example Code

The project includes the following examples (located in the examples/ directory):

debug_demo.rs - Basic Debugging

Demonstrates basic interval merging and iteration.

Run:

cargo run --example debug_demo

key_demo.rs - Kind Demonstration

Shows how intervals with different kinds interact.

Run:

cargo run --example key_demo

overlap_demo.rs - Overwrite and Splitting

Demonstrates various scenarios of interval overwriting and splitting.

Run:

cargo run --example overlap_demo

slicevec_demo.rs - Temporary Buffer

Shows how to use temporary buffers.

Run:

cargo run --example slicevec_demo

Mode Selection

Heapless Mode

Pros:

• Stack-allocated, no heap fragmentation
• Predictable memory usage
• Suitable for no_std environments
• Compile-time determined capacity

Cons:

• Requires temporary buffer
• Fixed capacity, may overflow
• Manual buffer size management needed

Use cases:

• Embedded systems
• Bare-metal programs
• Deterministic memory management required
• Predictable number of intervals

Alloc Mode

Pros:

• No temporary buffer needed
• Dynamic capacity, won't overflow
• Simpler API

Cons:

• Requires heap allocator
• Potential memory fragmentation
• Not suitable for strict no_std environments

Use cases:

• Standard environments
• Unpredictable number of intervals
• Development convenience prioritized

Performance and Limitations

Time Complexity

• Add interval (merge_add): O(n) - needs to traverse existing intervals
• Remove interval (merge_remove): O(n) - needs to traverse and split
• Query contains (contains_point): O(log n) - uses binary search
• Iteration (iter): O(n) - zero-copy, just iteration

Space Complexity

• heapless mode: O(N) - N is compile-time specified capacity
• alloc mode: O(n) - n is actual number of stored intervals
• Temporary buffer: O(n) - additional space needed for heapless mode

Limitations

1. Capacity limitation (heapless mode)

   • Exceeding capacity returns RangeError::Capacity
   • Need to estimate maximum number of intervals

2. Type requirements

   • RangeInfo::Type must implement Ord + Copy
   • RangeInfo::Kind must implement Debug + Eq + Clone

3. Interval semantics

   • Uses half-open intervals [start, end)
   • Intervals with start >= end are ignored

FAQ

Q: How to calculate the temporary buffer size?

A: Buffer size depends on interval type size and expected maximum number of elements:

let elem_size = std::mem::size_of::<MyRange>();
let max_elements = 128;  // Expected max number of intervals
let mut temp_buffer = [0u8; elem_size * max_elements];

// More conservative calculation (considering alignment and split operations)
let mut temp_buffer = [0u8; elem_size * max_elements * 2];

Q: Why do only intervals with the same kind merge?

A: This design supports finer-grained interval management:

// Scenario: memory region management
// May need to distinguish "read-only", "read-write", "reserved" regions
// Even if adjacent, they should not merge

set.merge_add(MemoryRange::new(0x1000..0x2000, "read-only", true), &mut temp)?;
set.merge_add(MemoryRange::new(0x2000..0x3000, "read-write", true), &mut temp)?;
// Result keeps two separate intervals

Q: How to use in strict no_std environments?

A: Use heapless mode with stack-allocated buffer:

#![no_std]

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    use ranges_ext::{RangeInfo, RangeVecOps};

    #[test]
    fn test_heapless() {
        let mut temp_buffer = [0u8; 1024];
        let mut set: heapless::Vec<MyRange, 16> = heapless::Vec::new();
        // ... test code
    }
}

Q: What should I pay attention to when upgrading from 0.2.x to 0.5.0?

A: Major changes:

1. RangeInfo::kind() return type changed

   // Old version
   fn kind(&self) -> &Self::Kind;
   
   // New version (0.5.0)
   fn kind(&self) -> Self::Kind;
   

2. RangeSet struct no longer provided

   • Directly use heapless::Vec<T, N> or alloc::vec::Vec<T>
   • Gain interval operations through RangeVecOps or RangeVecAllocOps traits

3. API renamed

   • add() → merge_add()
   • remove() → merge_remove()
   • extend() → merge_extend()
   • contains() → contains_point()

Q: How to handle interval conflicts?

A: Use the overwritable field to control:

// Protect critical intervals
set.merge_add(MyRange::new(0..1000, "critical", false), &mut temp)?;

// Attempting to overwrite will fail
match set.merge_add(MyRange::new(500..1500, "new", true), &mut temp) {
    Err(RangeError::Conflict { new, existing }) => {
        eprintln!("Cannot overwrite critical interval: {:?}", existing);
    }
    _ => {}
}

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for version history and changes.

License

Dual licensed under MIT or Apache-2.0, you may choose either.