RFC: Add target_abi configuration

text/2992-cfg-target-abi.md

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+- Feature Name: `cfg-target-abi`
+- Start Date: 2020-09-27
+- RFC PR: [rust-lang/rfcs#2992](https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/2992)
+- Rust Issue: [rust-lang/rust#80970](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/80970)
+
+# Summary
+[summary]: #summary
+
+This proposes a new `cfg`: `target_abi`, which specifies certain aspects of the
+target's [Application Binary Interface (ABI)][abi]. This also adds a
+`CARGO_CFG_TARGET_ABI` environment variable for parity with other
+`CARGO_CFG_TARGET_*` variables.
+
+# Motivation
+[motivation]: #motivation
+
+Certain targets are only differentiated by their ABI. For example: the `ios` OS
+in combination with the `macabi` ABI denotes targeting Mac Catalyst (iOS on
+macOS). The non-`macabi` `x86_64-apple-ios` target is not for Mac Catalyst and
+instead is for the iOS simulator, which is a very different environment.
+
+It is not currently possible to `#[cfg]` against a certain target ABI without
+a `build.rs` script to emit a custom `cfg` based on the `TARGET` environment
+variable. This is not ideal because:
+
+- Adding a build script increases compile time and makes a crate incompatible
+  with certain build systems.
+
+- Checking `TARGET` is error prone, mainly because the ABI often follows
+  `target_env` without separation.
+
+# Guide-level explanation
+[guide-level-explanation]: #guide-level-explanation
+
+This would act like [existing `target_*` configurations][cfg-options].
+
+For example: if one had a module with bindings to
+[Apple's AppKit](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit), this feature
+could be used to ensure the module is available when targeting regular macOS and
+Mac Catalyst.
+
+```rust
+#[cfg(any(
+    target_os = "macos",
+    all(
+        target_os = "ios",
+        target_abi = "macabi",
+    ),
+))]
+pub mod app_kit;
+```
+
+This configuration option would also be usable as
+`#[cfg_attr(target_abi = "...", attr)]`.
+
+# Reference-level explanation
+[reference-level-explanation]: #reference-level-explanation
+
+`target_abi` is a key-value option set once with the target's ABI. The value is
+similar to the fourth element of the platform's target triple. It often comes
+after the `target_env` value. Embedded ABIs such as `gnueabihf` will define
+`target_env` as `"gnu"` and `target_abi` as `"eabihf"`.
+
+Example values:
+
+- `""`
+- `"abi64"`
+- `"eabi"`
+- `"eabihf"`
+- `"macabi"`
+
+# Drawbacks
+[drawbacks]: #drawbacks
+
+- Additional metadata for the compiler to keep track of.
+
+- Like other `cfg`s, this can be manipulated at build time to be a value that
+  mismatches the actual target.
+
+# Rationale and alternatives
+[rationale-and-alternatives]: #rationale-and-alternatives
+
+We can keep the existing work-around of checking the `TARGET` environment
+variable in a `build.rs` script. However, this is not ideal because:
+
+- Adding a build script increases compile time and makes a crate incompatible
+  with certain build systems.
+
+- Checking `TARGET` is error prone, mainly because the ABI often follows
+  `target_env` without separation.
+
+# Prior art
+[prior-art]: #prior-art
+
+- [Target component configurations][cfg-options]: `target_arch`,
+  `target_vendor`, `target_os`, and `target_env`.
+
+- `CARGO_CFG_TARGET_*`
+  [environment variables for `build.rs`](https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/environment-variables.html#environment-variables-cargo-sets-for-build-scripts).
+
+# Unresolved questions
+[unresolved-questions]: #unresolved-questions
+
+None.
+
+# Future possibilities
+[future-possibilities]: #future-possibilities
+
+None.
+
+[abi]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_binary_interface
+[cfg-options]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/conditional-compilation.html#set-configuration-options