[TVMScript] Distinguish between void* and handle

include/tvm/script/ir_builder/tir/ir.h

@@ -428,16 +428,26 @@ void Evaluate(PrimExpr value);
 
 /*!
  * \brief Create a TIR var that represents a pointer
+ *
  * \param dtype The data type of the pointer.
+ *
  * \param storage_scope The storage scope of the pointer.
+ *
  * \param is_size_var Whether the pointer is a size var.
+ *
+ * \param is_unknown_type Used to distinguish between
+ * `PrimType(DataType::Handle())` and
+ * `PointerType(PrimType(DataType::Void()))`.  If true, resolve dtype
+ * of `Void()` as `PrimType`, and if false resolve dtype of `Void()`
+ * as a `PointerType`.
+ *
  * \return The pointer.
  */
-inline Var Handle(runtime::DataType dtype = runtime::DataType::Void(),  //
-                  String storage_scope = "global",                      //
-                  bool is_size_var = false) {
+inline Var Handle(runtime::DataType dtype = runtime::DataType::Void(),
+                  String storage_scope = "global", bool is_size_var = false,
+                  bool is_unknown_type = false) {
   Type type_annotation{nullptr};
-  if (dtype.is_void() && storage_scope == "global") {
+  if (is_unknown_type && storage_scope == "global") {
     type_annotation = PrimType(runtime::DataType::Handle());
   } else {
     type_annotation = PointerType(PrimType(dtype), storage_scope);

python/tvm/script/ir_builder/tir/ir.py

@@ -1441,7 +1441,9 @@ def boolean(expr: Optional[PrimExpr] = None, is_size_var: bool = False) -> PrimE
     return _ffi_api.Boolean(expr, is_size_var)  # type: ignore[attr-defined] # pylint: disable=no-member
 
 
-def handle(dtype: str = "void", storage_scope: str = "global", *, is_size_var: bool = False) -> Var:
+def handle(
+    dtype: Optional[str] = None, storage_scope: str = "global", *, is_size_var: bool = False
+) -> Var:
     """Create a TIR var that represents a pointer.
 
     Parameters
@@ -1460,7 +1462,15 @@ def handle(dtype: str = "void", storage_scope: str = "global", *, is_size_var: b
     res : PrimExpr
         The new tir.Var with type handle or casted expression with type handle.
     """
-    return _ffi_api.Handle(dtype, storage_scope, is_size_var)  # type: ignore[attr-defined] # pylint: disable=no-member
+    is_unknown_type = dtype is None
+    if dtype is None:
+        dtype = "void"
+    return _ffi_api.Handle(  # type: ignore[attr-defined] # pylint: disable=no-member
+        dtype,
+        storage_scope,
+        is_size_var,
+        is_unknown_type,
+    )
 
 
 def void(expr: Optional[PrimExpr] = None, *, is_size_var: bool = False) -> PrimExpr:

tests/python/unittest/test_tvmscript_roundtrip.py

@@ -3332,6 +3332,25 @@ def func():
     return func
 
 
+def test_void_ptr_vs_handle():
+    """Distinguish between void* and handle
+
+    In the future, perhaps these should be de-duplicated by forbidding
+    one of the two C++ representations.
+    """
+    # Generates PointerType(PrimType(DataType::Void()))
+    @T.prim_func
+    def void_ptr(out_ret_value: T.handle("void")):
+        T.evaluate(out_ret_value)
+
+    # Generates PrimType(DataType::Handle())
+    @T.prim_func
+    def handle(out_ret_value: T.handle):
+        T.evaluate(out_ret_value)
+
+    assert not tvm.ir.structural_equal(void_ptr, handle)
+
+
 def void_ptr():
     @T.prim_func
     def func(out_ret_value: T.handle("void")):