[FIx bug]layer to 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'place' (PaddleP…

…addle#43597)

* refine layer to

* refine code

* add ut

python/paddle/fluid/dygraph/layers.py

@@ -1594,7 +1594,8 @@ def _apply(self, func, device, dtype, blocking, include_sublayers=True):
                                             blocking)
 
         for key, buf in self._buffers.items():
-            self._buffers[key] = func(buf, device, dtype, blocking)
+            if buf is not None:
+                self._buffers[key] = func(buf, device, dtype, blocking)
 
         self._dtype = dtype
 

python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/test_base_layer.py

@@ -559,16 +559,25 @@ def func_test_to_api_numpy_dtype(self):
             else:
                 self.assertTrue(isinstance(p, paddle.fluid.framework.ParamBase))
 
+    def func_test_to_api_none_buffer(self):
+        model = paddle.nn.Linear(2, 4)
+        buffer = None
+        model.register_buffer("buf_name", buffer, persistable=True)
+        model.to(dtype='float64')
+        self.assertEqual(model._buffers['buf_name'], None)
+
     def test_main(self):
         with _test_eager_guard():
             self.funcsetUp()
             self.func_test_to_api()
             self.func_test_to_api_paddle_dtype()
             self.func_test_to_api_numpy_dtype()
+            self.func_test_to_api_none_buffer()
         self.funcsetUp()
         self.func_test_to_api()
         self.func_test_to_api_paddle_dtype()
         self.func_test_to_api_numpy_dtype()
+        self.func_test_to_api_none_buffer()
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':