reflect: Set: argument validation panics with ValueError, which is for receiver

[tcard]

What version of Go are you using (go version)?

$ go version
go version devel +5b509d993d Tue Oct 13 08:36:41 2020 +0000 darwin/amd64

Does this issue reproduce with the latest release?

Yes.

What operating system and processor architecture are you using (go env)?

GOARCH="amd64"
GOOS="darwin"
GOHOSTARCH="amd64"
GOHOSTOS="darwin"

What did you do?

Pass a zero reflect.Value to Value.Set, as an argument.

https://play.golang.org/p/hynNVbNp4-L

What did you expect to see?

An error that puts the culprit on Value.Set's argument, not on its receiver. Something like:

panic: reflect: zero Value passed to reflect.Value.Set

What did you see instead?

A ValueError like this:

panic: reflect: call of reflect.Value.Set on zero Value

According to the docs:

A ValueError occurs when a Value method is invoked on a Value that does not support it. Such cases are documented in the description of each method.

But that's not what's really happening here. The receiving Value does support Set. It's the argument which is wrong.

[tcard]

I've done some internal digging already and I'd like to submit a fix, if that's OK.

[zigo101]

I also found this problem before: #29701 (comment)

I forget why I didn't submit it as a new issue.

[rsc]

For what it's worth, the receiver is an argument to a method.

[zigo101]

Here the problem is the inverse, it makes the impression that the general argument is treated as the receiver.

[ianlancetaylor]

@tcard Sure, send a fix. Thanks.

[gopherbot]

Change https://golang.org/cl/262157 mentions this issue: reflect: ValueError: acknowledge it applies to non-receiver arguments