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Add `AsyncFn` family of traits I'm proposing to add a new family of `async`hronous `Fn`-like traits to the standard library for experimentation purposes. ## Why do we need new traits? On the user side, it is useful to be able to express `AsyncFn` trait bounds natively via the parenthesized sugar syntax, i.e. `x: impl AsyncFn(&str) -> String` when experimenting with async-closure code. This also does not preclude `AsyncFn` becoming something else like a trait alias if a more fundamental desugaring (which can take many[^1] different[^2] forms) comes around. I think we should be able to play around with `AsyncFn` well before that, though. I'm also not proposing stabilization of these trait names any time soon (we may even want to instead express them via new syntax, like `async Fn() -> ..`), but I also don't think we need to introduce an obtuse bikeshedding name, since `AsyncFn` just makes sense. ## The lending problem: why not add a more fundamental primitive of `LendingFn`/`LendingFnMut`? Firstly, for `async` closures to be as flexible as possible, they must be allowed to return futures which borrow from the async closure's captures. This can be done by introducing `LendingFn`/`LendingFnMut` traits, or (equivalently) by adding a new generic associated type to `FnMut` which allows the return type to capture lifetimes from the `&mut self` argument of the trait. This was proposed in one of [Niko's blog posts](https://smallcultfollowing.com/babysteps/blog/2023/05/09/giving-lending-and-async-closures/). Upon further experimentation, for the purposes of closure type- and borrow-checking, I've come to the conclusion that it's significantly harder to teach the compiler how to handle *general* lending closures which may borrow from their captures. This is, because unlike `Fn`/`FnMut`, the `LendingFn`/`LendingFnMut` traits don't form a simple "inheritance" hierarchy whose top trait is `FnOnce`. ```mermaid flowchart LR Fn FnMut FnOnce LendingFn LendingFnMut Fn -- isa --> FnMut FnMut -- isa --> FnOnce LendingFn -- isa --> LendingFnMut Fn -- isa --> LendingFn FnMut -- isa --> LendingFnMut ``` For example: ``` fn main() { let s = String::from("hello, world"); let f = move || &s; let x = f(); // This borrows `f` for some lifetime `'1` and returns `&'1 String`. ``` That trait hierarchy means that in general for "lending" closures, like `f` above, there's not really a meaningful return type for `<typeof(f) as FnOnce>::Output` -- it can't return `&'static str`, for example. ### Special-casing this problem: By splitting out these traits manually, and making sure that each trait has its own associated future type, we side-step the issue of having to answer the questions of a general `LendingFn`/`LendingFnMut` implementation, since the compiler knows how to generate built-in implementations for first-class constructs like async closures, including the required future types for the (by-move) `AsyncFnOnce` and (by-ref) `AsyncFnMut`/`AsyncFn` trait implementations. [^1]: For example, with trait transformers, we may eventually be able to write: `trait AsyncFn = async Fn;` [^2]: For example, via the introduction of a more fundamental "`LendingFn`" trait, plus a [special desugaring with augmented trait aliases](https://rust-lang.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/213817-t-lang/topic/Lending.20closures.20and.20Fn*.28.29.20-.3E.20impl.20Trait/near/408471480). |
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The Rust Programming Language
This is the main source code repository for Rust. It contains the compiler, standard library, and documentation.
Note: this README is for users rather than contributors. If you wish to contribute to the compiler, you should read CONTRIBUTING.md instead.
Table of Contents
Quick Start
Read "Installation" from The Book.
Installing from Source
If you really want to install from source (though this is not recommended), see INSTALL.md.
Getting Help
See https://www.rust-lang.org/community for a list of chat platforms and forums.
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md.
License
Rust is primarily distributed under the terms of both the MIT license and the Apache License (Version 2.0), with portions covered by various BSD-like licenses.
See LICENSE-APACHE, LICENSE-MIT, and COPYRIGHT for details.
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If you want to use these names or brands, please read the media guide.
Third-party logos may be subject to third-party copyrights and trademarks. See Licenses for details.