1 # Region constraint collection
3 > WARNING: This README is obsolete and will be removed soon! For
4 > more info on how the current borrowck works, see the [rustc guide].
6 [rustc guide]: https://rust-lang-nursery.github.io/rustc-guide/mir-borrowck.html
10 Note that we use the terms region and lifetime interchangeably.
14 As described in the rustc guide [chapter on type inference][ti], and unlike
15 normal type inference, which is similar in spirit to H-M and thus
16 works progressively, the region type inference works by accumulating
17 constraints over the course of a function. Finally, at the end of
18 processing a function, we process and solve the constraints all at
21 [ti]: https://rust-lang-nursery.github.io/rustc-guide/type-inference.html
23 The constraints are always of one of three possible forms:
25 - `ConstrainVarSubVar(Ri, Rj)` states that region variable Ri must be
27 - `ConstrainRegSubVar(R, Ri)` states that the concrete region R (which
28 must not be a variable) must be a subregion of the variable Ri
29 - `ConstrainVarSubReg(Ri, R)` states the variable Ri should be less
30 than the concrete region R. This is kind of deprecated and ought to
31 be replaced with a verify (they essentially play the same role).
33 In addition to constraints, we also gather up a set of "verifys"
34 (what, you don't think Verify is a noun? Get used to it my
35 friend!). These represent relations that must hold but which don't
36 influence inference proper. These take the form of:
38 - `VerifyRegSubReg(Ri, Rj)` indicates that Ri <= Rj must hold,
39 where Rj is not an inference variable (and Ri may or may not contain
40 one). This doesn't influence inference because we will already have
41 inferred Ri to be as small as possible, so then we just test whether
42 that result was less than Rj or not.
43 - `VerifyGenericBound(R, Vb)` is a more complex expression which tests
44 that the region R must satisfy the bound `Vb`. The bounds themselves
45 may have structure like "must outlive one of the following regions"
46 or "must outlive ALL of the following regions. These bounds arise
47 from constraints like `T: 'a` -- if we know that `T: 'b` and `T: 'c`
48 (say, from where clauses), then we can conclude that `T: 'a` if `'b:
51 ## Building up the constraints
53 Variables and constraints are created using the following methods:
55 - `new_region_var()` creates a new, unconstrained region variable;
56 - `make_subregion(Ri, Rj)` states that Ri is a subregion of Rj
57 - `lub_regions(Ri, Rj) -> Rk` returns a region Rk which is
58 the smallest region that is greater than both Ri and Rj
59 - `glb_regions(Ri, Rj) -> Rk` returns a region Rk which is
60 the greatest region that is smaller than both Ri and Rj
62 The actual region resolution algorithm is not entirely
63 obvious, though it is also not overly complex.
67 It is also permitted to try (and rollback) changes to the graph. This
68 is done by invoking `start_snapshot()`, which returns a value. Then
69 later you can call `rollback_to()` which undoes the work.
70 Alternatively, you can call `commit()` which ends all snapshots.
71 Snapshots can be recursive---so you can start a snapshot when another
72 is in progress, but only the root snapshot can "commit".
76 For a discussion on skolemization and higher-ranked subtyping, please
77 see the module `middle::infer::higher_ranked::doc`.