# Implementations

r[items.impl]

r[items.impl.syntax]
> **Syntax**\
> _Implementation_ :\
>    _InherentImpl_ | _TraitImpl_
>
> _InherentImpl_ :\
>    `impl` [_GenericParams_]? [_Type_] [_WhereClause_]? `{`\
>       [_InnerAttribute_]\*\
>       [_AssociatedItem_]\*\
>    `}`
>
> _TraitImpl_ :\
>    `unsafe`? `impl` [_GenericParams_]? `!`?
>              [_TypePath_] `for` [_Type_]\
>    [_WhereClause_]?\
>    `{`\
>       [_InnerAttribute_]\*\
>       [_AssociatedItem_]\*\
>    `}`

r[items.impl.intro]
An _implementation_ is an item that associates items with an _implementing type_.
Implementations are defined with the keyword `impl` and contain functions
that belong to an instance of the type that is being implemented or to the
type statically.

r[items.impl.kinds]
There are two types of implementations:

- inherent implementations
- [trait] implementations

## Inherent Implementations

r[items.impl.inherent]

r[items.impl.inherent.intro]
An inherent implementation is defined as the sequence of the `impl` keyword,
generic type declarations, a path to a nominal type, a where clause, and a
bracketed set of associable items.

r[items.impl.inherent.implementing-type]
The nominal type is called the _implementing type_ and the associable items are
the _associated items_ to the implementing type.

r[items.impl.inherent.associated-items]
Inherent implementations associate the contained items to the
implementing type.

r[items.impl.inherent.associated-items.allowed-items]
Inherent implementations can contain [associated functions] (including [methods]) and [associated constants].

r[items.impl.inherent.type-alias]
They cannot contain associated type aliases.

r[items.impl.inherent.associated-item-path]
The [path] to an associated item is any path to the implementing type,
followed by the associated item's identifier as the final path
component.

r[items.impl.inherent.coherence]
A type can also have multiple inherent implementations. An implementing type
must be defined within the same crate as the original type definition.

``` rust
pub mod color {
    pub struct Color(pub u8, pub u8, pub u8);

    impl Color {
        pub const WHITE: Color = Color(255, 255, 255);
    }
}

mod values {
    use super::color::Color;
    impl Color {
        pub fn red() -> Color {
            Color(255, 0, 0)
        }
    }
}

pub use self::color::Color;
fn main() {
    // Actual path to the implementing type and impl in the same module.
    color::Color::WHITE;

    // Impl blocks in different modules are still accessed through a path to the type.
    color::Color::red();

    // Re-exported paths to the implementing type also work.
    Color::red();

    // Does not work, because use in `values` is not pub.
    // values::Color::red();
}
```

## Trait Implementations

r[items.impl.trait]

r[items.impl.trait.intro]
A _trait implementation_ is defined like an inherent implementation except that
the optional generic type declarations are followed by a [trait], followed
by the keyword `for`, followed by a path to a nominal type.



r[items.impl.trait.implemented-trait]
The trait is known as the _implemented trait_. The implementing type
implements the implemented trait.

r[items.impl.trait.def-requirement]
A trait implementation must define all non-default associated items declared
by the implemented trait, may redefine default associated items defined by the
implemented trait, and cannot define any other items.

r[items.impl.trait.associated-item-path]
The path to the associated items is `<` followed by a path to the implementing
type followed by `as` followed by a path to the trait followed by `>` as a path
component followed by the associated item's path component.

r[items.impl.trait.safety]
[Unsafe traits] require the trait implementation to begin with the `unsafe`
keyword.

```rust
# #[derive(Copy, Clone)]
# struct Point {x: f64, y: f64};
# type Surface = i32;
# struct BoundingBox {x: f64, y: f64, width: f64, height: f64};
# trait Shape { fn draw(&self, s: Surface); fn bounding_box(&self) -> BoundingBox; }
# fn do_draw_circle(s: Surface, c: Circle) { }
struct Circle {
    radius: f64,
    center: Point,
}

impl Copy for Circle {}

impl Clone for Circle {
    fn clone(&self) -> Circle { *self }
}

impl Shape for Circle {
    fn draw(&self, s: Surface) { do_draw_circle(s, *self); }
    fn bounding_box(&self) -> BoundingBox {
        let r = self.radius;
        BoundingBox {
            x: self.center.x - r,
            y: self.center.y - r,
            width: 2.0 * r,
            height: 2.0 * r,
        }
    }
}
```

### Trait Implementation Coherence

r[items.impl.trait.coherence]

r[items.impl.trait.coherence.intro]
A trait implementation is considered incoherent if either the orphan rules check fails
or there are overlapping implementation instances.

r[items.impl.trait.coherence.overlapping]
Two trait implementations overlap when there is a non-empty intersection of the
traits the implementation is for, the implementations can be instantiated with
the same type. 

#### Orphan rules

r[items.impl.trait.orphan-rule]

r[items.impl.trait.orphan-rule.general]
Given `impl<P1..=Pn> Trait<T1..=Tn> for T0`, an `impl` is valid only if at
least one of the following is true:

- `Trait` is a [local trait]
- All of
  - At least one of the types `T0..=Tn` must be a [local type]. Let `Ti` be the
    first such type.
  - No [uncovered type] parameters `P1..=Pn` may appear in `T0..Ti` (excluding
    `Ti`)

r[items.impl.trait.uncovered-param]
Only the appearance of *uncovered* type parameters is restricted.

r[items.impl.trait.fundamental]
Note that for the purposes of coherence, [fundamental types] are
special. The `T` in `Box<T>` is not considered covered, and `Box<LocalType>`
is considered local.

## Generic Implementations

r[items.impl.generics]

r[items.impl.generics.intro]
An implementation can take [generic parameters], which can be used in the rest
of the implementation. Implementation parameters are written directly after the
`impl` keyword.

```rust
# trait Seq<T> { fn dummy(&self, _: T) { } }
impl<T> Seq<T> for Vec<T> {
    /* ... */
}
impl Seq<bool> for u32 {
    /* Treat the integer as a sequence of bits */
}
```

r[items.impl.generics.usage]
Generic parameters *constrain* an implementation if the parameter appears at
least once in one of:

* The implemented trait, if it has one
* The implementing type
* As an [associated type] in the [bounds] of a type that contains another
  parameter that constrains the implementation

r[items.impl.generics.constrain]
Type and const parameters must always constrain the implementation. Lifetimes
must constrain the implementation if the lifetime is used in an associated type.

Examples of constraining situations:

```rust
# trait Trait{}
# trait GenericTrait<T> {}
# trait HasAssocType { type Ty; }
# struct Struct;
# struct GenericStruct<T>(T);
# struct ConstGenericStruct<const N: usize>([(); N]);
// T constrains by being an argument to GenericTrait.
impl<T> GenericTrait<T> for i32 { /* ... */ }

// T constrains by being an argument to GenericStruct
impl<T> Trait for GenericStruct<T> { /* ... */ }

// Likewise, N constrains by being an argument to ConstGenericStruct
impl<const N: usize> Trait for ConstGenericStruct<N> { /* ... */ }

// T constrains by being in an associated type in a bound for type `U` which is
// itself a generic parameter constraining the trait.
impl<T, U> GenericTrait<U> for u32 where U: HasAssocType<Ty = T> { /* ... */ }

// Like previous, except the type is `(U, isize)`. `U` appears inside the type
// that includes `T`, and is not the type itself.
impl<T, U> GenericStruct<U> where (U, isize): HasAssocType<Ty = T> { /* ... */ }
```

Examples of non-constraining situations:

```rust,compile_fail
// The rest of these are errors, since they have type or const parameters that
// do not constrain.

// T does not constrain since it does not appear at all.
impl<T> Struct { /* ... */ }

// N does not constrain for the same reason.
impl<const N: usize> Struct { /* ... */ }

// Usage of T inside the implementation does not constrain the impl.
impl<T> Struct {
    fn uses_t(t: &T) { /* ... */ }
}

// T is used as an associated type in the bounds for U, but U does not constrain.
impl<T, U> Struct where U: HasAssocType<Ty = T> { /* ... */ }

// T is used in the bounds, but not as an associated type, so it does not constrain.
impl<T, U> GenericTrait<U> for u32 where U: GenericTrait<T> {}
```

Example of an allowed unconstraining lifetime parameter:

```rust
# struct Struct;
impl<'a> Struct {}
```

Example of a disallowed unconstraining lifetime parameter:

```rust,compile_fail
# struct Struct;
# trait HasAssocType { type Ty; }
impl<'a> HasAssocType for Struct {
    type Ty = &'a Struct;
}
```

## Attributes on Implementations

r[items.impl.attributes]

Implementations may contain outer [attributes] before the `impl` keyword and
inner [attributes] inside the brackets that contain the associated items. Inner
attributes must come before any associated items. The attributes that have
meaning here are [`cfg`], [`deprecated`], [`doc`], and [the lint check
attributes].

[_AssociatedItem_]: associated-items.md
[_GenericParams_]: generics.md
[_InnerAttribute_]: ../attributes.md
[_TypePath_]: ../paths.md#paths-in-types
[_Type_]: ../types.md#type-expressions
[_WhereClause_]: generics.md#where-clauses
[trait]: traits.md
[associated constants]: associated-items.md#associated-constants
[associated functions]: associated-items.md#associated-functions-and-methods
[associated type]: associated-items.md#associated-types
[attributes]: ../attributes.md
[bounds]: ../trait-bounds.md
[`cfg`]: ../conditional-compilation.md
[`deprecated`]: ../attributes/diagnostics.md#the-deprecated-attribute
[`doc`]: ../../rustdoc/the-doc-attribute.html
[generic parameters]: generics.md
[methods]: associated-items.md#methods
[path]: ../paths.md
[the lint check attributes]: ../attributes/diagnostics.md#lint-check-attributes
[Unsafe traits]: traits.md#unsafe-traits
[local trait]: ../glossary.md#local-trait
[local type]: ../glossary.md#local-type
[fundamental types]: ../glossary.md#fundamental-type-constructors
[uncovered type]: ../glossary.md#uncovered-type
