Struct scale_info::prelude::marker::PhantomData1.0.0[][src]

pub struct PhantomData<T>
where
    T: ?Sized
;
Expand description

Zero-sized type used to mark things that “act like” they own a T.

Adding a PhantomData<T> field to your type tells the compiler that your type acts as though it stores a value of type T, even though it doesn’t really. This information is used when computing certain safety properties.

For a more in-depth explanation of how to use PhantomData<T>, please see the Nomicon.

A ghastly note 👻👻👻

Though they both have scary names, PhantomData and ‘phantom types’ are related, but not identical. A phantom type parameter is simply a type parameter which is never used. In Rust, this often causes the compiler to complain, and the solution is to add a “dummy” use by way of PhantomData.

Examples

Unused lifetime parameters

Perhaps the most common use case for PhantomData is a struct that has an unused lifetime parameter, typically as part of some unsafe code. For example, here is a struct Slice that has two pointers of type *const T, presumably pointing into an array somewhere:

struct Slice<'a, T> {
    start: *const T,
    end: *const T,
}

The intention is that the underlying data is only valid for the lifetime 'a, so Slice should not outlive 'a. However, this intent is not expressed in the code, since there are no uses of the lifetime 'a and hence it is not clear what data it applies to. We can correct this by telling the compiler to act as if the Slice struct contained a reference &'a T:

use std::marker::PhantomData;

struct Slice<'a, T: 'a> {
    start: *const T,
    end: *const T,
    phantom: PhantomData<&'a T>,
}

This also in turn requires the annotation T: 'a, indicating that any references in T are valid over the lifetime 'a.

When initializing a Slice you simply provide the value PhantomData for the field phantom:

fn borrow_vec<T>(vec: &Vec<T>) -> Slice<'_, T> {
    let ptr = vec.as_ptr();
    Slice {
        start: ptr,
        end: unsafe { ptr.add(vec.len()) },
        phantom: PhantomData,
    }
}

Unused type parameters

It sometimes happens that you have unused type parameters which indicate what type of data a struct is “tied” to, even though that data is not actually found in the struct itself. Here is an example where this arises with FFI. The foreign interface uses handles of type *mut () to refer to Rust values of different types. We track the Rust type using a phantom type parameter on the struct ExternalResource which wraps a handle.

use std::marker::PhantomData;
use std::mem;

struct ExternalResource<R> {
   resource_handle: *mut (),
   resource_type: PhantomData<R>,
}

impl<R: ResType> ExternalResource<R> {
    fn new() -> Self {
        let size_of_res = mem::size_of::<R>();
        Self {
            resource_handle: foreign_lib::new(size_of_res),
            resource_type: PhantomData,
        }
    }

    fn do_stuff(&self, param: ParamType) {
        let foreign_params = convert_params(param);
        foreign_lib::do_stuff(self.resource_handle, foreign_params);
    }
}

Ownership and the drop check

Adding a field of type PhantomData<T> indicates that your type owns data of type T. This in turn implies that when your type is dropped, it may drop one or more instances of the type T. This has bearing on the Rust compiler’s drop check analysis.

If your struct does not in fact own the data of type T, it is better to use a reference type, like PhantomData<&'a T> (ideally) or PhantomData<*const T> (if no lifetime applies), so as not to indicate ownership.

Trait Implementations

Returns a copy of the value. Read more

Performs copy-assignment from source. Read more

Formats the value using the given formatter. Read more

Attempt to deserialise the value from input.

Attempt to skip the encoded value from input. Read more

Returns the fixed encoded size of the type. Read more

Returns the “default value” for a type. Read more

Deserialize this value from the given Serde deserializer. Read more

The type produced by using this seed.

Equivalent to the more common Deserialize::deserialize method, except with some initial piece of data (the seed) passed in. Read more

Convert self to a slice and append it to the destination.

If possible give a hint of expected size of the encoding. Read more

Convert self to an owned vector.

Convert self to a slice and then invoke the given closure with it.

Calculates the encoded size. Read more

Feeds this value into the given Hasher. Read more

Feeds a slice of this type into the given Hasher. Read more

This method returns an Ordering between self and other. Read more

Compares and returns the maximum of two values. Read more

Compares and returns the minimum of two values. Read more

Restrict a value to a certain interval. Read more

This method tests for self and other values to be equal, and is used by ==. Read more

This method tests for !=.

This method returns an ordering between self and other values if one exists. Read more

This method tests less than (for self and other) and is used by the < operator. Read more

This method tests less than or equal to (for self and other) and is used by the <= operator. Read more

This method tests greater than (for self and other) and is used by the > operator. Read more

This method tests greater than or equal to (for self and other) and is used by the >= operator. Read more

Serialize this value into the given Serde serializer. Read more

The type identifying for which type info is provided. Read more

Returns the static type identifier for Self.

Auto Trait Implementations

Blanket Implementations

Gets the TypeId of self. Read more

Immutably borrows from an owned value. Read more

Mutably borrows from an owned value. Read more

Converts self into T using Into<T>. Read more

Converts self into a target type. Read more

Decode Self and consume all of the given input data. Read more

Decode Self and consume all of the given input data. Read more

Decode Self with the given maximum recursion depth. Read more

Causes self to use its Binary implementation when Debug-formatted.

Causes self to use its Display implementation when Debug-formatted. Read more

Causes self to use its LowerExp implementation when Debug-formatted. Read more

Causes self to use its LowerHex implementation when Debug-formatted. Read more

Causes self to use its Octal implementation when Debug-formatted.

Causes self to use its Pointer implementation when Debug-formatted. Read more

Causes self to use its UpperExp implementation when Debug-formatted. Read more

Causes self to use its UpperHex implementation when Debug-formatted. Read more

Performs the conversion.

Performs the conversion.

Return an encoding of Self prepended by given slice.

Pipes by value. This is generally the method you want to use. Read more

Borrows self and passes that borrow into the pipe function. Read more

Mutably borrows self and passes that borrow into the pipe function. Read more

Borrows self, then passes self.borrow() into the pipe function. Read more

Mutably borrows self, then passes self.borrow_mut() into the pipe function. Read more

Borrows self, then passes self.as_ref() into the pipe function.

Mutably borrows self, then passes self.as_mut() into the pipe function. Read more

Borrows self, then passes self.deref() into the pipe function.

Mutably borrows self, then passes self.deref_mut() into the pipe function. Read more

Pipes a value into a function that cannot ordinarily be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a trait borrow into a function that cannot normally be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a trait mutable borrow into a function that cannot normally be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a trait borrow into a function that cannot normally be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a trait mutable borrow into a function that cannot normally be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a dereference into a function that cannot normally be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a mutable dereference into a function that cannot normally be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a reference into a function that cannot ordinarily be called in suffix position. Read more

Pipes a mutable reference into a function that cannot ordinarily be called in suffix position. Read more

Immutable access to a value. Read more

Mutable access to a value. Read more

Immutable access to the Borrow<B> of a value. Read more

Mutable access to the BorrowMut<B> of a value. Read more

Immutable access to the AsRef<R> view of a value. Read more

Mutable access to the AsMut<R> view of a value. Read more

Immutable access to the Deref::Target of a value. Read more

Mutable access to the Deref::Target of a value. Read more

Calls .tap() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds.

Calls .tap_mut() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds. Read more

Calls .tap_borrow() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds. Read more

Calls .tap_borrow_mut() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds. Read more

Calls .tap_ref() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds. Read more

Calls .tap_ref_mut() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds. Read more

Calls .tap_deref() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds. Read more

Calls .tap_deref_mut() only in debug builds, and is erased in release builds. Read more

Provides immutable access for inspection. Read more

Calls tap in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds.

Provides mutable access for modification. Read more

Calls tap_mut in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds.

Provides immutable access to the reference for inspection.

Calls tap_ref in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds.

Provides mutable access to the reference for modification.

Calls tap_ref_mut in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds.

Provides immutable access to the borrow for inspection. Read more

Calls tap_borrow in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds.

Provides mutable access to the borrow for modification.

Calls tap_borrow_mut in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds. Read more

Immutably dereferences self for inspection.

Calls tap_deref in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds.

Mutably dereferences self for modification.

Calls tap_deref_mut in debug builds, and does nothing in release builds. Read more

The resulting type after obtaining ownership.

Creates owned data from borrowed data, usually by cloning. Read more

🔬 This is a nightly-only experimental API. (toowned_clone_into)

recently added

Uses borrowed data to replace owned data, usually by cloning. Read more

Attempts to convert self into T using TryInto<T>. Read more

Attempts to convert self into a target type. Read more

The type returned in the event of a conversion error.

Performs the conversion.

The type returned in the event of a conversion error.

Performs the conversion.