document trait bounds and candidate preference behavior

src/items/generics.md

@@ -310,6 +310,12 @@ struct Foo<#[my_flexible_clone(unbounded)] H> {
 }
 ```
 
+r[items.generics.instantiation]
+When using an item its generic parameters have to get instantiated. This replaces all occurances of the parameter with either the explicitly provided argument or a new unconstrained inference variable.
+
+Instantiating the generic parameters of an item generally requires proving its where clauses.
+
+
 [array repeat expression]: ../expressions/array-expr.md
 [arrays]: ../types/array.md
 [slices]: ../types/slice.md

src/trait-bounds.md

@@ -44,68 +44,89 @@ certain common cases:
   `trait A { type B: Copy; }` is equivalent to
   `trait A where Self::B: Copy { type B; }`.
 
+r[bound.global]
+
+Bounds which does not use the item's parameters or any higher-ranked lifetimes are considered global.
+
+An error is emitted if a global bound cannot be satisfied in an empty environment.
+
 r[bound.satisfaction]
-Bounds on an item must be satisfied when using the item. When type checking and
-borrow checking a generic item, the bounds can be used to determine that a
-trait is implemented for a type. For example, given `Ty: Trait`
 
-* In the body of a generic function, methods from `Trait` can be called on `Ty`
-  values. Likewise associated constants on the `Trait` can be used.
-* Associated types from `Trait` can be used.
-* Generic functions and types with a `T: Trait` bounds can be used with `Ty`
-  being used for `T`.
+The bounds of an item must be satisfied when using that item.
+
+r[bound.satisfaction.impl]
+
+A trait bound can be satisfied by using an implementation of that trait. An implementation is applicable if,
+after instantiating its generic parameters with new inference variables, the self type and trait arguments are
+equal to the trait bound and the where-bounds of the impl can be recursively satisfied.
+
+r[bound.satisfaction.impl.builtin]
+
+There exist impls which are automatically generated by the compiler.
+
+- `Sized`,`Copy`, `Clone`,...
+
+
+- alternative: mention this in item-kind impl
+
+r[bound.satisfaction.impl.builtin.trait-object]
+
+Trait objects implement their trait if TODO: lookup conditions, something something project bounds make sense
+
+r[bound.satisfaction.bounds]
+
+While inside of a generic item, trait bounds can be satisfied by using the where-bounds of the current item as the item is able to assume that its bounds are satisfied. For this, higher-ranked where-bounds can be instantiated with inference variables. The where-bound is then equated with the trait bound that needs to be satisfied.
+
+r[bound.satisfaction.alias-bounds]
+
+If an alias type is rigid in the current environment, trait bounds using this alias as a self type can be satisfied by using its item bounds.
 
 ```rust
-# type Surface = i32;
-trait Shape {
-    fn draw(&self, surface: Surface);
-    fn name() -> &'static str;
+trait Trait {
+    type Assoc: Clone;
 }
 
-fn draw_twice<T: Shape>(surface: Surface, sh: T) {
-    sh.draw(surface);           // Can call method because T: Shape
-    sh.draw(surface);
+fn foo<T: Trait>(x: &T::Assoc) -> T::Assoc {
+    // The where-bound `T::Assoc: Clone` is satisfied using the `Clone` item-bound.
+    x.clone()
 }
+```
 
-fn copy_and_draw_twice<T: Copy>(surface: Surface, sh: T) where T: Shape {
-    let shape_copy = sh;        // doesn't move sh because T: Copy
-    draw_twice(surface, sh);    // Can use generic function because T: Shape
-}
+r[bound.satisfaction.alias-bounds.nested]
 
-struct Figure<S: Shape>(S, S);
+We also consider the item bounds of the self type of aliases to satisfy trait bounds.
 
-fn name_figure<U: Shape>(
-    figure: Figure<U>,          // Type Figure<U> is well-formed because U: Shape
-) {
-    println!(
-        "Figure of two {}",
-        U::name(),              // Can use associated function
-    );
+```rust
+trait Trait {
+    type Assoc: Iterator
+    where
+        <Self::Assoc as Iterator>::Item: Clone;
+    // equivalent to
+    //     type Assoc: Iterator<Item: Clone>;
 }
-```
 
-r[bound.trivial]
-Bounds that don't use the item's parameters or [higher-ranked lifetimes] are checked when the item is defined.
-It is an error for such a bound to be false.
-
-r[bound.special]
-[`Copy`], [`Clone`], and [`Sized`] bounds are also checked for certain generic types when using the item, even if the use does not provide a concrete type.
-It is an error to have `Copy` or `Clone` as a bound on a mutable reference, [trait object], or [slice].
-It is an error to have `Sized` as a bound on a trait object or slice.
-
-```rust,compile_fail
-struct A<'a, T>
-where
-    i32: Default,           // Allowed, but not useful
-    i32: Iterator,          // Error: `i32` is not an iterator
-    &'a mut T: Copy,        // (at use) Error: the trait bound is not satisfied
-    [T]: Sized,             // (at use) Error: size cannot be known at compilation
-{
-    f: &'a T,
+fn item_is_clone<T: Trait>(iter: T::Assoc) {
+    for item in iter {
+        let _ = item.clone();
+    }
 }
-struct UsesA<'a, T>(A<'a, T>);
 ```
 
+
+r[bound.satisfaction.candidate-preference]
+
+> This is purely descriptive. Candidate preference behavior may change in future releases and must not be relied upon for correctness or soundness.
+
+If there are multiple ways to satisfy a trait bound, some groups of candidate are preferred over others. In case a single group has multiple different candidates, the bound remains ambiguous. Candidate preference has the following order
+- builtin implementations of `Sized`
+- if there are any non-global where-bounds, all where-bounds
+- alias-bounds
+- impls
+    - In case the goal trait bound does not contain any inference variables, we prefer builtin trait object impls over user-written impls. TODO: that's unsound jank
+- global where-bounds (only relevant if it does not hold)
+
+> note: this candidate preference can result in incorrect errors and type mismatches, e.g. ...
+
 r[bound.trait-object]
 Trait and lifetime bounds are also used to name [trait objects].
 

src/types.md

@@ -150,6 +150,31 @@ enum List<T> {
 let a: List<i32> = List::Cons(7, Box::new(List::Cons(13, Box::new(List::Nil))));
 ```
 
+## Equality of types
+
+r[types.equality]
+
+Equality and subtyping of types is generally structural; if the outermost type constructors are the same,
+their corresponding generic arguments are pairwise compared. We say types with this equality behavior are *rigid*. The only exceptions from this rule are higher ranked types and alias types.
+
+r[types.equality.rigid]
+
+r[types.equality.aliases]
+
+Aliases are compared by first normalizing them to a *rigid* type and then equating their type constructors and recursing into their generic arguments.
+
+r[types.equality.higher-ranked]
+
+Function pointers and trait objects may be higher-ranked.
+
+r[types.equality.higher-ranked.sub]
+
+Subtyping is checked by instantiating the `for` of the subtype with inference variables and the `for` of the supertype with placeholders before relating them as normal.
+
+r[types.equality.higher-ranked.eq]
+
+Equality is checked by both instantiating the `for` of the lhs with inference variables and the `for` of the rhs with placeholders before equating them, and also doing the opposite.
+
 [Array]: types/array.md
 [Boolean]: types/boolean.md
 [Closures]: types/closure.md

src/types/alias-types.md

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+r[type.alias]
+
+- associated types
+- opaque types
+    - link from "impl-trait type" to this or param
+
+r[type.alias.rigid]
+
+Aliases might be treated as *rigid* in their current environment. In this case they behave like other types.
+Their equality is structural, *rigid* aliases are only equal if both have the same type constructor and equal corresponding arguments.
+
+r[type.alias.normalization]
+
+Alias types can be normalized to their underlying type.
+- for associated types this is the type provided by the corresponding impl
+- opaque types
+
+r[type.alias.normalization.assoc-type]
+
+Similar to how trait bounds get satisfied, associated types can be normalized via
+multiple different candidates
+
+- impl (also builtin)
+- projection bound in the environment TODO: where do we talk about them
+- alias bound of their self type
+
+candidate preference:
+- normalizing an alias relies on the candidate group used to prove their corresponding trait bound
+- if corresponding trait bound has been proven via a where-bound or an alias-bound, we do not consider impls
+    - if there is no remaining candidate, the associated type is rigid
+
+For all applicable candidates we
+- prefer where-bounds
+- then alias bounds
+- then impls