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| 1 | +- Feature Name: `derive-default-enum-with-fields` |
| 2 | +- Start Date: 2024-08-25 |
| 3 | +- RFC PR: [rust-lang/rfcs#3683](https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3683) |
| 4 | +- Rust Issue: [rust-lang/rust#0000](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/0000) |
| 5 | + |
| 6 | +# Summary |
| 7 | +[summary]: #summary |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +Allow `#[derive(Default)]` on `enum` variants with data. |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +```rust |
| 12 | +#[derive(Default)] |
| 13 | +enum Foo { |
| 14 | + #[default] |
| 15 | + Bar { |
| 16 | + x: Option<i32>, |
| 17 | + y: Option<i32>, |
| 18 | + }, |
| 19 | + Baz, |
| 20 | +} |
| 21 | +``` |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +Previously, only unit enum variants were allowed to derive `Default`, by marking |
| 24 | +them with `#[default]`. This feature extens this support to tuple and struct |
| 25 | +enum variants with fields when they all implement `Default`. By extension this |
| 26 | +also means that tuple and struct enum variants with no fields are also suitable |
| 27 | +to be marked with `#[default]`. |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +# Motivation |
| 30 | +[motivation]: #motivation |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +Currently, `#[derive(Default)]` is not usable on `enum` variants with data. To |
| 33 | +rectify this situation, we expand the existing `#[default]` attribute |
| 34 | +implementation to support tuple and struct variants. |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +This allows you to use #[derive(Default)] on enums wherefore you can now write: |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +```rust |
| 39 | +#[derive(Default)] |
| 40 | +enum Padding { |
| 41 | + #[default] |
| 42 | + Space { |
| 43 | + n: i32, |
| 44 | + }, |
| 45 | + None, |
| 46 | +} |
| 47 | +``` |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +This feature allows for more cases where `Default` can be derived, instead of |
| 50 | +explicitly implemented. This reduces the verbosity of Rust codebases. |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +# Guide-level explanation |
| 53 | +[guide-level-explanation]: #guide-level-explanation |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +In the same way that `struct`s can be annotated with `#[derive(Default)]`: |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +```rust |
| 58 | +#[derive(Default)] |
| 59 | +struct Bar { |
| 60 | + x: Option<i32>, |
| 61 | + y: Option<i32>, |
| 62 | +} |
| 63 | +``` |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +which expands to: |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +```rust |
| 68 | +impl Default for Bar { |
| 69 | + fn default() -> Bar { |
| 70 | + Bar { |
| 71 | + x: Default::default(), |
| 72 | + y: Default::default(), |
| 73 | + } |
| 74 | + } |
| 75 | +} |
| 76 | +``` |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +The same annotation on an `enum` with a variant annotated with `#[default]`: |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +```rust |
| 81 | +#[derive(Default)] |
| 82 | +enum Foo { |
| 83 | + #[default] |
| 84 | + Bar { |
| 85 | + x: Option<i32>, |
| 86 | + y: Option<i32>, |
| 87 | + }, |
| 88 | + Baz, |
| 89 | +} |
| 90 | +``` |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +expands to: |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +```rust |
| 95 | +impl Default for Foo { |
| 96 | + fn default() -> Foo { |
| 97 | + Foo::Bar { |
| 98 | + x: Default::default(), |
| 99 | + y: Default::default(), |
| 100 | + } |
| 101 | + } |
| 102 | +} |
| 103 | +``` |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +Because the expanded code calls `Default::default()`, if the fields do not |
| 106 | +implement `Default` the compiler will emit an appropriate error pointing at the |
| 107 | +field that doesn't meet its requirement. |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +``` |
| 110 | +error[E0277]: the trait bound `S: Default` is not satisfied |
| 111 | + --> src/main.rs:4:5 |
| 112 | + | |
| 113 | +2 | #[derive(Default)] |
| 114 | + | ------- in this derive macro expansion |
| 115 | +3 | enum Foo { |
| 116 | +3 | Bar { |
| 117 | +4 | x: S, |
| 118 | + | ^^^^ the trait `Default` is not implemented for `S` |
| 119 | + | |
| 120 | + = note: this error originates in the derive macro `Default` (in Nightly builds, run with -Z macro-backtrace for more info) |
| 121 | +help: consider annotating `S` with `#[derive(Default)]` |
| 122 | + | |
| 123 | +1 + #[derive(Default)] |
| 124 | +2 | struct S; |
| 125 | + | |
| 126 | +``` |
| 127 | + |
| 128 | +# Reference-level explanation |
| 129 | +[reference-level-explanation]: #reference-level-explanation |
| 130 | + |
| 131 | +[`default_enum_substructure`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/blob/6bb4656ee2ad88425917e3d4ad7ec11a033f181c/compiler/rustc_builtin_macros/src/deriving/default.rs#L96C4-L96C29 |
| 132 | + |
| 133 | +[`extract_default_variant`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/blob/6bb4656ee2ad88425917e3d4ad7ec11a033f181c/compiler/rustc_builtin_macros/src/deriving/default.rs#L154C4-L154C27 |
| 134 | + |
| 135 | +[`default_struct_substructure`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/blob/6bb4656ee2ad88425917e3d4ad7ec11a033f181c/compiler/rustc_builtin_macros/src/deriving/default.rs#L63C4-L63C31 |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | +In `rustc_builtin_macros/src/deriving/default.rs`, we change |
| 138 | +[`extract_default_variant`] to not filter *only* on `VariantData::Unit`, and |
| 139 | +[`default_enum_substructure`] to expand the `impl` in a similar way to |
| 140 | +[`default_struct_substructure`]. |
| 141 | + |
| 142 | +[RFC-3107]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rfcs/3107-derive-default-enum.html. |
| 143 | + |
| 144 | +This expands on [RFC-3107]. No other changes are needed. |
| 145 | + |
| 146 | +# Drawbacks |
| 147 | +[drawbacks]: #drawbacks |
| 148 | + |
| 149 | +[perfect derives]: https://smallcultfollowing.com/babysteps/blog/2022/04/12/implied-bounds-and-perfect-derive/ |
| 150 | + |
| 151 | +The usual drawback of increasing the complexity of the language applies. However, the degree to which complexity is increased is not substantial. |
| 152 | + |
| 153 | +[The same](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/26925) issue highlighted on |
| 154 | +[RFC-3107] of current `#[derive(Default)]` on `struct`s producing `impl`s with |
| 155 | +incorrect bounds (non-[perfect derives]) applies to this proposal as well. |
| 156 | + |
| 157 | +# Rationale and alternatives |
| 158 | +[rationale-and-alternatives]: #rationale-and-alternatives |
| 159 | + |
| 160 | +[`derivative`]: https://crates.io/crates/derivative |
| 161 | + |
| 162 | +[`smart-default`]: https://crates.io/crates/smart-default |
| 163 | + |
| 164 | +As shown by the existence of [`derivative`] and [`smart-default`], there is a |
| 165 | +desire to fill this perceived gap in flexibility that the built-in |
| 166 | +`#[derive(Default)]` support has. We can do nothing and let the ecosystem sort |
| 167 | +this gap out. |
| 168 | + |
| 169 | + |
| 170 | +# Prior art |
| 171 | +[prior-art]: #prior-art |
| 172 | + |
| 173 | +## Procedural macros |
| 174 | + |
| 175 | +There are a number of crates which to varying degrees afford macros for default field values and |
| 176 | +associated facilities. |
| 177 | + |
| 178 | + |
| 179 | +### `#[derive(Derivative)]` |
| 180 | + |
| 181 | +[`derivative`]: https://crates.io/crates/derivative |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +The crate [`derivative`] provides the `#[derivative(Default)]` attribute. With it, you may write: |
| 184 | + |
| 185 | +```rust |
| 186 | +#[derive(Derivative)] |
| 187 | +#[derivative(Default)] |
| 188 | +enum Foo { |
| 189 | + #[derivative(Default)] |
| 190 | + Bar { |
| 191 | + value: Option<i32>, |
| 192 | + }, |
| 193 | + Baz, |
| 194 | +} |
| 195 | +``` |
| 196 | + |
| 197 | +Contrast this with the equivalent in the style of this RFC: |
| 198 | + |
| 199 | +```rust |
| 200 | +#[derive(Default)] |
| 201 | +enum Foo { |
| 202 | + #[default] |
| 203 | + Bar { |
| 204 | + value: Option<i32>, |
| 205 | + }, |
| 206 | + Baz, |
| 207 | +} |
| 208 | +``` |
| 209 | + |
| 210 | +Like in this RFC, `derivative` allows you to derive `Default` for `enum`s. The |
| 211 | +syntax used in the macro is `#[derivative(Default)]` whereas the RFC provides |
| 212 | +uses the already existing `#[default]` annotation. |
| 213 | + |
| 214 | +### `#[derive(SmartDefault)]` |
| 215 | + |
| 216 | +[`smart-default`]: https://crates.io/crates/smart-default |
| 217 | + |
| 218 | +The [`smart-default`] provides `#[derive(SmartDefault)]` custom derive macro. It functions similarly |
| 219 | +to `derivative` but is specialized for the `Default` trait. With it, you can write: |
| 220 | + |
| 221 | +```rust |
| 222 | +#[derive(SmartDefault)] |
| 223 | +enum Foo { |
| 224 | + #[default] |
| 225 | + Bar { |
| 226 | + value: Option<i32>, |
| 227 | + }, |
| 228 | + Baz, |
| 229 | +} |
| 230 | +``` |
| 231 | + |
| 232 | +- There is no trait `SmartDefault` even though it is being derived. This works because |
| 233 | + `#[proc_macro_derive(SmartDefault)]` is in fact not tied to any trait. That `#[derive(Serialize)]` |
| 234 | + refers to the same trait as the name of the macro is from the perspective of the language's static |
| 235 | + semantics entirely coincidental. |
| 236 | + |
| 237 | + However, for users who aren't aware of this, it may seem strange that `SmartDefault` should derive |
| 238 | + for the `Default` trait. |
| 239 | + |
| 240 | +# Unresolved questions |
| 241 | +[unresolved-questions]: #unresolved-questions |
| 242 | + |
| 243 | +- Should we wait until [perfect derives] are addressed first? |
| 244 | +- Should `#[default]` be allowed on tuple and struct enum variants with no fields? |
| 245 | + |
| 246 | +# Future possibilities |
| 247 | +[future-possibilities]: #future-possibilities |
| 248 | + |
| 249 | +## Overriding default values |
| 250 | + |
| 251 | +[RFC-3681]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3681 |
| 252 | + |
| 253 | +[RFC-3681] already proposes supporting the definition of struct and struct enum |
| 254 | +variant field default values, that can be used by `#[derive(Default)]` to |
| 255 | +override the use of `Default::default()`. These two RFCs interact nicely with |
| 256 | +each other. |
| 257 | + |
| 258 | +```rust |
| 259 | +#[derive(Default)] |
| 260 | +enum Foo { |
| 261 | + #[default] |
| 262 | + Bar { |
| 263 | + value: i32 = 42, |
| 264 | + }, |
| 265 | + Baz, |
| 266 | +} |
| 267 | +``` |
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