improve documentation for 'var T return values'; refs #7373

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Andreas Rumpf 2018-04-21 16:41:35 +02:00
commit 4f10b5edb6
3 changed files with 42 additions and 4 deletions

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Memory safety for returning by ``var T`` is ensured by a simple borrowing
rule: If ``result`` does not refer to a location pointing to the heap
(that is in ``result = X`` the ``X`` involves a ``ptr`` or ``ref`` access)
then it has to be deviated by the routine's first parameter:
.. code-block:: nim
proc forward[T](x: var T): var T =
result = x # ok, deviated from the first parameter.
proc p(param: var int): var int =
var x: int
# we know 'forward' provides a view into the location deviated by
# its first argument 'x'.
result = forward(x) # Error: location is derived from ``x``
# which is not p's first parameter and lives
# on the stack.
In other words, the lifetime of what ``result`` points to is attached to the
lifetime of the first parameter and that is enough knowledge to verify
memory safety at the callsite.