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Add 'static and Send constraints explanations to thread::spawn
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Felix Raimundo committed May 14, 2017
1 parent 77f1bec commit 770bd57
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22 changes: 22 additions & 0 deletions src/libstd/thread/mod.rs
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -367,6 +367,26 @@ impl Builder {
/// want to specify the stack size or the name of the thread, use this API
/// instead.
///
/// As you can see in the signature of `spawn` there are two constraints on
/// both the closure given to `spawn` and its return value, let's explain them:
///
/// - The `'static` constraint means that the closure and its return value
/// must have a lifetime of the whole program execution. The reason for this
/// is that threads can `detach` and outlive the lifetime they have been
/// created in.
/// Indeed if the thread, and by extension its return value, can outlive their
/// caller, we need to make sure that they will be valid afterwards, and since
/// we *can't* know when it will return we need to have them valid as long as
/// possible, that is until the end of the program, hence the `'static`
/// lifetime.
/// - The [`Send`] constraint is because the closure will need to be passed
/// *by value* from the thread where it is spawned to the new thread. Its
/// return value will need to be passed from the new thread to the thread
/// where it is `join`ed.
/// As a reminder, the [`Send`] marker trait, expresses that it is safe to be
/// passed from thread to thread. [`Sync`] expresses that it is safe to have a
/// reference be passed from thread to thread.
///
/// # Panics
///
/// Panics if the OS fails to create a thread; use [`Builder::spawn`]
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -433,6 +453,8 @@ impl Builder {
/// [`panic`]: ../../std/macro.panic.html
/// [`Builder::spawn`]: ../../std/thread/struct.Builder.html#method.spawn
/// [`Builder`]: ../../std/thread/struct.Builder.html
/// [`Send`]: ../../std/marker/trait.Send.html
/// [`Sync`]: ../../std/marker/trait.Sync.html
#[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
pub fn spawn<F, T>(f: F) -> JoinHandle<T> where
F: FnOnce() -> T, F: Send + 'static, T: Send + 'static
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