diff --git a/exercises/lifetimes/lifetimes4.rs b/exercises/lifetimes/lifetimes4.rs new file mode 100644 index 00000000..b60c56c4 --- /dev/null +++ b/exercises/lifetimes/lifetimes4.rs @@ -0,0 +1,54 @@ +// lifetimes4.rs +// +// Sometimes, we have structs which hold on to data temporarily. A use-case of +// this could be a routing component which accepts data and returns it to +// another recipient. To avoid copying the data, we just accept a reference with +// lifetime and return this reference later. +// +// In the example below, we create a `Router` instance in a limited scope. It +// accepts a number reference created in the enclosing scope and returns it. +// In theory, this should be possible given that the number reference outlives +// the scope from which it is returned. However the borrow checker does not +// seem to understand it. What can we do about that? +// +// Execute `rustlings hint lifetimes4` or use the `hint` watch subcommand for a +// hint. + +// I AM NOT DONE + +struct Router<'a> { + number_ref: Option<&'a u64>, +} + +impl<'a> Router<'a> { + fn new() -> Self { + Self { number_ref: None } + } + + fn take_number_ref(&mut self, number_ref: &'a u64) { + self.number_ref = Some(number_ref); + } + + fn return_number_ref(&mut self) -> Option<&u64> { + self.number_ref.take().take() + } +} + +fn main() { + let number_ref = &123; + + let returned_ref = { + // Create router within scope. + let mut router = Router::new(); + + // Accept number ref which lives longer than the router. + router.take_number_ref(number_ref); + + // Return number ref which **should** live longer than the router. + router.return_number_ref() + }; + + if let Some(number) = returned_ref { + println!("The number is {number}"); + } +} diff --git a/info.toml b/info.toml index 887662ab..2749d002 100644 --- a/info.toml +++ b/info.toml @@ -879,6 +879,25 @@ hint = """ If you use a lifetime annotation in a struct's fields, where else does it need to be added?""" +[[exercises]] +name = "lifetimes4" +path = "exercises/lifetimes/lifetimes4.rs" +mode = "compile" +hint = """ +The compiler complains that the `Router` is dropped at the end of the smaller +scope while still being borrowed. However, we never intended to return a borrow +to the `Router`. What are we really returning from +`Router::return_number_ref`? + +The method `Router::return_number_ref` only takes `&mut self` +and returns `Option<&u64>`. No explicit lifetimes are specified. What lifetime +will the borrow checker assume for the `&u64` in the `Option`? You may want to +re-read the chapter on lifetime elision: +https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/lifetime-elision.html + +What lifetime do we really want the `Option<&u64>` to have? Can we make that +explicit?""" + # TESTS [[exercises]]