Imported Upstream version 1.5.0+dfsg1

[rustc.git] / src / doc / trpl / associated-constants.md

% Associated Constants

With the `associated_consts` feature, you can define constants like this:

```rust
#![feature(associated_consts)]

trait Foo {
    const ID: i32;
}

impl Foo for i32 {
    const ID: i32 = 1;
}

fn main() {
    assert_eq!(1, i32::ID);
}
```

Any implementor of `Foo` will have to define `ID`. Without the definition:

```rust,ignore
#![feature(associated_consts)]

trait Foo {
    const ID: i32;
}

impl Foo for i32 {
}
```

gives

```text
error: not all trait items implemented, missing: `ID` [E0046]
     impl Foo for i32 {
     }
```

A default value can be implemented as well:

```rust
#![feature(associated_consts)]

trait Foo {
    const ID: i32 = 1;
}

impl Foo for i32 {
}

impl Foo for i64 {
    const ID: i32 = 5;
}

fn main() {
    assert_eq!(1, i32::ID);
    assert_eq!(5, i64::ID);
}
```

As you can see, when implementing `Foo`, you can leave it unimplemented, as
with `i32`. It will then use the default value. But, as in `i64`, we can also
add our own definition.

Associated constants don’t have to be associated with a trait. An `impl` block
for a `struct` works fine too:

```rust
#![feature(associated_consts)]

struct Foo;

impl Foo {
    pub const FOO: u32 = 3;
}
```