Document the phase of associated constants, which the discussions of
contextual phase defaults never covered: an associated constant is
always a checked generic binding. This is deliberately not presented as
a contextual default, because no other phase is possible for the
construct; correspondingly, no phase keyword (including `template`) is
allowed on one. Also rework the associated constants section of the
design README where the migration left a non-sequitur ("set to
compile-time values ... and so are defined using a `let` declaration"):
describe the `let` syntax and the binding's contextual phase separately.
Use consistent terminology for bindings versus constants. Bindings are
"checked" or "template" (generic) bindings, replacing the "symbolic
binding" and bare "generic binding" terms, so "symbolic" now only
describes constants and values. The "Symbolic facet bindings" section of
the generics details becomes "Checked facet bindings". The
expression-phase terms "symbolic constant" and "template constant" are
unchanged, and the binding-pattern definitions now name the constant
each kind binds. Template bindings are additionally described as
dependent and late checked, with each instantiation providing the
binding's value.
Also normalize the remaining "regular parameter" mentions to "runtime
parameter" to match the binding terminology, and describe the
compile-time "let template" as introducing a template generic binding
"T: C" whose uses are template constants.
Assisted-by: Claude Code
This proposal removes the `:!` syntax for generics and templates in
favor of keywords (`generic`, `template`, `runtime`) and contextual
defaults for phase. It also replaces `:?` with `fwd` and introduces
`exttype` for extended types.
Assisted-by: Antigravity with Gemini, and Claude
---------
Co-authored-by: Geoff Romer <gromer@google.com>
Rumdl already appears to have _significantly_ fewer bugs than prettier,
and a solid LSP for editor integration.
The tool is: https://github.com/rvben/rumdl/
I've separated out the change across three commits for easier review.
The configuration tries to match the existing formatting, the changes to
the all the files are to correct issues found by the new tool.
Assisted-by: Antigravity with Gemini
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Implements proposal #7016: `self` moves from the deduced implicit list
(`fn F[self: Self]()`) to the front of the explicit list. Its type may
be written explicitly (`fn F(self: Self)`) or omitted, in which case it
defaults to `Self` (`fn F(self)`, `fn F(ref self)`); `self` in the
implicit list is rejected.
Throughout checking, `self` is modeled as the first explicit parameter.
Because a method is just a function whose first parameter is `self`, it
can also be called as an ordinary function with the receiver passed
explicitly (`Type.M(obj, ...)`), not only as `obj.M(...)`. A new
`SemIR::CallArgParamPatterns` helper chooses the parameters matched
against the explicit arguments, excluding a leading `self` only when it
is supplied as a method-call receiver; arity checking, conversion, and
generic deduction use it. The resulting SemIR and lowering are
unchanged: `self` is still `call_param0`, and witnesses, thunks, and
vtables are unaffected.
An omitted `self` type is parsed as a `SelfBindingPattern` node with no
type expression; checking synthesizes the `Self` type so it behaves
exactly like `self: Self`. However, the exact spelling used must match
between a forward declaration and a definition, following #3763's rules
around declaration matching.
Generated functions, thunks, and C++ interop import/export build `self`
as the first explicit parameter, and the `self`-type override (e.g.
Derived->Base for a virtual override) applies to the explicit `self`.
Placement is validated by new diagnostics: `SelfInImplicitParamList`,
`SelfNotFirstParam`, and `SelfOutsideParamList`. The benchmark source
generator and the documentation adopt the `(self)` shorthand; the
prelude, the examples, and the test data are migrated in the following
commits.
Assisted-by: Claude Code with Claude Opus 4.7
---------
Co-authored-by: josh11b <15258583+josh11b@users.noreply.github.com>
Update the orphan rule to require a name to be defined within, or by,
the same scope as the impl declaration. Since libraries can not be
nested, this also enforces the old rule, but rejects more impl
declarations. In particular, it rejects an impl declaration in a generic
context which would have no way to provide a value for the generic
bindings it inherited from its enclosing scope, making the impl
unusable.
Discussed in open discussion
[2026-05-04](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mjllGO3ZCL4qGt9uJHUtcxKoHAGEY7Y999ie4EtBWB8/edit?tab=t.3ifnhz83n73d#heading=h.p45zfugbmdih).
Instead of requiring just one to have a designator, require each one.
You can't write `(type where A == B) & (type where C == .Self)` because
`A == B` has no designator. If the two facet types are combined into a
single `where` syntactically, their meaning does not change, and what we
allow should not change either. That is, `type where A == B and C ==
.Self` should be rejected since `A == B` does not contain a designator.
The design is also updated to make this clear.
We've talked about adding the title to the filename several times over
the years and it seems really valuable. This requires us to compute a
"slug" for the title spelling that can be part of the filename.
Beyond that, we crossed 7000 recently, and so it seems likely that we
will need to add digits sooner rather than later here, so this goes
ahead and moves us to 6 digits so we don't have to adjust again for a
reasonable length of time.
To implement this and ensure we can sustain it going forward this adds a
tool to our pre-commit that validates (and corrects if needed) the
filename.
In order to update everything and keep links working, there are a _lot_
of changes, but the most interesting for direct review are in
`proposals/scripts`.
Assisted-by: Antigravity with Gemini
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Update the syntax for class (and interface/`impl`) methods to move
`self` into
the parameter parentheses `()` and make the type in its binding optional
(defaulting to `Self`). Introduce the `static` keyword for non-instance
member
variables to indicate static storage. Reflects the decision in leads
issue
[#6931](https://github.com/carbon-language/carbon-lang/issues/6931).
Updates the directly relevant design, but leaves a systematic update of
examples
to a future PR.
Assisted-by: Antigravity with Gemini
---------
Co-authored-by: Geoff Romer <gromer@google.com>
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Allow partially identifying a named constraint inside its definition,
and allow the query self in an impl lookup with a non-identified facet
type to be used to provide witnesses from that facet type. This allows
impl lookup on `Self` to find `require` decls that have been written
earlier in the named constraint, so that the named constraint to be used
to provide witnesses from inside its definition.
But disallow an incomplete named constraint from being part of an
identified facet type, to prevent forming facet values that store a
witness set that can be invalidated as the named constraint adds
interfaces to its identified facet type.
This was discussed in open discussion [on
2026-03-12](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mjllGO3ZCL4qGt9uJHUtcxKoHAGEY7Y999ie4EtBWB8/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1dvbbrp5a6t3).
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Proposal [p5337](https://docs.carbon-lang.dev/proposals/p5337.html)
renamed and introduced new syntax for extending an interface or named
constraint with another.
- The `require` keyword can now be modified by `extend`, instead of it
being a separate thing altogether.
- Interfaces can `extend impl as I` to gain the members of `I` and
implicitly use them to implement `I`. Named constraints can not.
The `Identity` example is meant to not know anything about the type of
the object its passing through, but it ends up making a copy of it. Fix
the example to not by using a pointer.
Updates the documentation under `docs/design/` to use `ref` instead of
`addr` after their removal in #5434. Care was taken to manually clean up
edge cases and, in a couple cases, surrounding text (see
3d72c49bb75c0f40ca7e8114b6a1369b941e1697). After this change, there are
no matches for `addr(?!ess)` in `docs/design/`.
Closes#6032
Require language design proposals to either update the design documents
to
reflect the proposed changes, or add "TODO" comments to mark where those
changes
will be needed, with links back to the proposal. This is intended to
ensure that
the design documentation accurately informs readers about the current
language
design, without excessively burdening the proposal process.
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
# Changes
## Terminology Updates
This PR updates documentation to align with the expression phase
terminology changes introduced in
[#2964](https://github.com/carbon-language/carbon-lang/pull/2964):
* **"symbolic value" → "symbolic constant"**: Updated all remaining
instances using find-and-replace
## Scope of Changes
* Focused on documentation that predates the July 2023 terminology
change
* Used git blame history to identify instances likely using the old
"constant" definition
* Manually reviewed each "constant" usage to distinguish between:
- New definition (unchanged): the broader category including symbolic
constants
Closes
[#5599](https://github.com/carbon-language/carbon-lang/issues/5599)
---------
Co-authored-by: Hitesh Joshi <hitesh@mitsu.care>
In open discussion[1] we decided that "identical" rewrites would mean
that for a given LHS value, all RHS have the same value (after
evaluation), rather than requiring the RHS to all have the same
syntactic value. This means the following is valid, since the value of
`.Y` is known to be `()` while resolving the rewrite constraints of `T`.
So both rewrites of `.X` are resolved to `.X = ()`:
```
fn Identical(T:! I where .X = () and .X = .Y and .Y = ()) {}
```
The implementation of this clarification, along with test cases encoding
it, is done in https://github.com/carbon-language/carbon-lang/pull/5686.
Clarify this in the language design documents, and improve some other
clarity while we're there:
- The prose talks about a facet `T`, but the examples were using `A` as
its name. Change the facet to be `T`. This means changing the `.T`
associated constant (and `.U` and `.V`) to be `.X` (and `.Y` and `.Z`).
While doing this, use `I` for the interface name instead of `C`, which
we use more commonly for a class type name.
- Correct the comments in the cycle example that claim we find `.Y then
.Y* then .Y**`. In this example `.Y = .Z* and .Z = .Y*` which adds _two_
levels of pointers when evaluating `.Y`: `.Y => .Z* => (.Y*)* => .Y**`
[1]
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yt-i5AmF76LSvD4TrWRIAE_92kii6j5yFiW-S7ahzlg/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.qti4vn50zwy
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Co-authored-by: Carbon Infra Bot <carbon-external-infra@google.com>
This adds language to explain where the types of constraints can or can
not appear (attached-to an impl-as vs in-a type expression). And
describes the impact of using a rewrite vs same-type constraint inside
the body of the affected code, and thus why a rewrite is preferable when
the constraint is of a single facet type.
The name ComparableFromDifferenceFn comes from the next example. In this
example ComparableFromDifference is the name of the class that will be
implictly cast to a Facet matching Comparable.
Update broken links to aid in following links while perusing the
documentation. Closes#3778
I don't imagine I got every one of these right. Some 404s may be
reported due to permissions.
Using the lychee command in #3778, only the following link is reported
as not found, but it's just a permission issue:
```
[proposals/p1367.md]:
✗ [404] https://github.com/carbon-language/carbon-lang/settings/access | Failed: Network error: Not Found
```
I tried to get it down to as few as possible, partially so that future
link scans won't run into repeat errors.
---------
Co-authored-by: Jon Ross-Perkins <jperkins@google.com>
Co-authored-by: Carbon Infra Bot <carbon-external-infra@google.com>
The version of `flake8` was too old to support with Python 3.12 -- there
is new F-string support that caused false positives sadly. The updated
version has fixes for all of these.
This in turn updates codespell which has picked up several new fixes
that actually fire in our code, so also fix everything. While we don't
do more in-depth updates to old proposals, similar to simply fixing
broken links, fixing automatically detected typos seems scalable and
fine.
All edits were automatically generated here.
Continued from part 1: #3231. Second step updating
`docs/design/generics/details.md`. There remains some work to
incorporate proposal #2200.
- The biggest changes are incorporating much of the text of proposals:
- #2173
- #2687
- It incorporates changes from proposals:
- #989
- #1178
- #2138
- #2200
- #2360
- #2964
- #3162
- It also updates the text to reflect the latest thinking from leads
issues:
- #996
- #2153 -- most notably deleting the section on `TypeId`.
- Update to rule for prioritization blocks with mixed type structures
from [discussion on
2023-07-18](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gnJBTfY81fZYvI_QXjwKk1uQHYBNHGqRLI2BS_cYYNQ/edit?resourcekey=0-ql1Q1WvTcDvhycf8LbA9DQ#heading=h.7jxges9ojgy3)
- Adds reference links to proposals, issues, and discussions relevant to
the text.
- Also tries to use more precise language when talking about
implementations, to avoid confusing `impl` declaration and definitions
with the `impls` operator used in `where` clauses, an issue brought up
in
- #2495
- #2483
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Includes proposals:
- #990
- #2188
- #2138
- #2200
- #2360
- #2760
- #2964
- #3162
Also tries to use more precise language when talking about:
- implementations, to avoid confusing `impl` declaration and definitions
with the `impls` operator used in `where` clauses, an issue brought up
in #2495 and #2483;
- "binding patterns", like `x: i32`, and "bindings" like `x`.
---------
Co-authored-by: Chandler Carruth <chandlerc@gmail.com>
First step in updating `docs/design/generics/details.md`. It
incorporates changes from proposals: #989#2138#2173#2200#2360#2964#3162 , but there are still more changes from those proposals to be
made.
It also switches away from suggesting static-dispatch witness tables,
and creates an appendix to describe that decision.
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Change terminology away from terms that are ambiguous:
- Reserve "generic type" for types with (compile-time) parameters, like
`Vector` in `Vector(T:! type)`. Don't use that term to refer to `T`, as
it would with
[#2360](https://github.com/carbon-language/carbon-lang/blob/trunk/proposals/p2360.md#terminology).
- Use the term "compile-time" instead of "constant" to mean "template or
symbolic." Expand the term "constant" to include values, such as from
`let` bindings.
This reflects changes from a number of approved proposals:
- #2138 : "generic" -> "checked generic", "template" -> "template
generic"
- #2360 : "type", "facet type", "facet". Note: I am not using the term
"generic type" from #2360 since that meaning conflicts with the
generally accepted meaning of "generic type" of a type with a
compile-time parameter.
- #2760 / #2770 : internal/external impl -> extending impl
- #2964 : "symbolic constant" and "template constant"
---------
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
Introduce a concrete design for how Carbon values, objects, storage,
variables,
and pointers will work. This includes fleshing out the design for:
- The expression categories used in Carbon to represent values and
objects,
how they interact, and terminology that anchors on their expression
nature.
- An expression category model for readonly, abstract values that can
efficiently support function inputs.
- A customization system for value expression representations,
especially as
seen on function boundaries in the calling convention.
- An expression category model for references instead of a type system
model.
- How patterns match different expression categories.
- How initialization works in conjunction with function returns.
- Specific pointer syntax, semantics, and library customization
mechanisms.
- A `const` type qualifier for use when the value expression category
system
is too abstracted from the underlying objects in storage.
---------
Co-authored-by: Geoff Romer <gromer@google.com>
Co-authored-by: josh11b <josh11b@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Adrien Leravat <Pixep@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Jon Ross-Perkins <jperkins@google.com>
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
This reflects changes from a number of approved proposals:
- #920 : concrete statements about orphan and overlap in Carbon
- #2138 : "generic" -> "checked generic", "template" -> "template
generic"
- #2188 : binding patterns are forbidden in type position
- #2360 : "type", "facet type", "facet". Note: I am not using the term
"generic type" from #2360 since that meaning conflicts with the
generally accepted meaning of "generic type" of a type with a
compile-time parameter.
- #2760 / #2770 : internal/external impl -> extending impl
- #2964 : "symbolic constant" and "template constant"
---------
Co-authored-by: Geoff Romer <gromer@google.com>
Co-authored-by: Richard Smith <richard@metafoo.co.uk>
This includes:
- Syntax changes from this chart:
| Before | After |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `class D extends B { ... }` | `class D { extend base: B; ... }` |
| `external impl C as Sub;` | `impl C as Sub;` |
| `class C { impl as Sortable; }` | `class C { extend impl as Sortable; }` |
| `adapter A for C { ... }` | `class A { adapt C; ... }` |
| `adapter A extends C { ... }` | `class A { extend adapt C; ... }` |
| `interface I { impl as J; }` | `interface I { require Self impls J; }` |
| `interface I { extends J; }` | `interface I { extend J; }` |
- Dropping the syntax for conditionally implemented internal interfaces.
This does not include:
- terminology changes from #2760 ("internal" and "external")
- changes to code, such as explorer, toolchain, language grammars, or other tooling
Allow an `impl` to overlap with a `final impl` if they agree on the overlap. Agreement is defined as all values comparing equal, and functions never comparing equal. Implements the decision in question-for-leads issue #1077.
Use the keyword `impls` instead of `is` when writing a `where` constraint that a type variable needs to implement an interface or named constraint.
What was previously (provisionally) written:
```
fn Sort[T:! Container where .ElementType is Ordered](x: T*);
```
will now be written:
```
fn Sort[T:! Container where .ElementType impls Ordered](x: T*);
```
---------
Co-authored-by: Geoff Romer <gromer@google.com>
Co-authored-by: Chandler Carruth <chandlerc@gmail.com>
Also make minor updates to the skeletal design in
docs/design/name_lookup.md following #2113, as there are no longer any prelude names that are made available to unqualified name lookup by default.
Add `type` to the keyword list in
docs/design/lexical_conventions/words.md, following #2360.
Dana Jansens
Chandler Carruth
Özgür
Calvin
Hitesh JoshiandHitesh Joshi
Burak EmirandBurak Emir
Jon Ross-Perkins
cui fliter
Amr Hesham