diff --git a/src/doc/rustdoc/src/SUMMARY.md b/src/doc/rustdoc/src/SUMMARY.md index 6315cb81a8495..46528187c1175 100644 --- a/src/doc/rustdoc/src/SUMMARY.md +++ b/src/doc/rustdoc/src/SUMMARY.md @@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ - [The `#[doc]` attribute](the-doc-attribute.md) - [Documentation tests](documentation-tests.md) - [Passes](passes.md) +- [Unstable features](unstable-features.md) diff --git a/src/doc/rustdoc/src/unstable-features.md b/src/doc/rustdoc/src/unstable-features.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000..16356c20c7069 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/doc/rustdoc/src/unstable-features.md @@ -0,0 +1,362 @@ +# Unstable features + +Rustdoc is under active developement, and like the Rust compiler, some features are only available +on the nightly releases. Some of these are new and need some more testing before they're able to get +released to the world at large, and some of them are tied to features in the Rust compiler that are +themselves unstable. Several features here require a matching `#![feature(...)]` attribute to +enable, and thus are more fully documented in the [Unstable Book]. Those sections will link over +there as necessary. + +[Unstable Book]: ../unstable-book/index.html + +## Nightly-gated functionality + +These features just require a nightly build to operate. Unlike the other features on this page, +these don't need to be "turned on" with a command-line flag or a `#![feature(...)]` attribute in +your crate. This can give them some subtle fallback modes when used on a stable release, so be +careful! + +### Error numbers for `compile-fail` doctests + +As detailed in [the chapter on documentation tests][doctest-attributes], you can add a +`compile_fail` attribute to a doctest to state that the test should fail to compile. However, on +nightly, you can optionally add an error number to state that a doctest should emit a specific error +number: + +[doctest-attributes]: documentation-tests.html#attributes + +``````markdown +```compile_fail,E0044 +extern { fn some_func(x: T); } +``` +`````` + +This is used by the error index to ensure that the samples that correspond to a given error number +properly emit that error code. However, these error codes aren't guaranteed to be the only thing +that a piece of code emits from version to version, so this is unlikely to be stabilized in the +future. + +Attempting to use these error numbers on stable will result in the code sample being interpreted as +plain text. + +### Linking to items by type + +As designed in [RFC 1946], Rustdoc can parse paths to items when you use them as links. To resolve +these type names, it uses the items currently in-scope, either by declaration or by `use` statement. +For modules, the "active scope" depends on whether the documentation is written outside the module +(as `///` comments on the `mod` statement) or inside the module (at `//!` comments inside the file +or block). For all other items, it uses the enclosing module's scope. + +[RFC 1946]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/1946 + +For example, in the following code: + +```rust +/// Does the thing. +pub fn do_the_thing(_: SomeType) { + println!("Let's do the thing!"); +} + +/// Token you use to [`do_the_thing`]. +pub struct SomeType; +``` + +The link to ``[`do_the_thing`]`` in `SomeType`'s docs will properly link to the page for `fn +do_the_thing`. Note that here, rustdoc will insert the link target for you, but manually writing the +target out also works: + +```rust +pub mod some_module { + /// Token you use to do the thing. + pub struct SomeStruct; +} + +/// Does the thing. Requires one [`SomeStruct`] for the thing to work. +/// +/// [`SomeStruct`]: some_module::SomeStruct +pub fn do_the_thing(_: some_module::SomeStruct) { + println!("Let's do the thing!"); +} +``` + +For more details, check out [the RFC][RFC 1946], and see [the tracking issue][43466] for more +information about what parts of the feature are available. + +[43466]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/43466 + +## Extensions to the `#[doc]` attribute + +These features operate by extending the `#[doc]` attribute, and thus can be caught by the compiler +and enabled with a `#![feature(...)]` attribute in your crate. + +### Documenting platform-/feature-specific information + +Because of the way Rustdoc documents a crate, the documentation it creates is specific to the target +rustc compiles for. Anything that's specific to any other target is dropped via `#[cfg]` attribute +processing early in the compilation process. However, Rustdoc has a trick up its sleeve to handle +platform-specific code if it *does* receive it. + +Because Rustdoc doesn't need to fully compile a crate to binary, it replaces function bodies with +`loop {}` to prevent having to process more than necessary. This means that any code within a +function that requires platform-specific pieces is ignored. Combined with a special attribute, +`#[doc(cfg(...))]`, you can tell Rustdoc exactly which platform something is supposed to run on, +ensuring that doctests are only run on the appropriate platforms. + +The `#[doc(cfg(...))]` attribute has another effect: When Rustdoc renders documentation for that +item, it will be accompanied by a banner explaining that the item is only available on certain +platforms. + +As mentioned earlier, getting the items to Rustdoc requires some extra preparation. The standard +library adds a `--cfg dox` flag to every Rustdoc command, but the same thing can be accomplished by +adding a feature to your Cargo.toml and adding `--feature dox` (or whatever you choose to name the +feature) to your `cargo doc` calls. + +Either way, once you create an environment for the documentation, you can start to augment your +`#[cfg]` attributes to allow both the target platform *and* the documentation configuration to leave +the item in. For example, `#[cfg(any(windows, feature = "dox"))]` will preserve the item either on +Windows or during the documentation process. Then, adding a new attribute `#[doc(cfg(windows))]` +will tell Rustdoc that the item is supposed to be used on Windows. For example: + +```rust +#![feature(doc_cfg)] + +/// Token struct that can only be used on Windows. +#[cfg(any(windows, feature = "dox"))] +#[doc(cfg(windows))] +pub struct WindowsToken; + +/// Token struct that can only be used on Unix. +#[cfg(any(unix, feature = "dox"))] +#[doc(cfg(unix))] +pub struct UnixToken; +``` + +In this sample, the tokens will only appear on their respective platforms, but they will both appear +in documentation. + +`#[doc(cfg(...))]` was introduced to be used by the standard library and currently requires the +`#![feature(doc_cfg)]` feature gate. For more information, see [its chapter in the Unstable +Book][unstable-doc-cfg] and [its tracking issue][issue-doc-cfg]. + +[unstable-doc-cfg]: ../unstable-book/language-features/doc-cfg.html +[issue-doc-cfg]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/43781 + +### Adding your trait to the "Important Traits" dialog + +Rustdoc keeps a list of a few traits that are believed to be "fundamental" to a given type when +implemented on it. These traits are intended to be the primary interface for their types, and are +often the only thing available to be documented on their types. For this reason, Rustdoc will track +when a given type implements one of these traits and call special attention to it when a function +returns one of these types. This is the "Important Traits" dialog, visible as a circle-i button next +to the function, which, when clicked, shows the dialog. + +In the standard library, the traits that qualify for inclusion are `Iterator`, `io::Read`, and +`io::Write`. However, rather than being implemented as a hard-coded list, these traits have a +special marker attribute on them: `#[doc(spotlight)]`. This means that you could apply this +attribute to your own trait to include it in the "Important Traits" dialog in documentation. + +The `#[doc(spotlight)]` attribute currently requires the `#![feature(doc_spotlight)]` feature gate. +For more information, see [its chapter in the Unstable Book][unstable-spotlight] and [its tracking +issue][issue-spotlight]. + +[unstable-spotlight]: ../unstable-book/language-features/doc-spotlight.html +[issue-spotlight]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/45040 + +### Exclude certain dependencies from documentation + +The standard library uses several dependencies which, in turn, use several types and traits from the +standard library. In addition, there are several compiler-internal crates that are not considered to +be part of the official standard library, and thus would be a distraction to include in +documentation. It's not enough to exclude their crate documentation, since information about trait +implementations appears on the pages for both the type and the trait, which can be in different +crates! + +To prevent internal types from being included in documentation, the standard library adds an +attribute to their `extern crate` declarations: `#[doc(masked)]`. This causes Rustdoc to "mask out" +types from these crates when building lists of trait implementations. + +The `#[doc(masked)]` attribute is intended to be used internally, and requires the +`#![feature(doc_masked)]` feature gate. For more information, see [its chapter in the Unstable +Book][unstable-masked] and [its tracking issue][issue-masked]. + +[unstable-masked]: ../unstable-book/language-features/doc-masked.html +[issue-masked]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/44027 + +### Include external files as API documentation + +As designed in [RFC 1990], Rustdoc can read an external file to use as a type's documentation. This +is useful if certain documentation is so long that it would break the flow of reading the source. +Instead of writing it all inline, writing `#[doc(include = "sometype.md")]` (where `sometype.md` is +a file adjacent to the `lib.rs` for the crate) will ask Rustdoc to instead read that file and use it +as if it were written inline. + +[RFC 1990]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/1990 + +`#[doc(include = "...")]` currently requires the `#![feature(external_doc)]` feature gate. For more +information, see [its chapter in the Unstable Book][unstable-include] and [its tracking +issue][issue-include]. + +[unstable-include]: ../unstable-book/language-features/external-doc.html +[issue-include]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/44732 + +## Unstable command-line arguments + +These features are enabled by passing a command-line flag to Rustdoc, but the flags in question are +themselves marked as unstable. To use any of these options, pass `-Z unstable-options` as well as +the flag in question to Rustdoc on the command-line. To do this from Cargo, you can either use the +`RUSTDOCFLAGS` environment variable or the `cargo rustdoc` command. + +### `--markdown-before-content`: include rendered Markdown before the content + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --markdown-before-content extra.md +$ rustdoc README.md -Z unstable-options --markdown-before-content extra.md +``` + +Just like `--html-before-content`, this allows you to insert extra content inside the `` tag +but before the other content `rustdoc` would normally produce in the rendered documentation. +However, instead of directly inserting the file verbatim, `rustdoc` will pass the files through a +Markdown renderer before inserting the result into the file. + +### `--markdown-after-content`: include rendered Markdown after the content + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --markdown-after-content extra.md +$ rustdoc README.md -Z unstable-options --markdown-after-content extra.md +``` + +Just like `--html-after-content`, this allows you to insert extra content before the `` tag +but after the other content `rustdoc` would normally produce in the rendered documentation. +However, instead of directly inserting the file verbatim, `rustdoc` will pass the files through a +Markdown renderer before inserting the result into the file. + +### `--playground-url`: control the location of the playground + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --playground-url https://play.rust-lang.org/ +``` + +When rendering a crate's docs, this flag gives the base URL of the Rust Playground, to use for +generating `Run` buttons. Unlike `--markdown-playground-url`, this argument works for standalone +Markdown files *and* Rust crates. This works the same way as adding `#![doc(html_playground_url = +"url")]` to your crate root, as mentioned in [the chapter about the `#[doc]` +attribute][doc-playground]. Please be aware that the official Rust Playground at +https://play.rust-lang.org does not have every crate available, so if your examples require your +crate, make sure the playground you provide has your crate available. + +[doc-playground]: the-doc-attribute.html#html_playground_url + +If both `--playground-url` and `--markdown-playground-url` are present when rendering a standalone +Markdown file, the URL given to `--markdown-playground-url` will take precedence. If both +`--playground-url` and `#![doc(html_playground_url = "url")]` are present when rendering crate docs, +the attribute will take precedence. + +### `--crate-version`: control the crate version + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --crate-version 1.3.37 +``` + +When `rustdoc` receives this flag, it will print an extra "Version (version)" into the sidebar of +the crate root's docs. You can use this flag to differentiate between different versions of your +library's documentation. + +### `--linker`: control the linker used for documentation tests + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc --test src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --linker foo +$ rustdoc --test README.md -Z unstable-options --linker foo +``` + +When `rustdoc` runs your documentation tests, it needs to compile and link the tests as executables +before running them. This flag can be used to change the linker used on these executables. It's +equivalent to passing `-C linker=foo` to `rustc`. + +### `--sort-modules-by-appearance`: control how items on module pages are sorted + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --sort-modules-by-appearance +``` + +Ordinarily, when `rustdoc` prints items in module pages, it will sort them alphabetically (taking +some consideration for their stability, and names that end in a number). Giving this flag to +`rustdoc` will disable this sorting and instead make it print the items in the order they appear in +the source. + +### `--themes`: provide additional themes + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --themes theme.css +``` + +Giving this flag to `rustdoc` will make it copy your theme into the generated crate docs and enable +it in the theme selector. Note that `rustdoc` will reject your theme file if it doesn't style +everything the "main" theme does. See `--theme-checker` below for details. + +### `--theme-checker`: verify theme CSS for validity + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc -Z unstable-options --theme-checker theme.css +``` + +Before including your theme in crate docs, `rustdoc` will compare all the CSS rules it contains +against the "main" theme included by default. Using this flag will allow you to see which rules are +missing if `rustdoc` rejects your theme. + +### `--resource-suffix`: modifying the name of CSS/JavaScript in crate docs + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --resource-suffix suf +``` + +When rendering docs, `rustdoc` creates several CSS and JavaScript files as part of the output. Since +all these files are linked from every page, changing where they are can be cumbersome if you need to +specially cache them. This flag will rename all these files in the output to include the suffix in +the filename. For example, `main.css` would become `main-suf.css` with the above command. + +### `--display-warnings`: display warnings when documenting or running documentation tests + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --display-warnings +$ rustdoc --test src/lib.rs -Z unstable-options --display-warnings +``` + +The intent behind this flag is to allow the user to see warnings that occur within their library or +their documentation tests, which are usually suppressed. However, [due to a +bug][issue-display-warnings], this flag doesn't 100% work as intended. See the linked issue for +details. + +[issue-display-warnings]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/41574 + +### `-Z force-unstable-if-unmarked` + +Using this flag looks like this: + +```bash +$ rustdoc src/lib.rs -Z force-unstable-if-unmarked +``` + +This is an internal flag intended for the standard library and compiler that applies an +`#[unstable]` attribute to any dependent crate that doesn't have another stability attribute. This +allows `rustdoc` to be able to generate documentation for the compiler crates and the standard +library, as an equivalent command-line argument is provided to `rustc` when building those crates.