enso/gui/docs/contributing/style-guide.md

---
layout: style-guide
title: Rust Style Guide
category: style-guide
tags: [style-guide,contributing]
---

# Rust Style Guide

## Motivation - why not rely on a formatting tool for code style?

The code style is way more than just formatting. In many cases formatting can be
automated. According to rustfmt docs: "formatting code is a mostly mechanical
task which takes both time and mental effort. By using an automatic formatting
tool, a programmer is relieved of this task and can concentrate on more
important things.". While in many cases it is true, if the code author does not
take extra effort to make his code pretty by refactoring long lines to
variables, moving code to specific modules, or sections, the formatting tool
will result in code that is hard to read and hard to write. Thus, it is
important to take time to write code in such way that we can be proud of its
quality.

Because `rustfmt` does not support many of our requirements, we have created a
guide to describe how to format Rust code in this project. Please read it
carefully. We hope that in the future, some of the things described below will
be possible while using `rustfmt` (and we encourage you to contribute there!),
however, even if it happens, many parts of this guide will still be valid and
will need to be handled manually.



## Styling rules

### Code width
Each line in a source file should have max 80 chars of text (including 
comments).

### Imports 
Imports should be divided into 4 groups separated by blank lines. Items in the
groups should be sorted alphabetically.
```rust
// Group 1: sub-module definitions.
// Group 2: prelude-like imports.
// Group 3: local-crate imports.
// Group 4: external imports.
```

For example:
```rust
pub mod display_object;

use crate::prelude::*;

use crate::closure;
use crate::data::opt_vec::OptVec;
use crate::data::dirty;
use crate::system::web::group;

use nalgebra::Matrix4;
use nalgebra::Vector3;
```


### Sections

Source files should be divided into sections. Section headers should be placed
before each new "concept" defined in a file. By "concept" we normally mean a
structure with related implementations. In case related implementations use some
helper structs with very small implementations, these helper structs may be
defined in the same section. Moreover, the code in each section should be
divided into sub-sections, grouping related definitions. At least one section
should be defined in a file (if there is at least one struct definition as
well). For example:

```rust
// =================
// === AxisOrder ===
// =================

/// Defines the order in which particular axis coordinates are processed. Used
/// for example to define the rotation order in `DisplayObject`.
pub enum AxisOrder {XYZ,XZY,YXZ,YZX,ZXY,ZYX}

impl Default for AxisOrder {
    fn default() -> Self {Self::XYZ}
}



// =================
// === Transform ===
// =================

/// Defines the order in which transformations (scale, rotate, translate) are
/// applied to a particular object.
pub enum TransformOrder {
    ScaleRotateTranslate,
    ScaleTranslateRotate,
    RotateScaleTranslate,
    RotateTranslateScale,
    TranslateRotateScale,
    TranslateScaleRotate
}

impl Default for TransformOrder {
    fn default() -> Self { Self::ScaleRotateTranslate }
}



// =============================
// === HierarchicalTransform ===
// =============================

pub struct HierarchicalTransform<OnChange> {
    transform        : Transform,
    transform_matrix : Matrix4<f32>,
    origin           : Matrix4<f32>,
    matrix           : Matrix4<f32>,
    pub dirty        : dirty::SharedBool<OnChange>,
    pub logger       : Logger,
}

impl<OnChange> HierarchicalTransform<OnChange> {
    pub fn new(logger:Logger, on_change:OnChange) -> Self {
        let logger_dirty     = logger.sub("dirty");
        let transform        = default();
        let transform_matrix = Matrix4::identity();
        let origin           = Matrix4::identity();
        let matrix           = Matrix4::identity();
        let dirty            = dirty::SharedBool::new(logger_dirty,on_change);
        Self {transform,transform_matrix,origin,matrix,dirty,logger}
    }
}


// === Getters ===

impl<OnChange> HierarchicalTransform<OnChange> {
    pub fn position(&self) -> &Vector3<f32> {
        &self.transform.position
    }

    pub fn rotation(&self) -> &Vector3<f32> {
        &self.transform.rotation
    }

    ...
}


// === Setters ===

impl<OnChange:Callback0> HierarchicalTransform<OnChange> {
    pub fn position_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Vector3<f32> {
        self.dirty.set();
        &mut self.transform.position
    }

    pub fn rotation_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Vector3<f32> {
        self.dirty.set();
        &mut self.transform.rotation
    }

    ...
}
```


### Vertical spacing
We use the following amount of vertical spacing:
- 3 blank lines after imports.
- 3 blank lines before each section.
- 2 blank lines before each sub-section.
- 1 blank line after each section / sub-section.
- 1 blank line before functions / structures / impls.
- 1 blank line at the end of the file.

Please note that vertical spacing overlaps. For example, if there is a section
after imports, the total number of blank lines is 3, not 6.


### Multiline Expressions
Most (preferably all) expressions should be single line. Multiline expressions
are hard to read and introduce noise in the code. Often, it is also an indicator
of code that is not properly refactored. Try to refactor parts of multiline
expressions to well-named variables, and divide them to several single-line
expressions.

Example of poorly formatted code:
```rust
pub fn new() -> Self {
    let shape_dirty = ShapeDirty::new(logger.sub("shape_dirty"),
        on_dirty.clone());
    let dirty_flag = MeshRegistryDirty::new(logger.sub("mesh_registry_dirty"),
        on_dirty);
    Self { dirty_flag, dirty_flag }
}
```
Example of properly formatted code:

```rust
pub fn new() -> Self {
    let sub_logger  = logger.sub("shape_dirty");
    let shape_dirty = ShapeDirty::new(sub_logger,on_dirty.clone());
    let sub_logger  = logger.sub("mesh_registry_dirty");
    let dirty_flag  = MeshRegistryDirty::new(sub_logger,on_dirty);
    Self {shape_dirty,dirty_flag}
}
```


### Vertical alignment

The following elements should be aligned vertically in subsequent lines:
- assignment operators (`=`),
- type operators (`:`),
- match arrows (`=>`), 
- similar parameters or types.

Examples: 
```rust
impl Printer for GlobalVarStorage {
    fn print(&self, builder:&mut Builder) {
        match self {
            Self::ConstStorage      => build!(builder,"const"),
            Self::UniformStorage    => build!(builder,"uniform"),
            Self::InStorage  (qual) => build!(builder,"in" ,qual),
            Self::OutStorage (qual) => build!(builder,"out",qual),
        }
    }
}
```


### Spaces 
- Type operator is not spaced: `fn test(foo:String, bar:Int) { ... }`.
- Commas between complex expressions (including arg list) are spaced.
- Commas between simple elements are not spaced: `Result<Self,Error>`.
- Arguments to functions are not spaced: `build(builder,"out",qual)`.
- Operators are always spaced: `let foo = a + b * c;`.

### Function definitions
The following examples show proper function styles:

```rust
pub fn new<Dom:Str>(dom:Dom, logger:Logger) -> Result<Self,Error> {
    ...
}
```

```rust
pub fn new<Dom:Str>(dom:Dom, logger:Logger) -> Result<Self,Error> {
    ...
}
```

```rust
pub fn new<Dom:Str>
(dom:Dom, logger:Logger, on_dirty:OnDirty) -> Result<Self,Error> {
    ...
}
```

```rust
pub fn new<Dom:Str>
(dom:Dom, logger:Logger, on_dirty:OnDirty, on_remove:OnRemove) 
-> Result<Self,Error> {
    ...
}
```

```rust
pub fn new<Dom:Str>
( dom        : Dom
, logger     : Logger
, on_dirty   : OnDirty
, on_remove  : OnRemove
, on_replace : OnReplace
) -> Result<Self,Error> {
    ...
}
```

Long `where` clauses are formatted this way:

```rust
pub fn new<D,L>(dom:D, logger:L) -> Result<Self,Error> 
where D:AsRef<str>, L:IsLogger {
    ...
}
```

Or, in case they are really long, this way:

```rust
pub fn new<D,L>(dom:D, logger:L) -> Result<Self,Error> 
where D:AsRef<str>
      L:IsLogger 
      ... {
    ...
}
```


### Impl definitions
Sometimes when browsing code it is hard to understand where the header of 
an impl declaration is. Thus, the following style allows to find it easier. 
The `where` block should be placed after a linebreak.
All of the following are correct:

```rust
// No constraints
impl<T> Printer for Option<T> {
    ...
}
```

```rust
// Some constraints
impl<T:Printer> 
Printer for Option<T> {
    ...
}
```

```rust
// Constraints in where block
impl<T> Printer for Option<T> 
where T: Printer {
    ...
}
```

### Getters and Setters
Getters do not have the `get_` prefix, while setters do. If a setter is 
provided (method with the `set_` prefix), a `mut` accessor should be 
provided as well. The correct way of defining getters and setters is 
presented below:

```rust
fn field(&self) -> &Type { 
    &self.field 
}

fn field_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Type { 
    &mut self.field 
}

fn set_field(&mut self, val:Type) {
    *self.field_mut = val;
}
```


### Trait exporting
All names should be designed to be used in a qualified fashion. However, this makes one situation 
tricky. In order to use methods defined in a trait, it has to be in scope. Consider a trait
`display::Object`. We want to use it as function bound like `fn test<T:display::Object>(t:T) {...}`,
and we also want to use methods defined in this trait (so it has to be in scope). In such a case, 
`Clippy` warns that `display::Object` is unnecessary qualification and could be replaced simply by
`Object`, which is not what we want. Thus, in order to export traits, please always rename them
using the following convention:

```rust
/// Common traits.
pub mod traits {
    // Read the Rust Style Guide to learn more about the used naming.
    pub use super::Object    as TRAIT_Object;
    pub use super::ObjectOps as TRAIT_ObjectOps;
}
```

Having such a definition, we can import traits to scope using `use display::object::traits::*`, and
we would not have any warning about unnecessary qualification anymore.