rust-lang / rust-lang/rust

Inconsistent `fn` casting behavior in `if`-`else` branches for tuple and struct

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A-coercions A-type-system C-bug T-compiler
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Rust
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Description

I tried this code:

Version 1 (Compiles successfully):
use std::hint::black_box;
use std::any::type_name_of_val;

fn foo() {}
fn bar() {}

fn main() {
    let x = if black_box(true) { foo } else { bar };
    println!("{}", type_name_of_val(&x)); // observing `fn` items being cast to `fn` pointers, output: `fn()`
}
Version 2 (Fails to compile, tuple)
use std::hint::black_box;
use std::any::type_name_of_val;

fn foo() {}
fn bar() {}

fn main() {
    let x = if black_box(true) { (foo,) } else { (bar,) }; // mismatched types, no casting observed
    println!("{}", type_name_of_val(&x.0));
}
Version 3 (Fails to compile, struct)
use std::any::type_name_of_val;
use std::hint::black_box;

fn foo() {}
fn bar() {}

struct F<T>
where
    T: Fn(),
{
    inner: T,
}

fn main() {
    let x = if black_box(true) {
        F { inner: foo }
    } else {
        F { inner: bar }
    }; // mismatched types, no casting observed
    println!("{}", type_name_of_val(&x.inner));
}

I expected to see this happen:
In all versions, I expected the code to either compile successfully or fail with the same type mismatch error.

Instead, this happened:
Version 1 compiles successfully, while version 2 and version 3 fail with the same error expected fn item, found a different fn item. Explicitly specifying the fn pointer type for x resolves the issue. By the way, the use of impl_trait_in_bindings feature does not affect this behavior.

Meta

rustc --version --verbose:

rustc 1.86.0-nightly (99768c80a 2025-01-23)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: 99768c80a1c094a5cfc3b25a04e7a99de7210eae
commit-date: 2025-01-23
host: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
release: 1.86.0-nightly
LLVM version: 19.1.7

RUST_BACKTRACE=1 doesn't provide additional information for any of the versions.

Version 1 only provides Finished ... and no other information.

Version 2

   Compiling rust-test v0.1.0 (.../rust-test)
error[E0308]: `if` and `else` have incompatible types
 --> src/main.rs:8:50
  |
8 |     let x = if black_box(true) { (foo,) } else { (bar,) }; // mismatched types, no casting observed
  |                                  ------          ^^^^^^ expected `(fn() {foo},)`, found `(fn() {bar},)`
  |                                  |
  |                                  expected because of this
  |
  = note: expected tuple `(fn() {foo},)`
             found tuple `(fn() {bar},)`

For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0308`.
error: could not compile `rust-test` (bin "rust-test") due to 1 previous error

Version 3

   Compiling rust-test v0.1.0 (.../rust-test)
error[E0308]: `if` and `else` have incompatible types
  --> src/main.rs:18:9
   |
15 |       let x = if black_box(true) {
   |  _____________-
16 | |         F { inner: foo }
   | |         ---------------- expected because of this
17 | |     } else {
18 | |         F { inner: bar }
   | |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ expected `F<fn() {foo}>`, found `F<fn() {bar}>`
19 | |     }; // mismatched types, no casting observed
   | |_____- `if` and `else` have incompatible types
   |
   = note: expected struct `F<fn() {foo}>`
              found struct `F<fn() {bar}>`

For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0308`.
error: could not compile `rust-test` (bin "rust-test") due to 1 previous error

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the three main examples with the reported nightly toolchain, comparing the standalone fn case with the tuple and struct cases and reviewing the E0308 diagnostics. Read the function-item coercion and if-else typing behavior before deciding what consistent result is intended; done means the cases follow that rule and their compilation or diagnostics are verified.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
rust
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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