Const generic type inference works when it should not
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Description
I tried this code:
#![expect(incomplete_features, reason = "generic_const_exprs")]
#![feature(generic_const_exprs)]
pub fn compute_root_only<const N: u64>() -> u64
where
[(); N.ilog2() as usize]:,
{
N
}
#[test]
fn test() {
test_impl::<99>();
}
#[cfg(test)]
fn test_impl<const N: u64>()
where
[(); N.ilog2() as usize]:,
{
// Const generic is inferred, but it shouldn't be!
assert_eq!(compute_root_only(), N);
}
I expected to see this happen:
error[E0284]: type annotations needed
--> src/lib.rs:22:16
|
22 | assert_eq!(compute_root_only(), N);
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ cannot infer the value of the const parameter `N` declared on the function `compute_root_only`
|
note: required by a const generic parameter in `compute_root_only`
--> src/lib.rs:4:26
|
4 | pub fn compute_root_only<const N: u64>() -> u64
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^ required by this const generic parameter in `compute_root_only`
help: consider specifying the generic argument
|
22 | assert_eq!(compute_root_only::<N>(), N);
| +++++
Instead, this happened: It compiles successfully 🤯
The key thing is where bound. If it is simplified to something simpler like this:
where
[(); N]:,
Then I do get expected compiler error.
This is basically a miscompilation, compiler should not pick arbitrary matching where bound from the context of the caller to infer types of the called function unless corresponding constant is used explicitly.
Meta
rustc --version --verbose:
rustc 1.89.0-nightly (cdd545be1 2025-06-07)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: cdd545be1b4f024d38360aa9f000dcb782fbc81b
commit-date: 2025-06-07
host: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
release: 1.89.0-nightly
LLVM version: 20.1.5
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by running the Rust Playground reproduction with rustc 1.89.0-nightly and compare the generic_const_exprs bound using N.ilog2() with the simplified [(); N]: bound. Investigate how the caller's where bound affects const generic inference, then add a regression test showing that compute_root_only() must not infer N implicitly and verify the expected error.
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
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100