Update documentation of #[from] and #[backtrace] attributes

dtolnay · dtolnay · commit de8a1e54d420 · 2024-07-17T12:04:21.000-07:00
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -88,20 +88,18 @@ pub enum DataStoreError {
   }
   ```
 
-- A `From` impl is generated for each variant containing a `#[from]` attribute.
+- A `From` impl is generated for each variant that contains a `#[from]`
+  attribute.
 
-  Note that the variant must not contain any other fields beyond the source
-  error and possibly a backtrace. A backtrace is captured from within the `From`
-  impl if there is a field for it.
+  The variant using `#[from]` must not contain any other fields beyond the
+  source error (and possibly a backtrace &mdash; see below). Usually `#[from]`
+  fields are unnamed, but `#[from]` is allowed on a named field too.
 
   ```rust
   #[derive(Error, Debug)]
   pub enum MyError {
-      Io {
-          #[from]
-          source: io::Error,
-          backtrace: Backtrace,
-      },
+      Io(#[from] io::Error),
+      Glob(#[from] globset::Error),
   }
   ```
 
@@ -125,7 +123,9 @@ pub enum DataStoreError {
   ```
 
 - The Error trait's `provide()` method is implemented to provide whichever field
-  has a type named `Backtrace`, if any, as a `std::backtrace::Backtrace`.
+  has a type named `Backtrace`, if any, as a `std::backtrace::Backtrace`. Using
+  `Backtrace` in errors requires a nightly compiler with Rust version 1.73 or
+  newer.
 
   ```rust
   use std::backtrace::Backtrace;
@@ -140,7 +140,9 @@ pub enum DataStoreError {
 - If a field is both a source (named `source`, or has `#[source]` or `#[from]`
   attribute) *and* is marked `#[backtrace]`, then the Error trait's `provide()`
   method is forwarded to the source's `provide` so that both layers of the error
-  share the same backtrace.
+  share the same backtrace. The `#[backtrace]` attribute requires a nightly
+  compiler with Rust version 1.73 or newer.
+
 
   ```rust
   #[derive(Error, Debug)]
@@ -152,6 +154,20 @@ pub enum DataStoreError {
   }
   ```
 
+- For variants that use `#[from]` and also contain a `Backtrace` field, a
+  backtrace is captured from within the `From` impl.
+
+  ```rust
+  #[derive(Error, Debug)]
+  pub enum MyError {
+      Io {
+          #[from]
+          source: io::Error,
+          backtrace: Backtrace,
+      },
+  }
+  ```
+
 - Errors may use `error(transparent)` to forward the source and Display methods
   straight through to an underlying error without adding an additional message.
   This would be appropriate for enums that need an "anything else" variant.
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
@@ -98,24 +98,36 @@
 //!   }
 //!   ```
 //!
-//! - A `From` impl is generated for each variant containing a `#[from]`
+//! - A `From` impl is generated for each variant that contains a `#[from]`
 //!   attribute.
 //!
-//!   Note that the variant must not contain any other fields beyond the source
-//!   error and possibly a backtrace. A backtrace is captured from within the
-//!   `From` impl if there is a field for it.
+//!   The variant using `#[from]` must not contain any other fields beyond the
+//!   source error (and possibly a backtrace &mdash; see below). Usually
+//!   `#[from]` fields are unnamed, but `#[from]` is allowed on a named field
+//!   too.
 //!
 //!   ```rust
-//!   # const IGNORE: &str = stringify! {
+//!   # use core::fmt::{self, Display};
+//!   # use std::io;
+//!   # use thiserror::Error;
+//!   #
+//!   # mod globset {
+//!   #     #[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
+//!   #     #[error("...")]
+//!   #     pub struct Error;
+//!   # }
+//!   #
 //!   #[derive(Error, Debug)]
 //!   pub enum MyError {
-//!       Io {
-//!           #[from]
-//!           source: io::Error,
-//!           backtrace: Backtrace,
-//!       },
+//!       Io(#[from] io::Error),
+//!       Glob(#[from] globset::Error),
 //!   }
-//!   # };
+//!   #
+//!   # impl Display for MyError {
+//!   #     fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+//!   #         unimplemented!()
+//!   #     }
+//!   # }
 //!   ```
 //!
 //! - The Error trait's `source()` method is implemented to return whichever
@@ -148,7 +160,8 @@
 //!
 //! - The Error trait's `provide()` method is implemented to provide whichever
 //!   field has a type named `Backtrace`, if any, as a
-//!   `std::backtrace::Backtrace`.
+//!   `std::backtrace::Backtrace`. Using `Backtrace` in errors requires a
+//!   nightly compiler with Rust version 1.73 or newer.
 //!
 //!   ```rust
 //!   # const IGNORE: &str = stringify! {
@@ -165,7 +178,8 @@
 //! - If a field is both a source (named `source`, or has `#[source]` or
 //!   `#[from]` attribute) *and* is marked `#[backtrace]`, then the Error
 //!   trait's `provide()` method is forwarded to the source's `provide` so that
-//!   both layers of the error share the same backtrace.
+//!   both layers of the error share the same backtrace. The `#[backtrace]`
+//!   attribute requires a nightly compiler with Rust version 1.73 or newer.
 //!
 //!   ```rust
 //!   # const IGNORE: &str = stringify! {
@@ -179,6 +193,22 @@
 //!   # };
 //!   ```
 //!
+//! - For variants that use `#[from]` and also contain a `Backtrace` field, a
+//!   backtrace is captured from within the `From` impl.
+//!
+//!   ```rust
+//!   # const IGNORE: &str = stringify! {
+//!   #[derive(Error, Debug)]
+//!   pub enum MyError {
+//!       Io {
+//!           #[from]
+//!           source: io::Error,
+//!           backtrace: Backtrace,
+//!       },
+//!   }
+//!   # };
+//!   ```
+//!
 //! - Errors may use `error(transparent)` to forward the source and Display
 //!   methods straight through to an underlying error without adding an
 //!   additional message. This would be appropriate for enums that need an
