[](https://crates.io/crates/generic-array)
[](https://github.com/fizyk20/generic-array/actions/workflows/CI.yml)
# generic-array
This crate implements a structure that can be used as a generic array type.
**Requires minimum Rust version of 1.65.0
[Documentation on GH Pages](https://fizyk20.github.io/generic-array/generic_array/) may be required to view certain types on foreign crates.
## Usage
Before Rust 1.51, arrays `[T; N]` were problematic in that they couldn't be generic with respect to the length `N`, so this wouldn't work:
```rust
struct Foo<N> {
data: [i32; N],
}
```
Since 1.51, the below syntax is valid:
```rust
struct Foo<const N: usize> {
data: [i32; N],
}
```
However, the const-generics we have as of writing this are still the minimum-viable product (`min_const_generics`), so many situations still result in errors, such as this example:
```rust
trait Bar {
const LEN: usize;
// Error: cannot perform const operation using `Self`
fn bar(&self) -> Foo<{ Self::LEN }>;
}
```
**generic-array** defines a new trait `ArrayLength` and a struct `GenericArray<T, N: ArrayLength>`, which lets the above be implemented as:
```rust
struct Foo<N: ArrayLength> {
data: GenericArray<i32, N>
}
trait Bar {
type LEN: ArrayLength;
fn bar(&self) -> Foo<Self::LEN>;
}
```
The `ArrayLength` trait is implemented for [unsigned integer types](http://fizyk20.github.io/generic-array/typenum/uint/index.html) from [typenum](http://fizyk20.github.io/generic-array/typenum/index.html) crate. For example, `GenericArray<T, U5>` would work almost like `[T; 5]`:
```rust
use generic_array::typenum::U5;
struct Foo<T, N: ArrayLength> {
data: GenericArray<T, N>
}
let foo = Foo::<i32, U5> { data: GenericArray::default() };
```
The `arr!` macro is provided to allow easier creation of literal arrays, as shown below:
```rust
let array = arr![1, 2, 3];
// array: GenericArray<i32, typenum::U3>
assert_eq!(array[2], 3);
```
## Feature flags
```toml
[dependencies.generic-array]
features = [
"more_lengths", # Expands From/Into implementation for more array lengths
"serde", # Serialize/Deserialize implementation
"zeroize", # Zeroize implementation for setting array elements to zero
"const-default", # Compile-time const default value support via trait
"alloc", # Enables From/TryFrom implementations between GenericArray and Vec<T>/Box<[T]>
"faster-hex" # Enables internal use of the `faster-hex` crate for faster hex encoding via SIMD
]
```