diff --git a/src/doc/rustdoc/src/unstable-features.md b/src/doc/rustdoc/src/unstable-features.md index 8dbd0aa9a9a1..08cceff0e701 100644 --- a/src/doc/rustdoc/src/unstable-features.md +++ b/src/doc/rustdoc/src/unstable-features.md @@ -31,3 +31,48 @@ future. Attempting to use these error numbers on stable will result in the code sample being interpreted as plain text. + +## Linking to items by type + +As designed in [RFC 1946], Rustdoc can parse paths to items when you use them as links. To resolve +these type names, it uses the items currently in-scope, either by declaration or by `use` statement. +For modules, the "active scope" depends on whether the documentation is written outside the module +(as `///` comments on the `mod` statement) or inside the module (at `//!` comments inside the file +or block). For all other items, it uses the enclosing module's scope. + +[RFC 1946]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/1946 + +For example, in the following code: + +```rust +/// Does the thing. +pub fn do_the_thing(_: SomeType) { + println!("Let's do the thing!"); +} + +/// Token you use to [`do_the_thing`]. +pub struct SomeType; +``` + +The link to ``[`do_the_thing`]`` in `SomeType`'s docs will properly link to the page for `fn +do_the_thing`. Note that here, rustdoc will insert the link target for you, but manually writing the +target out also works: + +```rust +pub mod some_module { + /// Token you use to do the thing. + pub struct SomeStruct; +} + +/// Does the thing. Requires one [`SomeStruct`] for the thing to work. +/// +/// [`SomeStruct`]: some_module::SomeStruct +pub fn do_the_thing(_: some_module::SomeStruct) { + println!("Let's do the thing!"); +} +``` + +For more details, check out [the RFC][RFC 1946], and see [the tracking issue][43466] for more +information about what parts of the feature are available. + +[43466]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/43466