@@ -54,16 +54,33 @@ const MAX_REFCOUNT: usize = (isize::MAX) as usize;
5454/// exception. If you need to mutate through an `Arc`, use [`Mutex`][mutex],
5555/// [`RwLock`][rwlock], or one of the [`Atomic`][atomic] types.
5656///
57- /// `Arc` uses atomic operations for reference counting, so `Arc`s can be
58- /// sent between threads. In other words, `Arc<T>` implements [`Send`]
59- /// as long as `T` implements [`Send`] and [`Sync`][sync]. The disadvantage is
60- /// that atomic operations are more expensive than ordinary memory accesses.
61- /// If you are not sharing reference-counted values between threads, consider
62- /// using [`rc::Rc`][`Rc`] for lower overhead. [`Rc`] is a safe default, because
63- /// the compiler will catch any attempt to send an [`Rc`] between threads.
64- /// However, a library might choose `Arc` in order to give library consumers
57+ /// ## Thread Safety
58+ ///
59+ /// Unlike [`Rc<T>`], `Arc<T>` uses atomic operations for its reference
60+ /// counting This means that it is thread-safe. The disadvantage is that
61+ /// atomic operations are more expensive than ordinary memory accesses. If you
62+ /// are not sharing reference-counted values between threads, consider using
63+ /// [`Rc<T>`] for lower overhead. [`Rc<T>`] is a safe default, because the
64+ /// compiler will catch any attempt to send an [`Rc<T>`] between threads.
65+ /// However, a library might choose `Arc<T>` in order to give library consumers
6566/// more flexibility.
6667///
68+ /// `Arc<T>` will implement [`Send`] and [`Sync`] as long as the `T` implements
69+ /// [`Send`] and [`Sync`]. Why can't you put a non-thread-safe type `T` in an
70+ /// `Arc<T>` to make it thread-safe? This may be a bit counter-intuitive at
71+ /// first: after all, isn't the point of `Arc<T>` thread safety? The key is
72+ /// this: `Arc<T>` makes it thread safe to have multiple ownership of the same
73+ /// data, but it doesn't add thread safety to its data. Consider
74+ /// `Arc<RefCell<T>>`. `RefCell<T>` isn't [`Sync`], and if `Arc<T>` was always
75+ /// [`Send`], `Arc<RefCell<T>>` would be as well. But then we'd have a problem:
76+ /// `RefCell<T>` is not thread safe; it keeps track of the borrowing count using
77+ /// non-atomic operations.
78+ ///
79+ /// In the end, this means that you may need to pair `Arc<T>` with some sort of
80+ /// `std::sync` type, usually `Mutex<T>`.
81+ ///
82+ /// ## Breaking cycles with `Weak`
83+ ///
6784/// The [`downgrade`][downgrade] method can be used to create a non-owning
6885/// [`Weak`][weak] pointer. A [`Weak`][weak] pointer can be [`upgrade`][upgrade]d
6986/// to an `Arc`, but this will return [`None`] if the value has already been
@@ -74,6 +91,8 @@ const MAX_REFCOUNT: usize = (isize::MAX) as usize;
7491/// strong `Arc` pointers from parent nodes to children, and [`Weak`][weak]
7592/// pointers from children back to their parents.
7693///
94+ /// ## `Deref` behavior
95+ ///
7796/// `Arc<T>` automatically dereferences to `T` (via the [`Deref`][deref] trait),
7897/// so you can call `T`'s methods on a value of type `Arc<T>`. To avoid name
7998/// clashes with `T`'s methods, the methods of `Arc<T>` itself are [associated
@@ -91,13 +110,13 @@ const MAX_REFCOUNT: usize = (isize::MAX) as usize;
91110///
92111/// [arc]: struct.Arc.html
93112/// [weak]: struct.Weak.html
94- /// [`Rc`]: ../../std/rc/struct.Rc.html
113+ /// [`Rc<T> `]: ../../std/rc/struct.Rc.html
95114/// [clone]: ../../std/clone/trait.Clone.html#tymethod.clone
96115/// [mutex]: ../../std/sync/struct.Mutex.html
97116/// [rwlock]: ../../std/sync/struct.RwLock.html
98117/// [atomic]: ../../std/sync/atomic/index.html
99118/// [`Send`]: ../../std/marker/trait.Send.html
100- /// [sync ]: ../../std/marker/trait.Sync.html
119+ /// [`Sync` ]: ../../std/marker/trait.Sync.html
101120/// [deref]: ../../std/ops/trait.Deref.html
102121/// [downgrade]: struct.Arc.html#method.downgrade
103122/// [upgrade]: struct.Weak.html#method.upgrade
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