From::from to add Error trait, need explanation to understand

To add the trait Error to a value, I've seen this code:

type MyResult<T> = Result<T, Box<dyn Error>>;

fn parse_positive_int(val: &str)-> MyResult<usize> {
    match val.parse() {
        Ok(n) if n > 0 => Ok(n),
        _ => Err(From::from(val)),
    }
}

but I don't understand how "From::from" can actually add the trait std::error::Error to val

Any help would be appreciated :slight_smile:

If you consult the documentation for From, you can find among its implementors

impl From<&'_ str> for Box<dyn Error>

That is, there is a conversion specifically for going from &str to Box<dyn Error>. (There is also one for String to Box<dyn Error>, and some other similar situations.)

The actual type that implements the Error trait is this private type StringError — first the &str is converted to String, and then it is wrapped in StringError. You can't see that type from outside, because it's always hidden behind dyn Error.

2 Likes

Also note that in cases such as this, From::from(val) is more commonly written val.into().

@kpreid Thanks for the explanation and link. I never though to go look at the source code, and yet, there was the answer :slight_smile: I am still learning how to navigate and decipher the doc, this helped alot!

@anon4807959 Indeed, the author of the code I listed also mention the 2 alternatives to the syntax, and one was the .into(). :slight_smile:

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