# Function std::mem::replace

1.0.0 (const: unstable) · source ·

    pub fn replace<T>(dest: &mut T, src: T) -> T

Expand description

Moves `src` into the referenced `dest`, returning the previous `dest` value.

Neither value is dropped.

- If you want to replace the values of two variables, see `swap`.
- If you want to replace with a default value, see `take`.

## Examples

A simple example:

    use std::mem;

    let mut v: Vec<i32> = vec![1, 2];

    let old_v = mem::replace(&mut v, vec![3, 4, 5]);
    assert_eq!(vec![1, 2], old_v);
    assert_eq!(vec![3, 4, 5], v);

Run

`replace` allows consumption of a struct field by replacing it with another value. Without `replace` you can run into issues like these:

ⓘ

    struct Buffer<T> { buf: Vec<T> }

    impl<T> Buffer<T> {
        fn replace_index(&mut self, i: usize, v: T) -> T {
            // error: cannot move out of dereference of `&mut`-pointer
            let t = self.buf[i];
            self.buf[i] = v;
            t
        }
    }

Run

Note that `T` does not necessarily implement `Clone`, so we can’t even clone `self.buf[i]` to avoid the move. But `replace` can be used to disassociate the original value at that index from `self`, allowing it to be returned:

    use std::mem;

    impl<T> Buffer<T> {
        fn replace_index(&mut self, i: usize, v: T) -> T {
            mem::replace(&mut self.buf[i], v)
        }
    }

    let mut buffer = Buffer { buf: vec![0, 1] };
    assert_eq!(buffer.buf[0], 0);

    assert_eq!(buffer.replace_index(0, 2), 0);
    assert_eq!(buffer.buf[0], 2);

Run