Error code E0803
A trait implementation returns a reference without an
explicit lifetime linking it to self.
It commonly arises in generic trait implementations
requiring explicit lifetime bounds.
Erroneous code example:
#![allow(unused)]
fn main() {
trait DataAccess<T> {
fn get_ref(&self) -> T;
}
struct Container<'a> {
value: &'a f64,
}
// Attempting to implement reference return
impl<'a> DataAccess<&f64> for Container<'a> {
fn get_ref(&self) -> &f64 { // Error: Lifetime mismatch
self.value
}
}
}
The trait method returns &f64 requiring an independent lifetime The struct Container<’a> carries lifetime parameter ’a The compiler cannot verify if the returned reference satisfies ’a constraints Solution Explicitly bind lifetimes to clarify constraints:
#![allow(unused)]
fn main() {
// Modified trait with explicit lifetime binding
trait DataAccess<'a, T> {
fn get_ref(&'a self) -> T;
}
struct Container<'a> {
value: &'a f64,
}
// Correct implementation (bound lifetimes)
impl<'a> DataAccess<'a, &'a f64> for Container<'a> {
fn get_ref(&'a self) -> &'a f64 {
self.value
}
}
}