improve from_raw_parts docs

src/liballoc/string.rs

@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ impl String {
     /// checked:
     ///
     /// * The memory at `ptr` needs to have been previously allocated by the
-    ///   same allocator the standard library uses.
+    ///   same allocator the standard library uses, with a required alignment of exactly 1.
     /// * `length` needs to be less than or equal to `capacity`.
     /// * `capacity` needs to be the correct value.
     ///

src/libcore/ptr/mod.rs

@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@
 //! * A [null] pointer is *never* valid, not even for accesses of [size zero][zst].
 //! * All pointers (except for the null pointer) are valid for all operations of
 //!   [size zero][zst].
+//! * For a pointer to be valid, it is necessary, but not always sufficient, that the pointer
+//!   be *dereferencable*: the memory range of the given size starting at the pointer must all be
+//!   within the bounds of a single allocated object. Note that in Rust,
+//!   every (stack-allocated) variable is considered a separate allocated object.
 //! * All accesses performed by functions in this module are *non-atomic* in the sense
 //!   of [atomic operations] used to synchronize between threads. This means it is
 //!   undefined behavior to perform two concurrent accesses to the same location from different
@@ -221,10 +225,15 @@ pub(crate) struct FatPtr<T> {
     pub(crate) len: usize,
 }
 
-/// Forms a slice from a pointer and a length.
+/// Forms a raw slice from a pointer and a length.
 ///
 /// The `len` argument is the number of **elements**, not the number of bytes.
 ///
+/// This function is safe, but actually using the return value is unsafe.
+/// See the documentation of [`from_raw_parts`] for slice safety requirements.
+///
+/// [`from_raw_parts`]: ../../std/slice/fn.from_raw_parts.html
+///
 /// # Examples
 ///
 /// ```rust
@@ -243,12 +252,16 @@ pub fn slice_from_raw_parts<T>(data: *const T, len: usize) -> *const [T] {
     unsafe { Repr { raw: FatPtr { data, len } }.rust }
 }
 
-/// Performs the same functionality as [`from_raw_parts`], except that a
-/// mutable slice is returned.
+/// Performs the same functionality as [`slice_from_raw_parts`], except that a
+/// raw mutable slice is returned, as opposed to a raw immutable slice.
 ///
-/// See the documentation of [`from_raw_parts`] for more details.
+/// See the documentation of [`slice_from_raw_parts`] for more details.
 ///
-/// [`from_raw_parts`]: ../../std/slice/fn.from_raw_parts.html
+/// This function is safe, but actually using the return value is unsafe.
+/// See the documentation of [`from_raw_parts_mut`] for slice safety requirements.
+///
+/// [`slice_from_raw_parts`]: fn.slice_from_raw_parts.html
+/// [`from_raw_parts_mut`]: ../../std/slice/fn.from_raw_parts_mut.html
 #[inline]
 #[unstable(feature = "slice_from_raw_parts", reason = "recently added", issue = "36925")]
 pub fn slice_from_raw_parts_mut<T>(data: *mut T, len: usize) -> *mut [T] {

src/libcore/slice/mod.rs

@@ -5272,18 +5272,24 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T> TrustedRandomAccess for RChunksExactMut<'a, T> {
 ///
 /// # Safety
 ///
-/// This function is unsafe as there is no guarantee that the given pointer is
-/// valid for `len` elements, nor whether the lifetime inferred is a suitable
-/// lifetime for the returned slice.
+/// Behavior is undefined if any of the following conditions are violated:
 ///
-/// `data` must be non-null and aligned, even for zero-length slices. One
-/// reason for this is that enum layout optimizations may rely on references
-/// (including slices of any length) being aligned and non-null to distinguish
-/// them from other data. You can obtain a pointer that is usable as `data`
-/// for zero-length slices using [`NonNull::dangling()`].
+/// * `data` must be [valid] for reads for `len * mem::size_of::<T>()` many bytes,
+///   and it must be properly aligned. This means in particular:
 ///
-/// The total size of the slice must be no larger than `isize::MAX` **bytes**
-/// in memory. See the safety documentation of [`pointer::offset`].
+///     * The entire memory range of this slice must be contained within a single allocated object!
+///       Slices can never span across multiple allocated objects.
+///     * `data` must be non-null and aligned even for zero-length slices. One
+///       reason for this is that enum layout optimizations may rely on references
+///       (including slices of any length) being aligned and non-null to distinguish
+///       them from other data. You can obtain a pointer that is usable as `data`
+///       for zero-length slices using [`NonNull::dangling()`].
+///
+/// * The memory referenced by the returned slice must not be mutated for the duration
+///   of lifetime `'a`, except inside an `UnsafeCell`.
+///
+/// * The total size `len * mem::size_of::<T>()` of the slice must be no larger than `isize::MAX`.
+///   See the safety documentation of [`pointer::offset`].
 ///
 /// # Caveat
 ///
@@ -5305,35 +5311,53 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T> TrustedRandomAccess for RChunksExactMut<'a, T> {
 /// assert_eq!(slice[0], 42);
 /// ```
 ///
+/// [valid]: ../../std/ptr/index.html#safety
 /// [`NonNull::dangling()`]: ../../std/ptr/struct.NonNull.html#method.dangling
 /// [`pointer::offset`]: ../../std/primitive.pointer.html#method.offset
 #[inline]
 #[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
 pub unsafe fn from_raw_parts<'a, T>(data: *const T, len: usize) -> &'a [T] {
     debug_assert!(is_aligned_and_not_null(data), "attempt to create unaligned or null slice");
     debug_assert!(mem::size_of::<T>().saturating_mul(len) <= isize::MAX as usize,
-                  "attempt to create slice covering half the address space");
+                  "attempt to create slice covering at least half the address space");
     &*ptr::slice_from_raw_parts(data, len)
 }
 
 /// Performs the same functionality as [`from_raw_parts`], except that a
 /// mutable slice is returned.
 ///
-/// This function is unsafe for the same reasons as [`from_raw_parts`], as well
-/// as not being able to provide a non-aliasing guarantee of the returned
-/// mutable slice. `data` must be non-null and aligned even for zero-length
-/// slices as with [`from_raw_parts`]. The total size of the slice must be no
-/// larger than `isize::MAX` **bytes** in memory.
+/// # Safety
+///
+/// Behavior is undefined if any of the following conditions are violated:
+///
+/// * `data` must be [valid] for writes for `len * mem::size_of::<T>()` many bytes,
+///   and it must be properly aligned. This means in particular:
 ///
-/// See the documentation of [`from_raw_parts`] for more details.
+///     * The entire memory range of this slice must be contained within a single allocated object!
+///       Slices can never span across multiple allocated objects.
+///     * `data` must be non-null and aligned even for zero-length slices. One
+///       reason for this is that enum layout optimizations may rely on references
+///       (including slices of any length) being aligned and non-null to distinguish
+///       them from other data. You can obtain a pointer that is usable as `data`
+///       for zero-length slices using [`NonNull::dangling()`].
 ///
+/// * The memory referenced by the returned slice must not be accessed through any other pointer
+///   (not derived from the return value) for the duration of lifetime `'a`.
+///   Both read and write accesses are forbidden.
+///
+/// * The total size `len * mem::size_of::<T>()` of the slice must be no larger than `isize::MAX`.
+///   See the safety documentation of [`pointer::offset`].
+///
+/// [valid]: ../../std/ptr/index.html#safety
+/// [`NonNull::dangling()`]: ../../std/ptr/struct.NonNull.html#method.dangling
+/// [`pointer::offset`]: ../../std/primitive.pointer.html#method.offset
 /// [`from_raw_parts`]: ../../std/slice/fn.from_raw_parts.html
 #[inline]
 #[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
 pub unsafe fn from_raw_parts_mut<'a, T>(data: *mut T, len: usize) -> &'a mut [T] {
     debug_assert!(is_aligned_and_not_null(data), "attempt to create unaligned or null slice");
     debug_assert!(mem::size_of::<T>().saturating_mul(len) <= isize::MAX as usize,
-                  "attempt to create slice covering half the address space");
+                  "attempt to create slice covering at least half the address space");
     &mut *ptr::slice_from_raw_parts_mut(data, len)
 }