fix!: better error message when cannot infer generic numeric type (#7843)

asterite · TomAFrench · web-flow · commit 72ce94beeac6 · 2025-05-21T18:34:52.000Z
Co-authored-by: Tom French &lt;15848336+TomAFrench@users.noreply.github.com&gt;
diff --git a/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/hir_def/types.rs b/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/hir_def/types.rs
@@ -263,7 +263,13 @@ impl Kind {
         match self {
             Kind::IntegerOrField => Some(Type::default_int_or_field_type()),
             Kind::Integer => Some(Type::default_int_type()),
-            Kind::Numeric(typ) => Some(*typ.clone()),
+            Kind::Numeric(_typ) => {
+                // Even though we have a type here, that type cannot be used as
+                // the default type of a numeric generic.
+                // For example, if we have `let N: u32` and we don't know
+                // what `N` is, we can't assume it's `u32`.
+                None
+            }
             Kind::Any | Kind::Normal => None,
         }
     }
diff --git a/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/monomorphization/errors.rs b/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/monomorphization/errors.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ pub enum MonomorphizationError {
         generic_name: String,
         item_kind: &'static str,
         item_name: String,
+        is_numeric: bool,
     },
     InternalError {
         message: &'static str,
@@ -96,10 +97,12 @@ impl From<MonomorphizationError> for CustomDiagnostic {
                 generic_name,
                 item_kind,
                 item_name,
+                is_numeric,
             } => {
                 let message = "Type annotation needed".into();
+                let type_or_value = if *is_numeric { "value" } else { "type" };
                 let secondary = format!(
-                    "Could not determine the type of the generic argument `{generic_name}` declared on the {item_kind} `{item_name}`"
+                    "Could not determine the {type_or_value} of the generic argument `{generic_name}` declared on the {item_kind} `{item_name}`",
                 );
                 return CustomDiagnostic::simple_error(message, secondary, *location);
             }
diff --git a/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/monomorphization/mod.rs b/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/monomorphization/mod.rs
@@ -1387,11 +1387,13 @@ impl<'interner> Monomorphizer<'interner> {
                 for generic in &meta.direct_generics {
                     if generic.type_var.id() == id {
                         let item_name = self.interner.definition_name(ident.id).to_string();
+                        let is_numeric = matches!(generic.type_var.kind(), Kind::Numeric(..));
                         return Err(MonomorphizationError::NoDefaultTypeInItem {
                             location,
                             generic_name: generic.name.to_string(),
                             item_kind: "function",
                             item_name,
+                            is_numeric,
                         });
                     }
                 }
@@ -1403,11 +1405,13 @@ impl<'interner> Monomorphizer<'interner> {
                             let typ = typ.borrow();
                             let item_name = typ.name.to_string();
                             let item_kind = if typ.is_struct() { "struct" } else { "enum" };
+                            let is_numeric = matches!(generic.type_var.kind(), Kind::Numeric(..));
                             return Err(MonomorphizationError::NoDefaultTypeInItem {
                                 location,
                                 generic_name: generic.name.to_string(),
                                 item_kind,
                                 item_name,
+                                is_numeric,
                             });
                         }
                     }
@@ -1430,11 +1434,13 @@ impl<'interner> Monomorphizer<'interner> {
                 let def = def.borrow();
                 for generic in &def.generics {
                     if generic.type_var.id() == id {
+                        let is_numeric = matches!(generic.type_var.kind(), Kind::Numeric(..));
                         return Err(MonomorphizationError::NoDefaultTypeInItem {
                             location,
                             generic_name: generic.name.to_string(),
                             item_kind: "enum",
                             item_name: def.name.to_string(),
+                            is_numeric,
                         });
                     }
                 }
@@ -1459,7 +1465,7 @@ impl<'interner> Monomorphizer<'interner> {
             | HirType::Error
             | HirType::Quoted(_) => Ok(()),
             HirType::Constant(_value, kind) => {
-                if kind.is_error() || kind.default_type().is_none() {
+                if kind.is_error() {
                     Err(MonomorphizationError::UnknownConstant { location })
                 } else {
                     Ok(())
@@ -2479,11 +2485,13 @@ fn check_struct_generic_type(
 
     let def = def.borrow();
     if let Some(generic) = def.generics.get(index) {
+        let is_numeric = matches!(generic.type_var.kind(), Kind::Numeric(..));
         return Err(MonomorphizationError::NoDefaultTypeInItem {
             location,
             generic_name: generic.name.to_string(),
             item_kind: "struct",
             item_name: def.name.to_string(),
+            is_numeric,
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/tests.rs b/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/tests.rs
@@ -4702,3 +4702,31 @@ fn only_one_private_error_when_name_in_types_and_values_namespace_collides() {
     ";
     check_errors!(src);
 }
+
+#[named]
+#[test]
+fn cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic() {
+    let src = r#"
+    struct Foo<let N: u32> {
+        array: [Field; N],
+    }
+
+    impl<let N: u32> Foo<N> {
+        fn new() -> Self {
+            Self { array: [0; N] }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn foo<let N: u32>() -> Foo<N> {
+        Foo::new()
+    }
+
+    fn main() {
+        let _ = foo();
+                ^^^ Type annotation needed
+                ~~~ Could not determine the value of the generic argument `N` declared on the function `foo`
+    }
+    "#;
+    let features = vec![UnstableFeature::Enums];
+    check_monomorphization_error_using_features!(src, &features);
+}
diff --git a/test_programs/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/Nargo.toml b/test_programs/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/Nargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+
+            [package]
+            name = "noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic"
+            type = "bin"
+            authors = [""]
+            
+            [dependencies]
diff --git a/test_programs/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/src/main.nr b/test_programs/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/src/main.nr
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+
+    struct Foo<let N: u32> {
+        array: [Field; N],
+    }
+
+    impl<let N: u32> Foo<N> {
+        fn new() -> Self {
+            Self { array: [0; N] }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn foo<let N: u32>() -> Foo<N> {
+        Foo::new()
+    }
+
+    fn main() {
+        let _ = foo();
+    }
+    
diff --git a/test_programs/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/src_hash.txt b/test_programs/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/src_hash.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+7627233576545093977
diff --git a/test_programs/noir_test_success/ski_calculus/src/main.nr b/test_programs/noir_test_success/ski_calculus/src/main.nr
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ impl<let N: u32> From<Node> for ShowState<N> {
 }
 
 impl<let N: u32> ShowState<N> {
-    pub fn step<let M: u32>(&mut self) -> Option<Id> {
+    pub fn step(&mut self) -> Option<Id> {
         if self.done {
             Option::none()
         } else {
diff --git a/tooling/lsp/src/requests/inlay_hint.rs b/tooling/lsp/src/requests/inlay_hint.rs
@@ -525,10 +525,11 @@ fn push_type_parts(typ: &Type, parts: &mut Vec<InlayHintLabelPart>, files: &File
         }
         Type::TypeVariable(binding) => match &*binding.borrow() {
             TypeBinding::Unbound(_, kind) => match kind {
-                Kind::Any | Kind::Normal => push_type_variable_parts(binding, parts, files),
+                Kind::Any | Kind::Normal | Kind::Numeric(..) => {
+                    push_type_variable_parts(binding, parts, files);
+                }
                 Kind::Integer => push_type_parts(&Type::default_int_type(), parts, files),
                 Kind::IntegerOrField => parts.push(string_part("Field")),
-                Kind::Numeric(typ) => push_type_parts(typ, parts, files),
             },
             _ => {
                 push_type_variable_parts(binding, parts, files);
diff --git a/tooling/nargo_cli/tests/snapshots/compile_failure/cannot_deduce_numeric_generic/execute__tests__stderr.snap b/tooling/nargo_cli/tests/snapshots/compile_failure/cannot_deduce_numeric_generic/execute__tests__stderr.snap
diff --git a/tooling/nargo_cli/tests/snapshots/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/execute__tests__stderr.snap b/tooling/nargo_cli/tests/snapshots/compile_failure/noirc_frontend_tests_cannot_determine_type_of_generic_argument_in_function_call_when_it_is_a_numeric_generic/execute__tests__stderr.snap

Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ impl<let N: u32> From<Node> for ShowState<N> {`
`115`	`115`	`}`
`116`	`116`
`117`	`117`	`impl<let N: u32> ShowState<N> {`
`118`		`- pub fn step<let M: u32>(&mut self) -> Option<Id> {`
	`118`	`+ pub fn step(&mut self) -> Option<Id> {`
`119`	`119`	`if self.done {`
`120`	`120`	`Option::none()`
`121`	`121`	`} else {`