@@ -19,12 +19,19 @@ use crate::slice::{self, SliceIndex};
1919/// as a discriminant -- `Option<NonNull<T>>` has the same size as `*mut T`.
2020/// However the pointer may still dangle if it isn't dereferenced.
2121///
22- /// Unlike `*mut T`, `NonNull<T>` is covariant over `T`. If this is incorrect
23- /// for your use case, you should include some [`PhantomData`] in your type to
24- /// provide invariance, such as `PhantomData<Cell<T>>` or `PhantomData<&'a mut T>`.
25- /// Usually this won't be necessary; covariance is correct for most safe abstractions,
26- /// such as `Box`, `Rc`, `Arc`, `Vec`, and `LinkedList`. This is the case because they
27- /// provide a public API that follows the normal shared XOR mutable rules of Rust.
22+ /// Unlike `*mut T`, `NonNull<T>` was chosen to be covariant over `T`. This makes it
23+ /// possible to use `NonNull<T>` when building covariant types, but introduces the
24+ /// risk of unsoundness if used in a type that shouldn't actually be covariant.
25+ /// (The opposite choice was made for `*mut T` even though technically the unsoundness
26+ /// could only be caused by calling unsafe functions.)
27+ ///
28+ /// Covariance is correct for most safe abstractions, such as `Box`, `Rc`, `Arc`, `Vec`,
29+ /// and `LinkedList`. This is the case because they provide a public API that follows the
30+ /// normal shared XOR mutable rules of Rust.
31+ ///
32+ /// If your type cannot safely be covariant, you must ensure it contains some
33+ /// additional field to provide invariance. Often this field will be a [`PhantomData`]
34+ /// type like `PhantomData<Cell<T>>` or `PhantomData<&'a mut T>`.
2835///
2936/// Notice that `NonNull<T>` has a `From` instance for `&T`. However, this does
3037/// not change the fact that mutating through a (pointer derived from a) shared
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