Rust 라이프타임 완벽 가이드: 어노테이션, 생략 규칙, 면접 대비 2026

fn create_dangling() -> &String {
    let s = String::from("hello");
    &s  // ERROR: `s` is dropped at end of function
}

// Option 1: Return owned value
fn create_owned() -> String {
    String::from("hello")
}

// Option 2: Reference data that outlives the function
fn first_word(s: &str) -> &str {
    s.split_whitespace().next().unwrap_or("")
}

// Both inputs and output share the same lifetime 'a
fn longest<'a>(x: &'a str, y: &'a str) -> &'a str {
    if x.len() > y.len() { x } else { y }
}

fn main() {
    let string1 = String::from("long string");
    let result;
    {
        let string2 = String::from("short");
        result = longest(&string1, &string2);
        println!("Longest: {}", result);  // Valid: both strings alive
    }
    // println!("{}", result);  // ERROR: string2 dropped
}

// Output tied only to first parameter's lifetime
fn first_only<'a, 'b>(x: &'a str, _y: &'b str) -> &'a str {
    x
}

fn main() {
    let owned = String::from("owned");
    let result;
    {
        let temporary = String::from("temporary");
        result = first_only(&owned, &temporary);
    }
    // result still valid: only depends on owned
    println!("{}", result);
}

// Rule 1: Each input gets own lifetime
fn takes_two(x: &str, y: &str) {}
// Compiler reads: fn takes_two<'a, 'b>(x: &'a str, y: &'b str) {}

// Rule 2: Single input lifetime propagates to output  
fn first_char(s: &str) -> &str {
    &s[0..1]
}
// Compiler reads: fn first_char<'a>(s: &'a str) -> &'a str

// Rule 3: &self lifetime propagates to output
impl Parser {
    fn peek(&self) -> &Token {
        &self.tokens[self.position]
    }
    // Compiler reads: fn peek<'a>(&'a self) -> &'a Token
}

// ERROR: Can't determine output lifetime
fn ambiguous(x: &str, y: &str) -> &str {
    if x.len() > y.len() { x } else { y }
}

// FIX: Explicit annotation resolves ambiguity
fn unambiguous<'a>(x: &'a str, y: &'a str) -> &'a str {
    if x.len() > y.len() { x } else { y }
}

struct Excerpt<'a> {
    text: &'a str,
}

impl<'a> Excerpt<'a> {
    // new borrows from input, so Excerpt can't outlive the source
    fn new(source: &'a str, start: usize, end: usize) -> Self {
        Excerpt { text: &source[start..end] }
    }
    
    // level() returns owned data, no lifetime in signature
    fn level(&self) -> u32 {
        self.text.len() as u32 / 10
    }
}

fn main() {
    let novel = String::from("Call me Ishmael. Some years ago...");
    let excerpt = Excerpt::new(&novel, 0, 16);
    println!("Excerpt: {}", excerpt.text);
}  // novel dropped, but excerpt already out of scope

struct Comparison<'a, 'b> {
    baseline: &'a str,
    candidate: &'b str,
}

impl<'a, 'b> Comparison<'a, 'b> {
    fn new(baseline: &'a str, candidate: &'b str) -> Self {
        Comparison { baseline, candidate }
    }
    
    fn baseline_only(&self) -> &'a str {
        self.baseline
    }
}

let s: &'static str = "I live forever";

// Constants are implicitly 'static
const CONFIG_VERSION: &str = "2.0.0";

// Thread-safe globals require 'static
static COUNTER: AtomicU64 = AtomicU64::new(0);

use std::thread;

fn spawn_task<T: Send + 'static>(data: T) {
    thread::spawn(move || {
        // data moved into thread, must live independently
        println!("Processing in thread");
    });
}

fn main() {
    let owned = String::from("owned data");
    spawn_task(owned);  // OK: String is 'static (owns its data)
    
    let reference = "borrowed";
    // spawn_task(reference);  // OK: &'static str
}

fn bad_split(text: &str, delimiter: char) -> (&str, &str) {
    let parts: Vec<&str> = text.split(delimiter).collect();
    (parts[0], parts[1])  // OK: parts[i] borrow from text, not from Vec
}

fn truly_bad() -> &str {
    let local = String::from("local");
    &local  // ERROR: local dropped at end of function
}

struct Cache {
    data: String,
    // view: &str,  // ERROR: needs lifetime parameter
}

// Self-referential structs require unsafe or crates like ouroboros
struct CacheWithView<'a> {
    data: String,
    view: Option<&'a str>,  // Can't point to self.data safely
}

trait Processor {
    fn process<'a>(&self, input: &'a str) -> &'a str;
}

struct Prefixer {
    prefix: String,
}

impl Processor for Prefixer {
    // Can't return &format!(...) - would be temporary
    fn process<'a>(&self, input: &'a str) -> &'a str {
        input  // Must return input or part of it
    }
}

use std::fmt::Debug;

// F must be callable with any lifetime 'a
fn apply_to_refs<F>(f: F)
where
    F: for<'a> Fn(&'a str) -> &'a str,
{
    let owned = String::from("test");
    let result = f(&owned);
    println!("{}", result);
}

fn identity(s: &str) -> &str { s }

fn main() {
    apply_to_refs(identity);
}

fn get_str() -> &str {
    "hello"
}

fn longest<'a>(x: &'a str, _y: &str) -> &'a str {
    x
}

struct Config<'a> {
    name: String,
    description: &'a str,
}

trait Formatter {
    fn format(&self, input: &str) -> String;
}

fn get_formatter<'a>() -> Box<dyn Formatter + 'a> {
    // ...
}

fn covariant_example() {
    let s: &'static str = "static";
    let r: &str = s;  // OK: 'static lives longer than any 'a
}

fn invariant_example() {
    let mut vec: Vec<&'static str> = vec!["a"];
    // let s = String::from("local");
    // vec.push(&s);  // ERROR: &s is not &'static str
}