# Iris proof style **Warning:** this document is still in development and rather incomplete. If you run across a question of style (for example, something comes up in an MR) and it's not on this list, please do reach out to us on Mattermost so we can add it. ## Basic syntax ### Binders **Good:** `(a : B)` **Bad:** `(a:B)`, `(a: B)` **TODO**: Prefer `(a : B)` to `a : B` This applies to Context, Implicit Types, and definitions ### Patterns #### Disjunctions & branches Always mark the disjuncts when destructuring a disjunctive pattern, even if you don't bind anything, to indicate that the proof branches **Good:** ```coq Lemma foo : ∀ b : bool, b = true ∨ b = false. Proof. intros [|]. ... ``` **Bad:** ```coq Lemma foo : ∀ b : bool, b = true ∨ b = false. Proof. intros []. ... ``` #### Uncategorized **TODO:** Use `"[H1 H2]"` when possible otherwise do `"(H1 & H2 & H3)"` ### Unicode Always use Unicode variants of forall, exists, ->, <=, >= **Good:** `∀ ∃ → ≤ ≥` **Bad:** `forall exists -> <= >=` ### Equivalent vernacular commands Use `Context`, never `Variable` **TODO:** Use `Implicit Types`, never `Implicit Type` Use `Lemma`, not `Theorem` (or the other variants: `Fact`, `Corollary`, `Remark`) **TODO:** Always add `Global` or `Local` to `Hint`, `Arguments`, and `Instance`. ### Ltac We prefer `first [ t1 | fail 1 "..." ]` to `t1 || fail "..."` because the latter will fail if `t1` doesn't make progress. See https://gitlab.mpi-sws.org/iris/iris/-/issues/216. Note that `first [ t1 | fail "..."]` is simply incorrect; the failure message will never show up and will be replaced with a generic failure. ### Coqdoc comments Module-level comments (covering the entire file) go at the top of the file, before the `Require`. ### Uncategorized Indent the body of a match by one space: **Good:** ```coq match foo with | Some x => long line here using x ``` *RJ*: This is odd, usually everything is in (multiples of) 2 spaces, I think. *Tej*: https://gitlab.mpi-sws.org/iris/iris/-/blob/920bc3d97b8830139045e1780f2aff4d05b910cd/iris_heap_lang/proofmode.v#L194 Avoid using the extra square brackets around an Ltac match: **Good:** ```coq match goal with | |- ?g => idtac g end ``` **Bad:** ```coq match goal with | [ |- ?g ] => idtac g end ``` Use coqdoc syntax in comments for Coq identifiers and inline code, e.g. `[cmraT]` Put proofs either all on one line (`Proof. reflexivity. Qed.`) or split up the usual way with indentation. **Bad:** ```coq Lemma foo : 2 + 2 = 4 ∧ 1 + 2 = 3. Proof. split. - reflexivity. - done. Qed. ``` Put the entire theorem statement on one line or one premise per line, indented by 2 spaces. **Bad:** ```coq Lemma foo x y z : x < y → y < z → x < z. ``` **Good:** ```coq Lemma foo x y z : x < y → y < z → x < z. ``` **Good:** (particularly if premises are longer) ```coq Lemma foo x y z : x < y → y < z → x < z. ``` If the parameters before the `:` become too long, indent later lines by 4 spaces and always have a newline after `:`: **Bad:** ```coq Lemma foo (very_long_name : has_a_very_long_type) (even_longer_name : has_an_even_longer_type) : x < y → y < z → x < z. ``` **Good:** ```coq Lemma foo (very_long_name : has_a_very_long_type) (even_longer_name : has_an_even_longer_type) : x < y → y < z → x < z. ``` For definitions that don't fit into one line, put `:=` before the linebreak, not after. **Bad:** ```coq Definition foo (arg1 arg2 arg3 : name_of_the_type) := the body that is very long. ``` **Good:** ```coq Definition foo (arg1 arg2 arg3 : name_of_the_type) := the body that is very long. ``` For tests with output put `Check "theorem name in a string"` before it so that the output from different tests is separated. For long `t1; t2; t3` and `t; [t1 | t2 | t3]` split them like this, and indent by 2 spaces: **Good:** ```coq t; [t1 |t2 |t3]. ``` ```coq t; t1; t2. ``` **TODO:** Keep all `Require`, `Import` and `Export` at the top of the file. ## File organization theories/algebra is for primitive ofe/RA/CMRA constructions theories/algebra/lib is for derived constructions theories/base_logic/lib is for constructions in the base logic (using own) ## Naming * `*_ctx` for persistent facts (often an invariant) needed by everything in a library * `*_interp` for a function from some representation to iProp * If you have lemma `foo` which is an iff and you want single direction versions, name them `foo_1` (forward) and `foo_2` (backward) * If you have a lemma `foo` parametrized by an equivalence relation, you might want a version specialized to Leibniz equality for better rewrite support; name that version `foo_L` and state it with plain equality (e.g., `dom_empty_L` in stdpp). You might take an assumption `LeibnizEquiv A` if the original version took an equivalence (say the OFE equivalence) to assume that the provided equivalence is plain equality. * Lower-case theorem names, lower-case types, upper-case constructors * **TODO:** how should `f (g x) = f' (g' x)` be named? * `list_lookup_insert` is named by context (the type involved), then the two functions outside-in on the left-hand-side, so it has the type `lookup (insert …) = …` where the `insert` is on a list. Notations mean it doesn’t actually look like this and the insert is textually first. * Injectivity theorems are instances of `Inj` and then are used with `inj` * Suffixes `_l` and `_r` when we have binary `op x y` and a theorem related to the left or right. For example, `sep_mono_l` says bi_sep is monotonic in its left argument (holding the right constant). * Suffix `'` (prime) is used when `foo'` is a corollary of `foo`. Try to avoid these since the name doesn't convey how `foo'` is related to `foo`. * Given a polymorphic function/relation `f` (e.g., `eq`, `equiv`, `subseteq`), the instance of type `A` is called `A_f_instance`, and we add a lemma `A_f` that characterizes the instance. In case of many instances, this lemma is proved by unfolding the definition of the instance, e.g., `frac_op`, `frac_valid`. However, in some cases, e.g., `list_eq`, `map_eq`, `set_eq` this lemma might require non-trivial proof work. * For lemmas involving modalities, we usually follow this naming scheme: ``` M1_into_M2: M1 P ⊢ M2 P M1_M2_elim: M1 (M2 P) ⊣⊢ M1 P M1_elim_M2: M1 (M2 P) ⊣⊢ M2 P M1_M2: M1 (M2 P) ⊣⊢ M2 (M1 P) ``` * Monotonicity lemmas where the relation can be ambiguous are called `<f>_<relation>_mono`, e.g. `Some_included_mono`. ### Naming algebra libraries **TODO:** describe any conclusions we came to with the `mono_nat` library ## Parameter order and implicitness for lemmas * Parameter order is usually from more higher-order to less higher-order (types, functions, plain values), and otherwise follows the order in which variables appear in the lemma statement. * In new lemmas, arguments should be marked as implicit when they can be inferred by unification in all intended usage scenarios. (If an argument can *sometimes* be inferred, we do not have a clear guideline yet -- consider on a case-by-case basis, for now.) ## Lemma statements ### Iris lemmas: `-∗` vs `⊢` * For low-level lemmas, in particular if there is a high likelyhood someone would want to rewrite with it / use them in non-proofmode goals (e.g. modality intro rules), use `⊢` * `P ⊢ |==£> P` * `(|==£> |==£> P) ⊢ |==£> P` * `▷ own γ a ⊢ ◇ ∃ b, own γ b ∧ ▷ (a ≡ b)` * `(P -∗ Q) i ⊢ (P i -∗ Q i)` * If a lemma is a Coq implication of Iris entailments (where the entailments are visible, not hidden behind e.g. `Persistent`), then use `⊢` * `(P1 ⊢ P2) → recv l P1 ⊢ recv l P2` * Else use -∗ * `a1 ⋅ a2 ~~> a' → own γ a1 -∗ own γ a2 ==∗ own γ a'` (curried and hence not rewrite-friendly) ## Metavariables **TODO:** move these to the right place * `P` `Q` for bi:PROP (or specifically `iProp Σ`) * `Φ` and `Ψ` for (?A -> iProp), like postconditions * `φ` and `ψ` for `Prop` * `A` `B` for types, ofeT, or cmraT Suffixes like O, R, UR (already documented)