Function std::mem::transmute

fn foo() -> i32 {
    0
}
let pointer = foo as *const ();
let function = unsafe {
    std::mem::transmute::<*const (), fn() -> i32>(pointer)
};
assert_eq!(function(), 0);

struct R<'a>(&'a i32);
unsafe fn extend_lifetime<'b>(r: R<'b>) -> R<'static> {
    std::mem::transmute::<R<'b>, R<'static>>(r)
}

unsafe fn shorten_invariant_lifetime<'b, 'c>(r: &'b mut R<'static>)
                                             -> &'b mut R<'c> {
    std::mem::transmute::<&'b mut R<'static>, &'b mut R<'c>>(r)
}

let raw_bytes = [0x78, 0x56, 0x34, 0x12];

let num = unsafe {
    std::mem::transmute::<[u8; 4], u32>(raw_bytes)
};

// use `u32::from_ne_bytes` instead
let num = u32::from_ne_bytes(raw_bytes);
// or use `u32::from_le_bytes` or `u32::from_be_bytes` to specify the endianness
let num = u32::from_le_bytes(raw_bytes);
assert_eq!(num, 0x12345678);
let num = u32::from_be_bytes(raw_bytes);
assert_eq!(num, 0x78563412);

let ptr = &0;
let ptr_num_transmute = unsafe {
    std::mem::transmute::<&i32, usize>(ptr)
};

// Use an `as` cast instead
let ptr_num_cast = ptr as *const i32 as usize;

let ptr: *mut i32 = &mut 0;
let ref_transmuted = unsafe {
    std::mem::transmute::<*mut i32, &mut i32>(ptr)
};

// Use a reborrow instead
let ref_casted = unsafe { &mut *ptr };

let ptr = &mut 0;
let val_transmuted = unsafe {
    std::mem::transmute::<&mut i32, &mut u32>(ptr)
};

// Now, put together `as` and reborrowing - note the chaining of `as`
// `as` is not transitive
let val_casts = unsafe { &mut *(ptr as *mut i32 as *mut u32) };

// this is not a good way to do this.
let slice = unsafe { std::mem::transmute::<&str, &[u8]>("Rust") };
assert_eq!(slice, &[82, 117, 115, 116]);

// You could use `str::as_bytes`
let slice = "Rust".as_bytes();
assert_eq!(slice, &[82, 117, 115, 116]);

// Or, just use a byte string, if you have control over the string
// literal
assert_eq!(b"Rust", &[82, 117, 115, 116]);

let store = [0, 1, 2, 3];
let v_orig = store.iter().collect::<Vec<&i32>>();

// clone the vector as we will reuse them later
let v_clone = v_orig.clone();

// Using transmute: this relies on the unspecified data layout of `Vec`, which is a
// bad idea and could cause Undefined Behavior.
// However, it is no-copy.
let v_transmuted = unsafe {
    std::mem::transmute::<Vec<&i32>, Vec<Option<&i32>>>(v_clone)
};

let v_clone = v_orig.clone();

// This is the suggested, safe way.
// It does copy the entire vector, though, into a new array.
let v_collected = v_clone.into_iter()
                         .map(Some)
                         .collect::<Vec<Option<&i32>>>();

let v_clone = v_orig.clone();

// This is the proper no-copy, unsafe way of "transmuting" a `Vec`, without relying on the
// data layout. Instead of literally calling `transmute`, we perform a pointer cast, but
// in terms of converting the original inner type (`&i32`) to the new one (`Option<&i32>`),
// this has all the same caveats. Besides the information provided above, also consult the
// [`from_raw_parts`] documentation.
let v_from_raw = unsafe {
    // Ensure the original vector is not dropped.
    let mut v_clone = std::mem::ManuallyDrop::new(v_clone);
    Vec::from_raw_parts(v_clone.as_mut_ptr() as *mut Option<&i32>,
                        v_clone.len(),
                        v_clone.capacity())
};

use std::{slice, mem};

// There are multiple ways to do this, and there are multiple problems
// with the following (transmute) way.
fn split_at_mut_transmute<T>(slice: &mut [T], mid: usize)
                             -> (&mut [T], &mut [T]) {
    let len = slice.len();
    assert!(mid <= len);
    unsafe {
        let slice2 = mem::transmute::<&mut [T], &mut [T]>(slice);
        // first: transmute is not type safe; all it checks is that T and
        // U are of the same size. Second, right here, you have two
        // mutable references pointing to the same memory.
        (&mut slice[0..mid], &mut slice2[mid..len])
    }
}

// This gets rid of the type safety problems; `&mut *` will *only* give
// you an `&mut T` from an `&mut T` or `*mut T`.
fn split_at_mut_casts<T>(slice: &mut [T], mid: usize)
                         -> (&mut [T], &mut [T]) {
    let len = slice.len();
    assert!(mid <= len);
    unsafe {
        let slice2 = &mut *(slice as *mut [T]);
        // however, you still have two mutable references pointing to
        // the same memory.
        (&mut slice[0..mid], &mut slice2[mid..len])
    }
}

// This is how the standard library does it. This is the best method, if
// you need to do something like this
fn split_at_stdlib<T>(slice: &mut [T], mid: usize)
                      -> (&mut [T], &mut [T]) {
    let len = slice.len();
    assert!(mid <= len);
    unsafe {
        let ptr = slice.as_mut_ptr();
        // This now has three mutable references pointing at the same
        // memory. `slice`, the rvalue ret.0, and the rvalue ret.1.
        // `slice` is never used after `let ptr = ...`, and so one can
        // treat it as "dead", and therefore, you only have two real
        // mutable slices.
        (slice::from_raw_parts_mut(ptr, mid),
         slice::from_raw_parts_mut(ptr.add(mid), len - mid))
    }
}