Error code E0507

A borrowed value was moved out.

Erroneous code example:

ⓘ
use std::cell::RefCell;

struct TheDarkKnight;

impl TheDarkKnight {
    fn nothing_is_true(self) {}
}

fn main() {
    let x = RefCell::new(TheDarkKnight);

    x.borrow().nothing_is_true(); // error: cannot move out of borrowed content
}
Run

Here, the nothing_is_true method takes the ownership of self. However, self cannot be moved because .borrow() only provides an &TheDarkKnight, which is a borrow of the content owned by the RefCell. To fix this error, you have three choices:

This can also happen when using a type implementing Fn or FnMut, as neither allows moving out of them (they usually represent closures which can be called more than once). Much of the text following applies equally well to non-FnOnce closure bodies.

Examples:

use std::cell::RefCell;

struct TheDarkKnight;

impl TheDarkKnight {
    fn nothing_is_true(&self) {} // First case, we don't take ownership
}

fn main() {
    let x = RefCell::new(TheDarkKnight);

    x.borrow().nothing_is_true(); // ok!
}
Run

Or:

use std::cell::RefCell;

struct TheDarkKnight;

impl TheDarkKnight {
    fn nothing_is_true(self) {}
}

fn main() {
    let x = RefCell::new(TheDarkKnight);
    let x = x.into_inner(); // we get back ownership

    x.nothing_is_true(); // ok!
}
Run

Or:

use std::cell::RefCell;

#[derive(Clone, Copy)] // we implement the Copy trait
struct TheDarkKnight;

impl TheDarkKnight {
    fn nothing_is_true(self) {}
}

fn main() {
    let x = RefCell::new(TheDarkKnight);

    x.borrow().nothing_is_true(); // ok!
}
Run

Moving a member out of a mutably borrowed struct will also cause E0507 error:

ⓘ
struct TheDarkKnight;

impl TheDarkKnight {
    fn nothing_is_true(self) {}
}

struct Batcave {
    knight: TheDarkKnight
}

fn main() {
    let mut cave = Batcave {
        knight: TheDarkKnight
    };
    let borrowed = &mut cave;

    borrowed.knight.nothing_is_true(); // E0507
}
Run

It is fine only if you put something back. mem::replace can be used for that:

use std::mem;

let mut cave = Batcave {
    knight: TheDarkKnight
};
let borrowed = &mut cave;

mem::replace(&mut borrowed.knight, TheDarkKnight).nothing_is_true(); // ok!
Run

For more information on Rust’s ownership system, take a look at the References & Borrowing section of the Book.

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