RFC: Cargo feature deprecation

text/3486-feature-deprecation.md

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+- Feature Name: feature-deprecation
+- Start Date: 2023-09-09
+- RFC PR: [rust-lang/rfcs#3486](https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3486)
+- Rust Issue:
+  [rust-lang/rust#0000](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/0000)
+
+# Summary
+
+[summary]: #summary
+
+This RFC describes a new key under `features` in `Cargo.toml` to indicate that a
+feature is deprecated.
+
+Please see the parent meta RFC for background information: [`feature-metadata`].
+
+# Motivation
+
+[motivation]: #motivation
+
+Cargo features are widely used and typically have lifecycles the same as other
+API components. There is not currently a way to indicate that a feature is
+intended for removal and warn about it: This RFC proposes a `deprecated` key
+that shows this information.
+
+# Guide-level explanation
+
+[guide-level-explanation]: #guide-level-explanation
+
+A new `deprecated` key will be allowed for features, defaulting to `false` if
+not specified. If specified, the value can be either a boolean, a string, or an
+object with `since` and/or `note` keys. Cargo will warn downstream crates using
+this feature.
+
+```toml
+[features]
+foo = { enables = [], deprecated = true }
+foo = { enables = [], deprecated = "this works as a note" }
+bar = { enables = [], deprecated = { since = "1.2.3", note = "don't use this!" } }
+```
+
+See [`feature-metadata`] for information about `enables`.
+
+# Reference-level explanation
+
+[reference-level-explanation]: #reference-level-explanation
+
+`deprecated` should be thought of as the equivalent of the [`deprecated`]
+attribute in Rust source. The value can be a boolean, string, or an object with
+`since` or `note` keys. Schema rules are as follows:
+
+- If a boolean value, `false` indicates not deprecated and `true` indicates
+  deprecated
+- If an object, the keys `since` and/or `note` can be specified
+  - An empty object is not allowed to avoid ambiguity `foo = { deprecated = {} }`
+- If a string (e.g. `foo = { deprecated = "my msg" }`), it will be equivalent to if that
+  string was specified in the `note` field (e.g. `foo = { deprecated = { note = "my msg" } }`)
+- If not specified, the default is `false`
+
+If a downstream crate attempts to use a feature marked `deprecated`, Cargo
+should produce a warning that contains the `note`. This warning should not be
+emitted for crates that reexport the feature under a feature also marked
+deprecated. For example: crate `foo` exports feature `phooey`, and crate `bar`
+exports feature `barred = ["foo/phooey"]`. If `foo` markes `phooey` as deprecated,
+running any cargo action on `bar` will emit a warning unless `barred` is also
+marked `deprecated`.
+
+Accessing this information will require access to the manifest as it will not be
+in the index.
+
+## A note on `since`
+
+The exact behavior of the `since` key is not provided in this RFC as there are
+decisions related to resolution that need to be made. The generally accepted
+concept is that there should be a warning if a deprecated feature is used _and_
+there is something actionable to resolve this issue for all downstream crates -
+but the details of how best to do this are not yet clear. Please see
+[discussion on since].
+
+If the exact behavior of `since` does not reach consensus before `deprecated` is
+nearing stabilization, this key can stabilized separately or dropped entirely.
+
+## Index changes
+
+[index changes]: #index-changes
+
+The infromation provided by `deprecated` needs to be stored in the index, and
+will be stored under a `features3` key. Older versions of Cargo will ignore this
+key, newer Cargo would be able to merge `features`, `features2`, and
+`features3`. `features3` should mirror the most complete syntax of the relevant
+keys from the `[features]` table, i.e.:
+
+```json5
+"features3": {
+    "bar": {
+        deprecated = { since = "1.2.3", note = "don't use this" }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+In order to conserve index space, default keys should be omitted. `Cargo` should
+ignore unrecognized keys within a feature, to allow for future additions without
+needing a new `features` section.
+
+# Drawbacks
+
+[drawbacks]: #drawbacks
+
+- Added complexity to Cargo. Parsing is trivial, but exact implementation
+  details do add test surface area
+
+# Rationale and alternatives
+
+[rationale-and-alternatives]: #rationale-and-alternatives
+
+WIP
+
+# Prior art
+
+[prior-art]: #prior-art
+
+WIP
+
+# Unresolved questions
+
+[unresolved-questions]: #unresolved-questions
+
+- How should `since` work with the `deprecated` key? See
+  [a note on `since`](#a-note-on-since) for further information.
+
+# Future possibilities
+
+[future-possibilities]: #future-possibilities
+
+- Somehow inform users if they are using to-be-deprecated features, i.e.,
+  deprecated `since` is set but is later than the current dependancy version.
+- Via the `manifest-lint` RFC, a user could specify that deprecated crates
+  should be denied. This would, however, be blocked by [cargo #12335].
+- A `stable` field can be set false to indicate API-unstable or nightly-only
+  features (something such as `stable = 3.2` could be used to indicate when a
+  feature was stabilized). See also:
+  <https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/10882>
+- A `rust-version` field that could indicate e.g. `rust-version = "nightly"` or
+  `rust-version = "1.65"` to specify a MSRV for that feature. See:
+  <https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3416#discussion_r1174478461>
+- `cargo add` can show the `deprecated` summary with the listed features.
+- `deprecated` could take a `suggestion` key that indicates features have moved
+  to a different name (as with the [`deprecated-suggestions`] feature)
+
+[cargo #12335]: https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/12235
+[cargo #10882]: https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/10882
+[`cargo-info`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/948
+[`deprecated`]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/attributes/diagnostics.html#the-deprecated-attribute
+[`deprecated-suggestions`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/94785
+[discussion on since]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3416#discussion_r1172895497
+[`public_private_dependencies`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rfcs/1977-public-private-dependencies.html
+[`rustdoc-cargo-configuration`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3421
+[`tokio`]: https://docs.rs/crate/tokio/latest/features
+[visibility attribute]: https://ant.apache.org/ivy/history/latest-milestone/ivyfile/conf.html
+[`feature-metadata`]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3416