---

yaml
---
r: 205188
b: refs/heads/auto
c: b2f486f
h: refs/heads/master
v: v3

Author: Nick Hamann

[refs]

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ refs/tags/release-0.3: b5f0d0f648d9a6153664837026ba1be43d3e2503
 refs/tags/release-0.3.1: 495bae036dfe5ec6ceafd3312b4dca48741e845b
 refs/tags/release-0.4: e828ea2080499553b97dfe33b3f4d472b4562ad7
 refs/tags/release-0.5: 7e3bcfbf21278251ee936ad53e92e9b719702d73
-refs/heads/auto: 857a12a01ed8a9249cea8f48b39a0f8bdfd95cbd
+refs/heads/auto: b2f486feafa99124479d1b5e74c9acc6ed7cc233
 refs/heads/servo: af82457af293e2a842ba6b7759b70288da276167
 refs/tags/release-0.6: b4ebcfa1812664df5e142f0134a5faea3918544c
 refs/tags/0.1: b19db808c2793fe2976759b85a355c3ad8c8b336

branches/auto/src/doc/reference.md

@@ -3510,13 +3510,21 @@ more of the closure traits:
 
 ### Trait objects
 
-Every trait item (see [traits](#traits)) defines a type with the same name as
-the trait. This type is called the _trait object_ of the trait. Trait objects
-permit "late binding" of methods, dispatched using _virtual method tables_
-("vtables"). Whereas most calls to trait methods are "early bound" (statically
-resolved) to specific implementations at compile time, a call to a method on an
-trait objects is only resolved to a vtable entry at compile time. The actual
-implementation for each vtable entry can vary on an object-by-object basis.
+In Rust, a type like `&SomeTrait` or `Box<SomeTrait>` is called a _trait object_.
+Each instance of a trait object includes:
+
+ - a pointer to an instance of a type `T` that implements `SomeTrait`
+ - a _virtual method table_, often just called a _vtable_, which contains, for
+   each method of `SomeTrait` that `T` implements, a pointer to `T`'s
+   implementation (i.e. a function pointer).
+
+The purpose of trait objects is to permit "late binding" of methods. A call to
+a method on a trait object is only resolved to a vtable entry at compile time.
+The actual implementation for each vtable entry can vary on an object-by-object
+basis.
+
+Note that for a trait object to be instantiated, the trait must be
+_object-safe_. Object safety rules are defined in [RFC 255][rfc255].
 
 Given a pointer-typed expression `E` of type `&T` or `Box<T>`, where `T`
 implements trait `R`, casting `E` to the corresponding pointer type `&R` or