Proposal: Non-boxing default-interface methods

proposals/non-boxing-default-interface-methods.md

@@ -0,0 +1,310 @@
+# Non-boxing default-interface methods
+
+Champion issue: <https://github.com/dotnet/csharplang/issues/9969>
+
+## Summary
+
+Introduce a syntax for declaring default interface methods that avoid boxing when implemented by value types. This is achieved by using a `this` modifier on interface members, which provides an implicit receiver typed as the implementing type, enabling non-boxing invocation on structs.
+
+## Motivation
+
+When default interface methods were added to C#, the type of `this` in such methods is the interface type itself. While this is not problematic for classes, for structs it implies boxing. This has implications not just for performance, but also for semantics, as modifications to the struct within the method affect the boxed copy rather than the original value.
+
+Consider the following interface with a default method:
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    void Increment() => Count++;
+}
+```
+
+When a struct implements this interface and the default method is called, the struct is boxed:
+
+```csharp
+struct Counter : ICounter
+{
+    public int Count { get; set; }
+    // Uses default Increment() implementation
+}
+
+var c = new Counter();
+((ICounter)c).Increment(); // Boxes 'c', increments the boxed copy
+Console.WriteLine(c.Count); // Still 0, not 1
+```
+
+This behavior is both unexpected and can cause subtle bugs. It would be beneficial to have a way to define default interface methods that work with the actual struct type rather than a boxed interface reference.
+
+## Detailed design
+
+### Syntax
+
+A new `this` modifier is introduced for interface members. When applied to a method, property, or indexer, it indicates that the member has an implicit receiver typed as the implementing type (rather than the interface type):
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    this void Increment() => Count++;
+}
+```
+
+The `this` modifier:
+- Provides an implicit receiver typed as the implementing type within the method body
+- Takes the place of `virtual`/`abstract` modifiers
+- Whether the member is abstract or has a default implementation is inferred based on whether a body is provided
+
+### Grammar changes
+
+The grammar for interface members is extended to allow the `this` modifier:
+
+```diff
+ interface_method_declaration
+-    : attributes? 'new'? ('abstract' | 'virtual' | 'sealed')? return_type identifier type_parameter_list? '(' formal_parameter_list? ')' type_parameter_constraints_clause* ';'
++    : attributes? 'new'? ('abstract' | 'virtual' | 'sealed' | 'this')? return_type identifier type_parameter_list? '(' formal_parameter_list? ')' type_parameter_constraints_clause* (';' | method_body)
+     ;
+```
+
+### Semantic rules
+
+When `this` is applied to an interface member:
+
+1. Within the member body, `this` has the type of the implementing type (not the interface type)
+2. The receiver is an anonymous type parameter constrained to the containing interface, passed by reference
+   - For structs, this avoids boxing
+   - For classes, the caller passes a reference to a temporary local copy of the reference variable (to avoid mutating the caller's variable if the method reassigns `this`)
+3. The member is lowered to a static virtual method with an anonymous type parameter and a by-ref receiver parameter
+4. Implementations can override this member using explicit interface implementation
+
+### Lowering
+
+The `this` modifier is lowered to a static virtual method with an anonymous type parameter constrained to the containing interface, and a by-ref receiver parameter. However, the member is **treated as an instance method on the containing interface** for lookup and invocation purposes. This means:
+
+- The method can be invoked using instance method syntax on values of the implementing type
+- The receiver is an anonymous type parameter constrained to the containing interface, passed by reference
+  - For structs, this avoids boxing
+  - For classes, the caller passes a reference to a temporary local copy of the reference variable (to avoid mutating the caller's variable if the method reassigns `this`)
+- Method resolution treats these members as instance methods, even though the underlying implementation uses static virtual methods
+
+#### Source code
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    this void Increment() => Count++;
+}
+
+struct Counter : ICounter
+{
+    public int Count { get; set; }
+    // Uses default Increment() implementation
+}
+```
+
+#### Lowered equivalent
+
+The compiler transforms the above into a static virtual method with an anonymous type parameter constrained to the containing interface and a by-ref receiver parameter:
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    static virtual void Increment<TSelf>(ref TSelf @this) where TSelf : ICounter => @this.Count++;
+}
+
+struct Counter : ICounter
+{
+    public int Count { get; set; }
+    // Uses default Increment() implementation
+}
+```
+
+The key insight is that the `this` modifier provides a simple syntax that lowers to static virtual methods with an anonymous type parameter and a by-ref receiver parameter. The compiler generates these automatically.
+
+### Usage
+
+With this feature, users can write:
+
+```csharp
+var c = new Counter();
+c.Increment();
+Console.WriteLine(c.Count); // Outputs: 1
+```
+
+The call to `c.Increment()` is resolved by the compiler as if `Increment` were an instance method on the interface. The compiler generates a call to the static virtual method, passing the receiver by reference. No boxing occurs because the struct is never converted to the interface type.
+
+### Signature collision rules
+
+Because `this` members are treated as instance methods on the interface, signature collision rules apply. A `this` member with the same name and parameter types as an instance method is an error:
+
+```csharp
+interface IExample
+{
+    void Foo();       // Instance method with signature Foo()
+    this void Foo();  // Error: collision with Foo()
+}
+```
+
+Members with different parameters are allowed:
+
+```csharp
+interface IExample
+{
+    void Bar();            // Instance method Bar()
+    this void Bar(int value); // OK: signature is Bar(int)
+}
+```
+
+This rule ensures that method resolution is unambiguous when invoking members on implementing types.
+
+### Properties and indexers
+
+The `this` modifier can also be applied to properties and indexers:
+
+```csharp
+interface IHasValue
+{
+    this int Value { get; }
+}
+
+// Lowered equivalent:
+interface IHasValue
+{
+    static virtual int get_Value<TSelf>(ref TSelf @this) where TSelf : IHasValue;
+}
+```
+
+### Implementation in structs
+
+When a struct implements an interface with `this` members, the default implementation is used automatically. Custom implementations can be provided using explicit interface implementation with the lowered static virtual method signature:
+
+```csharp
+struct Counter : ICounter
+{
+    public int Count { get; set; }
+
+    // Custom implementation of the this member
+    static void ICounter.Increment<TSelf>(ref TSelf @this) => @this.Count += 2; // Custom increment
+}
+```
+
+### Default implementations
+
+If a `this` member has a body, that body serves as the default implementation:
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    // Has default implementation
+    this void Increment() => Count++;
+
+    // Can call other 'this' members
+    this void IncrementBy(int amount)
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < amount; i++)
+        {
+            Increment(); // Calls this.Increment()
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+Within the body of a `this` member, the `this` keyword refers to the implementing type, not the interface type. The compiler handles the type parameter in the lowering.
+
+## Drawbacks
+
+### Complexity
+
+- Introduces a new `this` modifier that may be confusing to developers unfamiliar with the feature
+- The compiler must treat these members as instance methods for resolution purposes while emitting static virtual methods with anonymous type parameters, adding implementation complexity
+- Developers must understand the difference between regular default interface methods and `this` members
+
+### Breaking changes
+
+- None anticipated, as this is purely additive syntax
+
+### Interop concerns
+
+- The lowered form uses existing CLR features (static virtual methods), so runtime support should not be an issue
+- Languages that don't understand the `this` semantic treatment may see these as regular static virtual methods and require explicit static invocation syntax
+
+## Alternatives
+
+### Manual static virtual + extension pattern
+
+Developers can already achieve this behavior manually using static virtual methods and [C# 14 extension members](csharp-14.0/extensions.md):
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    static virtual void Increment<TSelf>(ref TSelf @this) where TSelf : ICounter => @this.Count++;
+}
+
+static class ICounterExt
+{
+    extension<T>(ref T @this) where T : struct, ICounter
+    {
+        public void Increment() => ICounter.Increment(ref @this);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+However, this requires significant boilerplate and is error-prone. The proposed `this` modifier achieves the same semantics without requiring explicit extension method definitions.
+
+### Using interface-level type parameter
+
+An alternative syntax could require the interface to have a type parameter:
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter<TSelf> where TSelf : ICounter<TSelf>
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    this void Increment() => Count++;
+}
+```
+
+This was considered but rejected because it forces the interface to be generic even when it doesn't need to be, and requires implementing types to specify themselves as the type argument (e.g., `struct Counter : ICounter<Counter>`).
+
+### Using method-level type parameter in syntax
+
+An alternative syntax could expose the type parameter in the source:
+
+```csharp
+interface ICounter
+{
+    int Count { get; set; }
+
+    this<TSelf> void Increment() where TSelf : ICounter => Count++;
+}
+```
+
+This was considered but rejected in favor of the simpler `this` modifier, with the type parameter being an implementation detail of the lowering.
+
+### Do nothing
+
+Developers could continue using the manual pattern or accept boxing for default interface methods on structs. However, the boilerplate required is substantial and the boxing behavior causes subtle bugs.
+
+## Open questions
+
+1. **Ref kind**: Should the implicit receiver be `ref`, `in`, or `ref readonly`? The proposal currently assumes `ref` for mutability.
+
+2. **Naming**: Is `this` the best modifier, or would alternatives like `self` or a new keyword be clearer?
+
+3. **Lookup precedence**: When a `this` member and a true instance member could both match, what are the exact precedence rules?
+
+4. **Explicit invocation syntax**: Should there be a way to explicitly invoke the underlying static virtual method (e.g., for cases where the implicit instance-like syntax is not desired)?
+
+## Design meetings
+
+TBD