Library Style Guidelines

Author: Jeremy Avigad

In addition to the naming conventions, files in the Lean library generally adhere to the following guidelines and conventions. Having a uniform style makes it easier to browse the library and read the contents, but these are meant to be guidelines rather than rigid rules.

Variable conventions

u, v, w, ... for universes
α, β, γ, ... for types
a, b, c, ... for propositions
x, y, z, ... for elements of a generic type
h, h₁, ... for assumptions
p, q, r, ... for predicates and relations
s, t, ... for lists
s, t, ... for sets
m, n, k, ... for natural numbers
i, j, k, ... for integers

Line length

Lines should not be longer than 100 characters. This makes files easier to read, especially on a small screen or in a small window.

Header and imports

The file header should contain copyright information, a list of all the authors who have worked on the file, and a description of the contents. Do all imports right after the header, without a line break. You can also open namespaces in the same block.

/-
Copyright (c) 2015 Joe Cool. All rights reserved.
Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
Author: Joe Cool.

A theory of everything.
-/
import data.nat algebra.group
open nat eq.ops

Structuring definitions and theorems

Use spaces around ":", ":=" or infix operators. Put them before a line break rather than at the beginning of the next line.

Use two spaces to indent. You can use an extra indent when a long line forces a break to suggest the break is artificial rather than structural, as in the statement of theorem:

open nat
theorem two_step_induction_on {P : nat → Prop} (a : nat) (H1 : P 0) (H2 : P (succ 0))
    (H3 : ∀ (n : nat) (IH1 : P n) (IH2 : P (succ n)), P (succ (succ n))) : P a :=
sorry

If you want to indent to make parameters line up, that is o.k. too:

open nat
theorem two_step_induction_on {P : nat → Prop} (a : nat) (H1 : P 0) (H2 : P (succ 0))
                              (H3 : ∀ (n : nat) (IH1 : P n) (IH2 : P (succ n)), P (succ (succ n))) :
  P a :=
sorry

After stating the theorem, we generally do not indent the first line of a proof, so that the proof is "flush left" in the file.

open nat
theorem nat_case {P : nat → Prop} (n : nat) (H1: P 0) (H2 : ∀m, P (succ m)) : P n :=
nat.induction_on n H1 (take m IH, H2 m)

When a proof rule takes multiple arguments, it is sometimes clearer, and often necessary, to put some of the arguments on subsequent lines. In that case, indent each argument.

open nat
axiom zero_or_succ (n : nat) : n = zero ∨ n = succ (pred n)
theorem nat_discriminate {B : Prop} {n : nat} (H1: n = 0 → B)
    (H2 : ∀m, n = succ m → B) : B :=
or.elim (zero_or_succ n)
  (take H3 : n = zero, H1 H3)
  (take H3 : n = succ (pred n), H2 (pred n) H3)

Don't orphan parentheses; keep them with their arguments.

Here is a longer example.

import data.list
open list eq.ops
variable {T : Type}
local attribute mem [reducible]
local attribute append [reducible]
theorem mem_split {x : T} {l : list T} : x ∈ l → ∃s t : list T, l ` s ++ (x::t) :`
list.induction_on l
  (take H : x ∈ [], false.elim (iff.elim_left !mem_nil_iff H))
  (take y l,
    assume IH : x ∈ l → ∃s t : list T, l = s ++ (x::t),
    assume H : x ∈ y::l,
    or.elim (eq_or_mem_of_mem_cons H)
      (assume H1 : x = y,
        exists.intro [] (!exists.intro (H1 ▸ rfl)))
      (assume H1 : x ∈ l,
        obtain s (H2 : ∃t : list T, l = s ++ (x::t)), from IH H1,
        obtain t (H3 : l = s ++ (x::t)), from H2,
        have H4 : y :: l = (y::s) ++ (x::t), from H3 ▸ rfl,
        !exists.intro (!exists.intro H4)))

A short definition can be written on a single line:

open nat
definition square (x : nat) : nat := x * x

For longer definitions, use conventions like those for theorems.

A "have" / "from" pair can be put on the same line.

have H2 : n ≠ succ k, from subst (ne_symm (succ_ne_zero k)) (symm H),
[...]

You can also put it on the next line, if the justification is long.

have H2 : n ≠ succ k,
  from subst (ne_symm (succ_ne_zero k)) (symm H),
[...]

If the justification takes more than a single line, keep the "from" on the same line as the "have", and then begin the justification indented on the next line.

have n ≠ succ k, from
  not_intro
    (take H4 : n = succ k,
      have H5 : succ l = succ k, from trans (symm H) H4,
      have H6 : l = k, from succ_inj H5,
      absurd H6 H2)))),
[...]

When the arguments themselves are long enough to require line breaks, use an additional indent for every line after the first, as in the following example:

import data.nat
open nat eq algebra
theorem add_right_inj {n m k : nat} : n + m ` n + k → m = k :`
nat.induction_on n
  (take H : 0 + m = 0 + k,
    calc
        m = 0 + m : symm (zero_add m)
      ... = 0 + k : H
      ... = k     : zero_add)
  (take (n : nat) (IH : n + m ` n + k → m = k) (H : succ n + m ` succ n + k),
    have H2 : succ (n + m) = succ (n + k), from
      calc
        succ (n + m) = succ n + m   : symm (succ_add n m)
                 ... = succ n + k   : H
                 ... = succ (n + k) : succ_add n k,
    have H3 : n + m = n + k, from succ.inj H2,
    IH H3)

In a class or structure definition, we do not indent fields, as in:

structure principal_seg {α β : Type*} (r : α → α → Prop) (s : β → β → Prop) extends r ≼o s :=
(top : β)
(down : ∀ b, s b top ↔ ∃ a, to_order_embedding a = b)

class module (α : out_param $ Type u) (β : Type v) [out_param $ ring α]
  extends has_scalar α β, add_comm_group β :=
(smul_add : ∀r (x y : β), r • (x + y) = r • x + r • y)
(add_smul : ∀r s (x : β), (r + s) • x = r • x + s • x)
(mul_smul : ∀r s (x : β), (r * s) • x = r • s • x)
(one_smul : ∀x : β, (1 : α) • x = x)

When using a constructor taking several arguments in a definition, arguments line up, as in:

theorem sub_eq_zero_iff_le {a b : ordinal} : a - b = 0 ↔ a ≤ b :=
⟨λ h, by simpa [h] using le_add_sub a b,
 λ h, by rwa [← le_zero, sub_le, add_zero]⟩

When defining instances, opening and closing braces are not alone on their line. The content is indented by two spaces and := line up, as in:

instance : partial_order (topological_space α) :=
{ le          := λt s, t.is_open ≤ s.is_open,
  le_antisymm := assume t s h₁ h₂, topological_space_eq $ le_antisymm h₁ h₂,
  le_refl     := assume t, le_refl t.is_open,
  le_trans    := assume a b c h₁ h₂, @le_trans _ _ a.is_open b.is_open c.is_open h₁ h₂ }

Binders

Use a space after binders: or this:

example : ∀ α : Type, ∀ x : α, ∃ y, (λ u, u) x ` y :`
take (α : Type) (x : α), exists.intro x rfl

Calculations

There is some flexibility in how you write calculational proofs. In general, it looks nice when the comparisons and justifications line up neatly:

import data.list
open list
variable {α : Type}

theorem reverse_reverse : ∀ (l : list α), reverse (reverse l) = l
| []       := rfl
| (a :: l) := calc
    reverse (reverse (a :: l)) = reverse (concat a (reverse l))     : rfl
                           ... = reverse (reverse l ++ [a])         : concat_eq_append
                           ... = reverse [a] ++ reverse (reverse l) : reverse_append
                           ... = reverse [a] ++ l                   : reverse_reverse
                           ... = a :: l                             : rfl

To be more compact, for example, you may do this only after the first line:

import data.list
open list
variable {α : Type}

theorem reverse_reverse : ∀ (l : list α), reverse (reverse l) = l
| []       := rfl
| (a :: l) := calc
    reverse (reverse (a :: l))
          = reverse (concat a (reverse l))     : rfl
      ... = reverse (reverse l ++ [a])         : concat_eq_append
      ... = reverse [a] ++ reverse (reverse l) : reverse_append
      ... = reverse [a] ++ l                   : reverse_reverse
      ... = a :: l                             : rfl

Tactic mode

When opening a tactic block, begin is not indented but everything inside is indented, as in:

lemma div_self (a : α) : a ≠ 0 → a / a = (1:α) :=
begin
  intro hna,
  have wit_aa := quotient_mul_add_remainder_eq a a,
  have a_mod_a := mod_self a,
  dsimp [(%)] at a_mod_a,
  simp [a_mod_a] at wit_aa,
  have h1 : 1 * a = a, from one_mul a,
  conv at wit_aa {for a [4] {rw ←h1}},
  exact eq_of_mul_eq_mul_right hna wit_aa
end

A more complicated example, mixing term mode and tactic mode:

lemma nhds_supr {ι : Sort w} {t : ι → topological_space α} {a : α} :
  @nhds α (supr t) a = (⨅i, @nhds α (t i) a) :=
le_antisymm
  (le_infi $ assume i, nhds_mono $ le_supr _ _)
  begin
    rw [supr_eq_generate_from, nhds_generate_from],
    exact (le_infi $ assume s, le_infi $ assume ⟨hs, hi⟩,
      begin
        simp at hi, cases hi with i hi,
        exact (infi_le_of_le i $ le_principal_iff.mpr $ @mem_nhds_sets α (t i) _ _ hi hs)
      end)
  end

When new goals arise as side conditions or steps, they are enclosed in focussing braces and indented. Braces are not alone on their line.

lemma mem_nhds_of_is_topological_basis {a : α} {s : set α} {b : set (set α)}
  (hb : is_topological_basis b) : s ∈ (nhds a).sets ↔ ∃t∈b, a ∈ t ∧ t ⊆ s :=
begin
  rw [hb.2.2, nhds_generate_from, infi_sets_eq'],
  { simpa [and_comm, and.left_comm] },
  { exact assume s ⟨hs₁, hs₂⟩ t ⟨ht₁, ht₂⟩,
      have a ∈ s ∩ t, from ⟨hs₁, ht₁⟩,
      let ⟨u, hu₁, hu₂, hu₃⟩ := hb.1 _ hs₂ _ ht₂ _ this in
      ⟨u, ⟨hu₂, hu₁⟩, by simpa using hu₃⟩ },
  { suffices : a ∈ (⋃₀ b), { simpa [and_comm] },
    { rw [hb.2.1], trivial } }
end

Often t0 ; t1 is used to execute t0 and then t1 on all new goals. But ; is not a , so either write the tactics in one line, or indent the following tacic.

begin
  case x;
    simp [a, b, c, d]
end

Sections

Within a section, you can indent definitions and theorems to make the scope salient:

section my_section
  variable α : Type
  variable P : Prop

  definition foo (x : α) : α := x

  theorem bar (H : P) : P := H
end my_section

If the section is long, however, you can omit the indents.

We generally use a blank line to separate theorems and definitions, but this can be omitted, for example, to group together a number of short definitions, or to group together a definition and notation.

Comments

Use comment delimeters /-- -/ to provide section headers and separators, and for long comments. Use -- for short or in-line comments.

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style.md

style.md

Library Style Guidelines

Variable conventions

Line length

Header and imports

Structuring definitions and theorems

Binders

Calculations

Tactic mode

Sections

Comments

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style.md

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style.md

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Library Style Guidelines

Variable conventions

Line length

Header and imports

Structuring definitions and theorems

Binders

Calculations

Tactic mode

Sections

Comments