spec: describe processing of function arguments for type inference more precisely

The outcome of type inference depends critically on when function
argument type inference stops processing arguments. Describe this
and explain an example with some detail.

Also: In the section on the built-in function delete, refer to the
value rather than the type of the second argument, as it may be an
untyped constant.

Change-Id: Ice7fbb33f985afe082380b8d37eaf763238a3818
Reviewed-on: https://go-review.googlesource.com/c/go/+/385034
Trust: Robert Griesemer <gri@golang.org>
Reviewed-by: Ian Lance Taylor <iant@golang.org>

diff --git a/doc/go_spec.html b/doc/go_spec.html
index 49533b067dea4c5e802d9452636f0540b3f7d864..061f933ae86e91f995da81e1ed22d6e54c10b84b 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/go_spec.html
+++ b/doc/go_spec.html
@@ -4514,6 +4514,12 @@ Each list is processed in a separate phase:
 </li>
 </ol>
 
+<p>
+While unification is successful, processing of each list continues until all list elements
+are considered, even if all type arguments are inferred before the last list element has
+been processed.
+</p>
+
 <p>
 Example:
 </p>
@@ -4527,6 +4533,13 @@ min(1.0, 2.0)  // T is float64, inferred from default type for 1.0 and matches d
 min(1.0, 2)    // illegal: default type float64 (for 1.0) doesn't match default type int (for 2)
 </pre>
 
+<p>
+In the example <code>min(1.0, 2)</code>, processing the function argument <code>1.0</code>
+yields the substitution map entry <code>T</code> &RightArrow; <code>float64</code>. Because
+processing continues until all untyped arguments are considered, an error is reported. This
+ensures that type inference does not depend on the order of the untyped arguments.
+</p>
+
 <h4 id="Constraint_type_inference">Constraint type inference</h3>
 
 <!--
@@ -7268,7 +7281,7 @@ n3 := copy(b, "Hello, World!")  // n3 == 5, b == []byte("Hello")
 <p>
 The built-in function <code>delete</code> removes the element with key
 <code>k</code> from a <a href="#Map_types">map</a> <code>m</code>. The
-type of <code>k</code> must be <a href="#Assignability">assignable</a>
+value <code>k</code> must be <a href="#Assignability">assignable</a>
 to the key type of <code>m</code>.
 </p>