// As we are type checking `foo2` we use `foo2`'s environment
    // when trying to prove `T: Clone`.
    //
    // Trying to prove `T: Clone` with a `ParamEnv` of `[T: Sized]` will
    // fail as there is nothing in the environment telling the trait solver
    // that `T` implements `Clone` and there exists no user written impl
    // that could apply.
    requires_clone(a);
}
```


### Acquiring a `ParamEnv`

Using the wrong [`ParamEnv`][penv] when interacting with the type system can lead to ICEs, illformed programs compiling, or erroring when we shouldn't. See [#82159](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/82159) and [#82067](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/82067) as examples of PRs that modified the compiler to use the correct param env and in the process fixed ICEs.

In the large majority of cases, when a `ParamEnv` is required it either already exists somewhere in scope, or above in the call stack and should be passed down. A non exhaustive list of places where you might find an existing `ParamEnv`:
- During typeck `FnCtxt` has a [`param_env` field][fnctxt_param_env]
- When writing late lints the `LateContext` has a [`param_env` field][latectxt_param_env]
- During well formedness checking the `WfCheckingCtxt` has a [`param_env` field][wfckctxt_param_env]
- The `TypeChecker` used for MIR Typeck has a [`param_env` field][mirtypeck_param_env]
- In the next-gen trait solver all `Goal`s have a [`param_env` field][goal_param_env] specifying what environment to prove the goal in
- When editing an existing [`TypeRelation`][typerelation] if it implements [`PredicateEmittingRelation`][predicate_emitting_relation] then a [`param_env` method][typerelation_param_env] will be available.

If you aren't sure if there's a `ParamEnv` in scope somewhere that can be used it can be worth opening a thread in the [`#t-compiler/help`][compiler_help] zulip stream where someone may be able to point out where a `ParamEnv` can be acquired from.

Manually constructing a `ParamEnv` is typically only needed at the start of some kind of top level analysis (e.g. hir typeck or borrow checking). In such cases there are three ways it can be done:
- Calling the [`tcx.param_env(def_id)` query][param_env_query] which returns the environment associated with a given definition.
- Creating an empty environment with [`ParamEnv::empty`][env_empty].
- Using [`ParamEnv::new`][param_env_new] to construct an env with an arbitrary set of where clauses. Then calling [`traits::normalize_param_env_or_error`][normalize_env_or_error] to handle normalizing and elaborating all the where clauses in the env.

Using the `param_env` query is by far the most common way to construct a `ParamEnv` as most of the time the compiler is performing an analysis as part of some specific definition.

Creating an empty environment with `ParamEnv::empty` is typically only done either in codegen (indirectly via [`TypingEnv::fully_monomorphized`][tenv_mono]), or as part of some analysis that do not expect to ever encounter generic parameters (e.g. various parts of coherence/orphan check).

Creating an env from an arbitrary set of where clauses is usually unnecessary and should only be done if the environment you need does not correspond to an actual item in the source code (e.g. [`compare_method_predicate_entailment`][method_pred_entailment]).


### How are `ParamEnv`s constructed

Creating a [`ParamEnv`][pe] is more complicated than simply using the list of where clauses defined on an item as written by the user. We need to both elaborate supertraits into the env and fully normalize all aliases. This logic is handled by [`traits::normalize_param_env_or_error`][normalize_env_or_error] (even though it does not mention anything about elaboration).

#### Elaborating supertraits

When we have a function such as `fn foo<T: Copy>()` we would like to be able to prove `T: Clone` inside of the function as the `Copy` trait has a `Clone` supertrait. Constructing a `ParamEnv` looks at all of the trait bounds in the env and explicitly adds new where clauses to the `ParamEnv` for any supertraits found on the traits.