Error code E0519

The current crate is indistinguishable from one of its dependencies, in terms of metadata.

Example of erroneous code:

a.rs

#![crate_name = "a"] #![crate_type = "lib"] pub fn foo() {}

b.rs

#![crate_name = "a"] #![crate_type = "lib"] // error: the current crate is indistinguishable from one of its dependencies: // it has the same crate-name `a` and was compiled with the same // `-C metadata` arguments. This will result in symbol conflicts between // the two. extern crate a; pub fn foo() {} fn bar() { a::foo(); // is this calling the local crate or the dependency? }

The above example compiles two crates with exactly the same name and crate_type (plus any other metadata). This causes an error because it becomes impossible for the compiler to distinguish between symbols (pub item names).

This error can be fixed by:

  • Using Cargo, the Rust package manager, automatically fixing this issue.
  • Recompiling the crate with different metadata (different name/ crate_type).