aboutsummaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/doc/sphinx/proofs/automatic-tactics/auto.rst
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/sphinx/proofs/automatic-tactics/auto.rst')
-rw-r--r--doc/sphinx/proofs/automatic-tactics/auto.rst672
1 files changed, 672 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/sphinx/proofs/automatic-tactics/auto.rst b/doc/sphinx/proofs/automatic-tactics/auto.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cc8af976d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/sphinx/proofs/automatic-tactics/auto.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,672 @@
+.. _automation:
+
+=========================
+Programmable proof search
+=========================
+
+.. tacn:: auto
+ :name: auto
+
+ This tactic implements a Prolog-like resolution procedure to solve the
+ current goal. It first tries to solve the goal using the :tacn:`assumption`
+ tactic, then it reduces the goal to an atomic one using :tacn:`intros` and
+ introduces the newly generated hypotheses as hints. Then it looks at
+ the list of tactics associated to the head symbol of the goal and
+ tries to apply one of them (starting from the tactics with lower
+ cost). This process is recursively applied to the generated subgoals.
+
+ By default, :tacn:`auto` only uses the hypotheses of the current goal and
+ the hints of the database named ``core``.
+
+ .. warning::
+
+ :tacn:`auto` uses a weaker version of :tacn:`apply` that is closer to
+ :tacn:`simple apply` so it is expected that sometimes :tacn:`auto` will
+ fail even if applying manually one of the hints would succeed.
+
+ .. tacv:: auto @natural
+
+ Forces the search depth to be :token:`natural`. The maximal search depth
+ is 5 by default.
+
+ .. tacv:: auto with {+ @ident}
+
+ Uses the hint databases :n:`{+ @ident}` in addition to the database ``core``.
+
+ .. note::
+
+ Use the fake database `nocore` if you want to *not* use the `core`
+ database.
+
+ .. tacv:: auto with *
+
+ Uses all existing hint databases. Using this variant is highly discouraged
+ in finished scripts since it is both slower and less robust than the variant
+ where the required databases are explicitly listed.
+
+ .. seealso::
+ :ref:`The Hints Databases for auto and eauto <thehintsdatabasesforautoandeauto>` for the list of
+ pre-defined databases and the way to create or extend a database.
+
+ .. tacv:: auto using {+ @qualid__i} {? with {+ @ident } }
+
+ Uses lemmas :n:`@qualid__i` in addition to hints. If :n:`@qualid` is an
+ inductive type, it is the collection of its constructors which are added
+ as hints.
+
+ .. note::
+
+ The hints passed through the `using` clause are used in the same
+ way as if they were passed through a hint database. Consequently,
+ they use a weaker version of :tacn:`apply` and :n:`auto using @qualid`
+ may fail where :n:`apply @qualid` succeeds.
+
+ Given that this can be seen as counter-intuitive, it could be useful
+ to have an option to use full-blown :tacn:`apply` for lemmas passed
+ through the `using` clause. Contributions welcome!
+
+ .. tacv:: info_auto
+
+ Behaves like :tacn:`auto` but shows the tactics it uses to solve the goal. This
+ variant is very useful for getting a better understanding of automation, or
+ to know what lemmas/assumptions were used.
+
+ .. tacv:: debug auto
+ :name: debug auto
+
+ Behaves like :tacn:`auto` but shows the tactics it tries to solve the goal,
+ including failing paths.
+
+ .. tacv:: {? info_}auto {? @natural} {? using {+ @qualid}} {? with {+ @ident}}
+
+ This is the most general form, combining the various options.
+
+.. tacv:: trivial
+ :name: trivial
+
+ This tactic is a restriction of :tacn:`auto` that is not recursive
+ and tries only hints that cost `0`. Typically it solves trivial
+ equalities like :g:`X=X`.
+
+ .. tacv:: trivial with {+ @ident}
+ trivial with *
+ trivial using {+ @qualid}
+ debug trivial
+ info_trivial
+ {? info_}trivial {? using {+ @qualid}} {? with {+ @ident}}
+ :name: _; _; _; debug trivial; info_trivial; _
+ :undocumented:
+
+.. note::
+ :tacn:`auto` and :tacn:`trivial` either solve completely the goal or
+ else succeed without changing the goal. Use :g:`solve [ auto ]` and
+ :g:`solve [ trivial ]` if you would prefer these tactics to fail when
+ they do not manage to solve the goal.
+
+.. flag:: Info Auto
+ Debug Auto
+ Info Trivial
+ Debug Trivial
+
+ These flags enable printing of informative or debug information for
+ the :tacn:`auto` and :tacn:`trivial` tactics.
+
+.. tacn:: eauto
+ :name: eauto
+
+ This tactic generalizes :tacn:`auto`. While :tacn:`auto` does not try
+ resolution hints which would leave existential variables in the goal,
+ :tacn:`eauto` does try them (informally speaking, it internally uses a tactic
+ close to :tacn:`simple eapply` instead of a tactic close to :tacn:`simple apply`
+ in the case of :tacn:`auto`). As a consequence, :tacn:`eauto`
+ can solve such a goal:
+
+ .. example::
+
+ .. coqtop:: all
+
+ Hint Resolve ex_intro : core.
+ Goal forall P:nat -> Prop, P 0 -> exists n, P n.
+ eauto.
+
+ Note that ``ex_intro`` should be declared as a hint.
+
+
+ .. tacv:: {? info_}eauto {? @natural} {? using {+ @qualid}} {? with {+ @ident}}
+
+ The various options for :tacn:`eauto` are the same as for :tacn:`auto`.
+
+ :tacn:`eauto` also obeys the following flags:
+
+ .. flag:: Info Eauto
+ Debug Eauto
+ :undocumented:
+
+ .. seealso:: :ref:`The Hints Databases for auto and eauto <thehintsdatabasesforautoandeauto>`
+
+
+.. tacn:: autounfold with {+ @ident}
+ :name: autounfold
+
+ This tactic unfolds constants that were declared through a :cmd:`Hint Unfold`
+ in the given databases.
+
+.. tacv:: autounfold with {+ @ident} in @goal_occurrences
+
+ Performs the unfolding in the given clause (:token:`goal_occurrences`).
+
+.. tacv:: autounfold with *
+
+ Uses the unfold hints declared in all the hint databases.
+
+.. tacn:: autorewrite with {+ @ident}
+ :name: autorewrite
+
+ This tactic carries out rewritings according to the rewriting rule
+ bases :n:`{+ @ident}`.
+
+ Each rewriting rule from the base :n:`@ident` is applied to the main subgoal until
+ it fails. Once all the rules have been processed, if the main subgoal has
+ progressed (e.g., if it is distinct from the initial main goal) then the rules
+ of this base are processed again. If the main subgoal has not progressed then
+ the next base is processed. For the bases, the behavior is exactly similar to
+ the processing of the rewriting rules.
+
+ The rewriting rule bases are built with the :cmd:`Hint Rewrite`
+ command.
+
+.. warning::
+
+ This tactic may loop if you build non terminating rewriting systems.
+
+.. tacv:: autorewrite with {+ @ident} using @tactic
+
+ Performs, in the same way, all the rewritings of the bases :n:`{+ @ident}`
+ applying tactic to the main subgoal after each rewriting step.
+
+.. tacv:: autorewrite with {+ @ident} in @qualid
+
+ Performs all the rewritings in hypothesis :n:`@qualid`.
+
+.. tacv:: autorewrite with {+ @ident} in @qualid using @tactic
+
+ Performs all the rewritings in hypothesis :n:`@qualid` applying :n:`@tactic`
+ to the main subgoal after each rewriting step.
+
+.. tacv:: autorewrite with {+ @ident} in @goal_occurrences
+
+ Performs all the rewriting in the clause :n:`@goal_occurrences`.
+
+.. seealso::
+
+ :ref:`Hint-Rewrite <hintrewrite>` for feeding the database of lemmas used by
+ :tacn:`autorewrite` and :tacn:`autorewrite` for examples showing the use of this tactic.
+
+.. tacn:: easy
+ :name: easy
+
+ This tactic tries to solve the current goal by a number of standard closing steps.
+ In particular, it tries to close the current goal using the closing tactics
+ :tacn:`trivial`, :tacn:`reflexivity`, :tacn:`symmetry`, :tacn:`contradiction`
+ and :tacn:`inversion` of hypothesis.
+ If this fails, it tries introducing variables and splitting and-hypotheses,
+ using the closing tactics afterwards, and splitting the goal using
+ :tacn:`split` and recursing.
+
+ This tactic solves goals that belong to many common classes; in particular, many cases of
+ unsatisfiable hypotheses, and simple equality goals are usually solved by this tactic.
+
+.. tacv:: now @tactic
+ :name: now
+
+ Run :n:`@tactic` followed by :tacn:`easy`. This is a notation for :n:`@tactic; easy`.
+
+Controlling automation
+--------------------------
+
+.. _thehintsdatabasesforautoandeauto:
+
+The hints databases for auto and eauto
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The hints for :tacn:`auto` and :tacn:`eauto` are stored in databases. Each database
+maps head symbols to a list of hints.
+
+.. cmd:: Print Hint @ident
+
+ Use this command
+ to display the hints associated to the head symbol :n:`@ident`
+ (see :ref:`Print Hint <printhint>`). Each hint has a cost that is a nonnegative
+ integer, and an optional pattern. The hints with lower cost are tried first. A
+ hint is tried by :tacn:`auto` when the conclusion of the current goal matches its
+ pattern or when it has no pattern.
+
+Creating Hint databases
+```````````````````````
+
+One can optionally declare a hint database using the command
+:cmd:`Create HintDb`. If a hint is added to an unknown database, it will be
+automatically created.
+
+.. cmd:: Create HintDb @ident {? discriminated}
+
+ This command creates a new database named :n:`@ident`. The database is
+ implemented by a Discrimination Tree (DT) that serves as an index of
+ all the lemmas. The DT can use transparency information to decide if a
+ constant should be indexed or not
+ (c.f. :ref:`The hints databases for auto and eauto <thehintsdatabasesforautoandeauto>`),
+ making the retrieval more efficient. The legacy implementation (the default one
+ for new databases) uses the DT only on goals without existentials (i.e., :tacn:`auto`
+ goals), for non-Immediate hints and does not make use of transparency
+ hints, putting more work on the unification that is run after
+ retrieval (it keeps a list of the lemmas in case the DT is not used).
+ The new implementation enabled by the discriminated option makes use
+ of DTs in all cases and takes transparency information into account.
+ However, the order in which hints are retrieved from the DT may differ
+ from the order in which they were inserted, making this implementation
+ observationally different from the legacy one.
+
+.. cmd:: Hint @hint_definition : {+ @ident}
+
+ The general command to add a hint to some databases :n:`{+ @ident}`.
+
+ This command supports the :attr:`local`, :attr:`global` and :attr:`export`
+ locality attributes. When no locality is explictly given, the
+ command is :attr:`local` inside a section and :attr:`global` otherwise.
+
+ + :attr:`local` hints are never visible from other modules, even if they
+ require or import the current module. Inside a section, the :attr:`local`
+ attribute is useless since hints do not survive anyway to the closure of
+ sections.
+
+ + :attr:`export` are visible from other modules when they import the current
+ module. Requiring it is not enough. This attribute is only effective for
+ the :cmd:`Hint Resolve`, :cmd:`Hint Immediate`, :cmd:`Hint Unfold` and
+ :cmd:`Hint Extern` variants of the command.
+
+ + :attr:`global` hints are made available by merely requiring the current
+ module.
+
+ The various possible :production:`hint_definition`\s are given below.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint @hint_definition
+
+ No database name is given: the hint is registered in the ``core`` database.
+
+ .. deprecated:: 8.10
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Resolve @qualid {? | {? @natural} {? @pattern}} : @ident
+ :name: Hint Resolve
+
+ This command adds :n:`simple apply @qualid` to the hint list with the head
+ symbol of the type of :n:`@qualid`. The cost of that hint is the number of
+ subgoals generated by :n:`simple apply @qualid` or :n:`@natural` if specified. The
+ associated :n:`@pattern` is inferred from the conclusion of the type of
+ :n:`@qualid` or the given :n:`@pattern` if specified. In case the inferred type
+ of :n:`@qualid` does not start with a product the tactic added in the hint list
+ is :n:`exact @qualid`. In case this type can however be reduced to a type
+ starting with a product, the tactic :n:`simple apply @qualid` is also stored in
+ the hints list. If the inferred type of :n:`@qualid` contains a dependent
+ quantification on a variable which occurs only in the premisses of the type
+ and not in its conclusion, no instance could be inferred for the variable by
+ unification with the goal. In this case, the hint is added to the hint list
+ of :tacn:`eauto` instead of the hint list of auto and a warning is printed. A
+ typical example of a hint that is used only by :tacn:`eauto` is a transitivity
+ lemma.
+
+ .. exn:: @qualid cannot be used as a hint
+
+ The head symbol of the type of :n:`@qualid` is a bound variable
+ such that this tactic cannot be associated to a constant.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Resolve {+ @qualid} : @ident
+
+ Adds each :n:`Hint Resolve @qualid`.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Resolve -> @qualid : @ident
+
+ Adds the left-to-right implication of an equivalence as a hint (informally
+ the hint will be used as :n:`apply <- @qualid`, although as mentioned
+ before, the tactic actually used is a restricted version of
+ :tacn:`apply`).
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Resolve <- @qualid
+
+ Adds the right-to-left implication of an equivalence as a hint.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Immediate @qualid : @ident
+ :name: Hint Immediate
+
+ This command adds :n:`simple apply @qualid; trivial` to the hint list associated
+ with the head symbol of the type of :n:`@ident` in the given database. This
+ tactic will fail if all the subgoals generated by :n:`simple apply @qualid` are
+ not solved immediately by the :tacn:`trivial` tactic (which only tries tactics
+ with cost 0).This command is useful for theorems such as the symmetry of
+ equality or :g:`n+1=m+1 -> n=m` that we may like to introduce with a limited
+ use in order to avoid useless proof-search. The cost of this tactic (which
+ never generates subgoals) is always 1, so that it is not used by :tacn:`trivial`
+ itself.
+
+ .. exn:: @qualid cannot be used as a hint
+ :undocumented:
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Immediate {+ @qualid} : @ident
+
+ Adds each :n:`Hint Immediate @qualid`.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Constructors @qualid : @ident
+ :name: Hint Constructors
+
+ If :token:`qualid` is an inductive type, this command adds all its constructors as
+ hints of type ``Resolve``. Then, when the conclusion of current goal has the form
+ :n:`(@qualid ...)`, :tacn:`auto` will try to apply each constructor.
+
+ .. exn:: @qualid is not an inductive type
+ :undocumented:
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Constructors {+ @qualid} : @ident
+
+ Extends the previous command for several inductive types.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Unfold @qualid : @ident
+ :name: Hint Unfold
+
+ This adds the tactic :n:`unfold @qualid` to the hint list that will only be
+ used when the head constant of the goal is :token:`qualid`.
+ Its cost is 4.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Unfold {+ @qualid}
+
+ Extends the previous command for several defined constants.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Transparent {+ @qualid} : @ident
+ Hint Opaque {+ @qualid} : @ident
+ :name: Hint Transparent; Hint Opaque
+
+ This adds transparency hints to the database, making :n:`@qualid`
+ transparent or opaque constants during resolution. This information is used
+ during unification of the goal with any lemma in the database and inside the
+ discrimination network to relax or constrain it in the case of discriminated
+ databases.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Variables {| Transparent | Opaque } : @ident
+ Hint Constants {| Transparent | Opaque } : @ident
+ :name: Hint Variables; Hint Constants
+
+ This sets the transparency flag used during unification of
+ hints in the database for all constants or all variables,
+ overwriting the existing settings of opacity. It is advised
+ to use this just after a :cmd:`Create HintDb` command.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Extern @natural {? @pattern} => @tactic : @ident
+ :name: Hint Extern
+
+ This hint type is to extend :tacn:`auto` with tactics other than :tacn:`apply` and
+ :tacn:`unfold`. For that, we must specify a cost, an optional :n:`@pattern` and a
+ :n:`@tactic` to execute.
+
+ .. example::
+
+ .. coqtop:: in
+
+ Hint Extern 4 (~(_ = _)) => discriminate : core.
+
+ Now, when the head of the goal is a disequality, ``auto`` will try
+ discriminate if it does not manage to solve the goal with hints with a
+ cost less than 4.
+
+ One can even use some sub-patterns of the pattern in
+ the tactic script. A sub-pattern is a question mark followed by an
+ identifier, like ``?X1`` or ``?X2``. Here is an example:
+
+ .. example::
+
+ .. coqtop:: reset all
+
+ Require Import List.
+ Hint Extern 5 ({?X1 = ?X2} + {?X1 <> ?X2}) => generalize X1, X2; decide equality : eqdec.
+ Goal forall a b:list (nat * nat), {a = b} + {a <> b}.
+ Info 1 auto with eqdec.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Cut @regexp : @ident
+ :name: Hint Cut
+
+ .. warning::
+
+ These hints currently only apply to typeclass proof search and the
+ :tacn:`typeclasses eauto` tactic.
+
+ This command can be used to cut the proof-search tree according to a regular
+ expression matching paths to be cut. The grammar for regular expressions is
+ the following. Beware, there is no operator precedence during parsing, one can
+ check with :cmd:`Print HintDb` to verify the current cut expression:
+
+ .. prodn::
+ regexp ::= @ident (hint or instance identifier)
+ | _ (any hint)
+ | @regexp | @regexp (disjunction)
+ | @regexp @regexp (sequence)
+ | @regexp * (Kleene star)
+ | emp (empty)
+ | eps (epsilon)
+ | ( @regexp )
+
+ The `emp` regexp does not match any search path while `eps`
+ matches the empty path. During proof search, the path of
+ successive successful hints on a search branch is recorded, as a
+ list of identifiers for the hints (note that :cmd:`Hint Extern`\’s do not have
+ an associated identifier).
+ Before applying any hint :n:`@ident` the current path `p` extended with
+ :n:`@ident` is matched against the current cut expression `c` associated to
+ the hint database. If matching succeeds, the hint is *not* applied. The
+ semantics of :n:`Hint Cut @regexp` is to set the cut expression
+ to :n:`c | regexp`, the initial cut expression being `emp`.
+
+ .. cmdv:: Hint Mode @qualid {* {| + | ! | - } } : @ident
+ :name: Hint Mode
+
+ This sets an optional mode of use of the identifier :n:`@qualid`. When
+ proof-search faces a goal that ends in an application of :n:`@qualid` to
+ arguments :n:`@term ... @term`, the mode tells if the hints associated to
+ :n:`@qualid` can be applied or not. A mode specification is a list of n ``+``,
+ ``!`` or ``-`` items that specify if an argument of the identifier is to be
+ treated as an input (``+``), if its head only is an input (``!``) or an output
+ (``-``) of the identifier. For a mode to match a list of arguments, input
+ terms and input heads *must not* contain existential variables or be
+ existential variables respectively, while outputs can be any term. Multiple
+ modes can be declared for a single identifier, in that case only one mode
+ needs to match the arguments for the hints to be applied. The head of a term
+ is understood here as the applicative head, or the match or projection
+ scrutinee’s head, recursively, casts being ignored. :cmd:`Hint Mode` is
+ especially useful for typeclasses, when one does not want to support default
+ instances and avoid ambiguity in general. Setting a parameter of a class as an
+ input forces proof-search to be driven by that index of the class, with ``!``
+ giving more flexibility by allowing existentials to still appear deeper in the
+ index but not at its head.
+
+ .. note::
+
+ + One can use a :cmd:`Hint Extern` with no pattern to do
+ pattern matching on hypotheses using ``match goal with``
+ inside the tactic.
+
+ + If you want to add hints such as :cmd:`Hint Transparent`,
+ :cmd:`Hint Cut`, or :cmd:`Hint Mode`, for typeclass
+ resolution, do not forget to put them in the
+ ``typeclass_instances`` hint database.
+
+
+Hint databases defined in the |Coq| standard library
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Several hint databases are defined in the |Coq| standard library. The
+actual content of a database is the collection of hints declared
+to belong to this database in each of the various modules currently
+loaded. Especially, requiring new modules may extend the database.
+At |Coq| startup, only the core database is nonempty and can be used.
+
+:core: This special database is automatically used by ``auto``, except when
+ pseudo-database ``nocore`` is given to ``auto``. The core database
+ contains only basic lemmas about negation, conjunction, and so on.
+ Most of the hints in this database come from the Init and Logic directories.
+
+:arith: This database contains all lemmas about Peano’s arithmetic proved in the
+ directories Init and Arith.
+
+:zarith: contains lemmas about binary signed integers from the
+ directories theories/ZArith. The database also contains
+ high-cost hints that call :tacn:`lia` on equations and
+ inequalities in ``nat`` or ``Z``.
+
+:bool: contains lemmas about booleans, mostly from directory theories/Bool.
+
+:datatypes: is for lemmas about lists, streams and so on that are mainly proved
+ in the Lists subdirectory.
+
+:sets: contains lemmas about sets and relations from the directories Sets and
+ Relations.
+
+:typeclass_instances: contains all the typeclass instances declared in the
+ environment, including those used for ``setoid_rewrite``,
+ from the Classes directory.
+
+:fset: internal database for the implementation of the ``FSets`` library.
+
+:ordered_type: lemmas about ordered types (as defined in the legacy ``OrderedType`` module),
+ mainly used in the ``FSets`` and ``FMaps`` libraries.
+
+You are advised not to put your own hints in the core database, but
+use one or several databases specific to your development.
+
+.. _removehints:
+
+.. cmd:: Remove Hints {+ @term} : {+ @ident}
+
+ This command removes the hints associated to terms :n:`{+ @term}` in databases
+ :n:`{+ @ident}`.
+
+.. _printhint:
+
+.. cmd:: Print Hint
+
+ This command displays all hints that apply to the current goal. It
+ fails if no proof is being edited, while the two variants can be used
+ at every moment.
+
+**Variants:**
+
+
+.. cmd:: Print Hint @ident
+
+ This command displays only tactics associated with :n:`@ident` in the hints
+ list. This is independent of the goal being edited, so this command will not
+ fail if no goal is being edited.
+
+.. cmd:: Print Hint *
+
+ This command displays all declared hints.
+
+.. cmd:: Print HintDb @ident
+
+ This command displays all hints from database :n:`@ident`.
+
+.. _hintrewrite:
+
+.. cmd:: Hint Rewrite {+ @term} : {+ @ident}
+
+ This vernacular command adds the terms :n:`{+ @term}` (their types must be
+ equalities) in the rewriting bases :n:`{+ @ident}` with the default orientation
+ (left to right). Notice that the rewriting bases are distinct from the :tacn:`auto`
+ hint bases and that :tacn:`auto` does not take them into account.
+
+ This command is synchronous with the section mechanism (see :ref:`section-mechanism`):
+ when closing a section, all aliases created by ``Hint Rewrite`` in that
+ section are lost. Conversely, when loading a module, all ``Hint Rewrite``
+ declarations at the global level of that module are loaded.
+
+**Variants:**
+
+.. cmd:: Hint Rewrite -> {+ @term} : {+ @ident}
+
+ This is strictly equivalent to the command above (we only make explicit the
+ orientation which otherwise defaults to ->).
+
+.. cmd:: Hint Rewrite <- {+ @term} : {+ @ident}
+
+ Adds the rewriting rules :n:`{+ @term}` with a right-to-left orientation in
+ the bases :n:`{+ @ident}`.
+
+.. cmd:: Hint Rewrite {? {| -> | <- } } {+ @one_term } {? using @ltac_expr } {? : {* @ident } }
+
+ When the rewriting rules :n:`{+ @term}` in :n:`{+ @ident}` will be used, the
+ tactic ``tactic`` will be applied to the generated subgoals, the main subgoal
+ excluded.
+
+.. cmd:: Print Rewrite HintDb @ident
+
+ This command displays all rewrite hints contained in :n:`@ident`.
+
+Hint locality
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Hints provided by the ``Hint`` commands are erased when closing a section.
+Conversely, all hints of a module ``A`` that are not defined inside a
+section (and not defined with option ``Local``) become available when the
+module ``A`` is required (using e.g. ``Require A.``).
+
+As of today, hints only have a binary behavior regarding locality, as
+described above: either they disappear at the end of a section scope,
+or they remain global forever. This causes a scalability issue,
+because hints coming from an unrelated part of the code may badly
+influence another development. It can be mitigated to some extent
+thanks to the :cmd:`Remove Hints` command,
+but this is a mere workaround and has some limitations (for instance, external
+hints cannot be removed).
+
+A proper way to fix this issue is to bind the hints to their module scope, as
+for most of the other objects |Coq| uses. Hints should only be made available when
+the module they are defined in is imported, not just required. It is very
+difficult to change the historical behavior, as it would break a lot of scripts.
+We propose a smooth transitional path by providing the :opt:`Loose Hint Behavior`
+option which accepts three flags allowing for a fine-grained handling of
+non-imported hints.
+
+.. opt:: Loose Hint Behavior {| "Lax" | "Warn" | "Strict" }
+ :name: Loose Hint Behavior
+
+ This option accepts three values, which control the behavior of hints w.r.t.
+ :cmd:`Import`:
+
+ - "Lax": this is the default, and corresponds to the historical behavior,
+ that is, hints defined outside of a section have a global scope.
+
+ - "Warn": outputs a warning when a non-imported hint is used. Note that this
+ is an over-approximation, because a hint may be triggered by a run that
+ will eventually fail and backtrack, resulting in the hint not being
+ actually useful for the proof.
+
+ - "Strict": changes the behavior of an unloaded hint to a immediate fail
+ tactic, allowing to emulate an import-scoped hint mechanism.
+
+.. _tactics-implicit-automation:
+
+Setting implicit automation tactics
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+.. cmd:: Proof with @tactic
+
+ This command may be used to start a proof. It defines a default tactic
+ to be used each time a tactic command ``tactic``:sub:`1` is ended by ``...``.
+ In this case the tactic command typed by the user is equivalent to
+ ``tactic``:sub:`1` ``;tactic``.
+
+ .. seealso:: :cmd:`Proof` in :ref:`proof-editing-mode`.
+
+
+ .. cmdv:: Proof with @tactic using {+ @ident}
+
+ Combines in a single line ``Proof with`` and ``Proof using``, see :ref:`proof-editing-mode`
+
+ .. cmdv:: Proof using {+ @ident} with @tactic
+
+ Combines in a single line ``Proof with`` and ``Proof using``, see :ref:`proof-editing-mode`