A couple of phrases on Ruby’s kind annotations state
…that have been written in a navy coaching camp and unintentionally grew to 5k phrases.
I’m penning this on my cellphone, in a barrack that homes some 200+ of my brothers-in-arms within the Ukrainian military’s coaching camp; I exploit brief intervals of relaxation between coaching, principally at night time and on Sundays. TBH, since becoming a member of the military, I didn’t anticipate to have time or inspiration to put in writing about Ruby, and but, right here we’re.
Just lately, there was a long and quite interesting discussion in /r/ruby, which began with an article about considered one of Ruby’s kind annotation instruments, Sorbet—or relatively, the explanation someone would abandon makes an attempt of utilizing it.
The dialogue rapidly became a generic argument about typing, kind annotations, dynamic and static languages, and so forth.
That dialogue made me bear in mind some ideas on kind annotation state of affairs in Ruby I’ve distilled whereas engaged on my Ruby book (now postponed until our victory); a few of these ideas expressed an urge to be shared.
The textual content under is likely to be (or won’t be) fascinating for Rubyists as nicely for a common viewers of programming language design house fanatics. It focuses on some design choices, the explanations that compelled them to be made, and the implications that got here after.
Contemplating the situations of its writing, the article can be considerably imprecise in its definitions, preferring “layman” definitions to strict ones. Additionally it is in all probability not very traditionally correct: I write about choices and discussions in Ruby design and the way I bear in mind them with out making an attempt too exhausting to validate it with remaining paperwork and dialogue logs.
Nonetheless, I hope it to be fascinating.
The characteristic that may’ve been
A couple of years in the past, when the Ruby 3 launch was brewing, there have been loads of expectations laid on it. The principle one was a 3-fold efficiency enchancment in comparison with Ruby 2.0 (often called the “Ruby 3×3” initiative) whereas preserving full backward compatibility; but in addition, the “massive digit” launch clearly requested for brand new cool options.
The baseline of what the fashionable high-level language ought to present has shifted considerably within the final decade, with many components that have been beforehand related to tutorial/experimental languages gaining their consideration within the mainstream. To call a couple of: first-class lambdas/closures, algebraic sorts, sample matching, actor concurrency—
Kind annotations in dynamic languages appeared to fall into this checklist, at the very least within the eyes of part of the group.
Whether or not the latter is/was a sound thought, we’ll talk about it a bit later. What must be mentioned now’s two issues: that strain to “do one thing about kind annotations” was undoubtedly current, and that Matz (Yukihiro Matsumoto, Ruby’s extraordinarily good and considerate BDFL) was by no means fairly keen on it. I vaguely bear in mind a few displays from him in regards to the upcoming three-oh launch, the place in his normal laconic method, Matz commented on the problem, saying that he acknowledges the demand however personally by no means favored the thought, mainly contemplating annotations redundant, “not DRY.”
I put out of your mind any explicit syntax proposal for in-language kind annotations to be mentioned at that time, however the Ruby group was already experimenting with DSLs and instruments to make it occur. This, by the way in which, is fairly normal for Ruby people: many options that the language at present has have been born as experiments, DSLs, and prototypes.
A kind of I bear in mind to be extensively discussed at RubyKaigi 2017 was Soutaro Matsumoto’s steep. Its thought was to annotate sorts in a separate file utilizing a Ruby-like (however not Ruby) language.
Contemplating the tactic String#break up which accepts two parameters—separator (string or common expression) and (non-obligatory) numbers of elements to separate into:
class String
def break up(separator, restrict = nil)
# ...implementation...
…its steep declaration would appear like this:
# written in a separate .rbs file
class String
def break up : (String, ?Integer) -> Array<String>
| (Regexp, ?Integer) -> Array<String>
One other notable instrument, launched possibly a 12 months later, was Sorbet by Stripe. It was powered by an in-code DSL: legitimate Ruby statements that have been anticipated to be written alongside methodology definition:
class String
lengthen T::Sig # provides `sig` methodology to the category
sig { params(separator: T.any(String, Regexp), restrict: T.nilable(Integer)).returns(T::Array[String]) }
def string(separator, restrict = nil)
# ...implementation
For non-Ruby devs: code above simply calls a way
sigthat receives a block of code (akin to lambda in different languages), and inside this block of code, the tacticparamsis known as with signatures handed to it. So all of this syntax is legitimate Ruby and doesn’t require any extra methods to work.
In the intervening time, Sorbet’s syntax regarded (for me) as an fascinating experiment on what sorts of challenges in-language kind annotations wanted to resolve—and (for me!) was proof that the characteristic must be supported by language’s syntax natively: DSL model was kinda readable, but clumsy and wordy.
These pre-Ruby 3.0 experiments uncovered the truth that the design space was visibly big, and I—in all probability like many others—was intrigued to see how it will look when it is going to develop into “actual” (learn: a part of the language syntax).
…however wasn’t
On Christmas 2020, Ruby 3 was finally released. It included many new features—say, sample matching: in a few iterations within the subsequent variations, it is going to show to be a robust, clearly designed idea. The efficiency promise of 3×3 was kinda reached, too—although there are conflicting opinions and methods to measure it.
As for kind annotations, the compromise resolution between group strain and Matz’s reluctance that the core workforce selected was RBS. I don’t bear in mind a lot of a public dialogue about it; it simply kinda got here to be: a separate Ruby-like language for kind annotations, meant to be written in separate .rbs recordsdata: the thought and syntax pioneered in steep grew to become the official approach.
There was an preliminary ecosystem of tools launched for kind evaluation, checking, and deduction; quickly, a community-supported repositories of kind annotations for normal and third-party libraries emerged. However the backside line was that kind annotations grew to become a part of Ruby-the-tool, however not of Ruby-the-language, Ruby-the-way of expressing ideas.
On the similar time, Sorbet DSL/toolset authors decided to continue creating it as a substitute of changing it with RBS. These days, Sorbet additionally has its personal type annotation files format (to accompany the third-party libraries that don’t embrace annotations in code), which is similar DSL the in-code Sorbet makes use of, i.e., not like RBS, it’s legitimate Ruby code. There’s additionally a repository of Sorbet-compatible kind definitions for a lot of in style gems.
To at the present time, a constellation of instruments and data across the Ruby kind annotations stays wealthy and actively developed however stays other than the language itself.
I wouldn’t attempt to give a complete overview of this constellation and the way numerous instruments work together and compete for a really trivial cause: I’m not sufficient in types-as-tool.
In my day job (the one earlier than the military), I had a place we considerably jokingly title “chief code editor” (akin to chief journal editor): an individual who—by means of communication, code opinions, guides writing, tooling—takes a accountability to maintain a big manufacturing codebase readable and maintainable.
My essential instrument right here is treating code as textual content and following language intuitions to keep up micro-narratives of separate strategies and lessons and the massive construction of the system that these narratives make lucid, i.e., expressing intention as clearly and immediately as doable.
In my OSS and running a blog actions, I’m principally targeted on the identical ideas: Ruby intuitions and lucid code. Be it my involvement in language development, small practical gems extracted from my day job, libraries for accessing open data, or experiments with “explanatory ports,” my writing,–the primary query is at all times “how the language leads us to specific this within the clearest approach doable.”
From this viewpoint, an remoted kind annotations language doesn’t carry something fascinating (and even Sorbet, being applied as a Ruby DSL, is a separate micro-language). It doesn’t make us consider on a regular basis language conditions in another way by means of insightful rhymes in syntaxes of annotations and different declarations, and it doesn’t make normal phrases and idioms extra highly effective.
I completely perceive that instruments like Sorbet have their sensible function, and the top aim is basically the identical as my “lucid code” strategy: long-term maintainability; simply the trail is completely different.
However I can’t cease to mourn, if even so barely, what may need been, would we discovered a approach of getting kind annotations as a pure a part of the language.
The “I’m involved in annotations, however neither Sorbet nor RBS doesn’t really feel proper” appears to be a fairly frequent sentiment. The explanations may differ (the unique article that triggered that Reddit dialogue lists three fairly completely different ones), however the doubt appears frequent.
However…
Did we want it, although?
Each time one thing typing- or kind annotations-related is mentioned within the Ruby group, one of many first feedback could be one thing to the that means of “in order for you a language with this, take one other language.” (Truthfully, the identical argument often utilized to different new options that finally have been efficiently built-in into the language, like sample matching.)
Ceaselessly, the opinion is expressed as a categorical assertion in regards to the full impenetrability of paradigms, or “you are able to do it, however the hurt (to readability and ease) could be increased than any good points.”
Is that so?
As an individual who thinks loads about methods of expressing meanings in programming languages and design areas of the technique of expression, I comply with the event and design of a number of trendy languages, each new and glossy like Rust and outdated rivals like Python.
The latter adopted non-obligatory type annotations syntax a couple of variations in the past, and plainly a number of fruitful ideas have grown from it.
I had some expertise with Python’s strategy whereas engaged on “Rebuilding the spellchecker” venture, and that have was principally nice.
It went like this: the spellchecker (port of industry-grade Hunspell, an advanced set of algorithms) was drafted to a “principally working” state in a totally dynamic method. Then, I began to shine the perimeters: catch particular instances, make clear what relies on what (the intention of the port was a transparent illustration of algorithms), streamline the circulate—
And at that time, a capability to go away kind annotations right here and there, first as a “be aware to self,” then, as a formally validated system, was an awesome instrument. And in most locations, it additionally made code clearer, not wordier for no achieve.
In actual fact, we in Ruby have a number of incomplete programs of type-annotations-in-disguise:
- YARD documentation instrument supplies a way to doc argument/return sorts with feedback:
# @param separator [String, Regexp] # @param restrict [Integer] def break up(separator, restrict = nil) - Grape (in addition to a number of different API-first internet frameworks) allows to declare types as a part of HTTP API definition:
params do requires :id, kind: Integer non-obligatory :textual content, kind: String, regexp: /A[a-z]+z/ finish put ':id' do # ... - Ruby libraries supporting GraphQL and plenty of different schema-based protocols permit to express types of schema elements in Ruby DSLs.
- Many codebases use the sample of a callable object with declarative typed arguments (“interactors,” “actions,” “instructions,” or simply “service objects”), with one of many main approaches for these declarations being dry-types gem:
class CreateUser < ApplicationObject parameters do required(:title).crammed(:string) required(:electronic mail).crammed(Varieties::E-mail) required(:age).crammed(:integer) non-obligatory(:cellphone).possibly(:string) finish # ...(from here)
- Even ActiveRecord validations could be seen as an ad-hoc typing system, with all of the “validate numericality” and such stuff.
- All in all, Ruby’s core docs have an informal agreement to mark methodology params and return sorts:
The checklist can go on and on, however it already appears to be partial proof of the truth that at the very least typically we is likely to be higher by having a standardized technique to say explicitly, “this worth has this kind.”
In trendy Python, all of those instances—and way more—could be lined with commonplace, deeply built-in with the language sorts syntax. Be it documentation era, schema validations, HTTP API signature deduction, CLI calls generations— “How do I say the sort” is already solved.
Some examples undoubtedly make me envious: not even the actual libraries, however this actual “already solved” feeling.
And even with out these superior usages, eventual type-checking is likely to be extraordinarily useful.
Now, I deeply empathize with Matz’s “non-DRY” sentiment.
Too often in codebases utilizing YARD sorts for documentation, one can discover preciously ineffective statements like
# @param group [Organization] Group to course of
def process_organization(group)
We hate code components that repeat one another, and rightfully so: they impede the studying, making the reader doubt themselves and reread repeated components to know whether or not they absolutely repeat or make clear one another. We often name such occurrences boilerplate (and typically take the notion too far, producing “simple to put in writing, exhausting to guess the place all of it comes from” code chunks primarily based on the urge to take away “all of the boilerplate”).
However even in very clearly outlined APIs, there stays room for doubt that one could be glad to make clear with a small extra declaration: is that this parameter or return worth nullable? Does this argument with a plural title settle for arrays or DB scopes or what? Is that shopper argument in some service methodology meant to be our Shopper mannequin, or Stripe::Shopper object, or, say, HTTP shopper? Too often, we want a technique to declare (and, ideally, mechanically verify) this!
So, with years, I grew to become persuaded that in a language-as-a-tool of expression considering framework, kind annotations in any language may give a robust enhance to expressiveness—however provided that they’re built-in with the remainder of the language naturally.
I’ll skip right here the subject of IDE potentialities opened when kind annotations can be found: first, as a result of it’s self-evident, and second, as a result of “exterior” to the language kind annotations like RBS or Sorbet can—and do—allow this assist, too.
How wouldn’t it be doable?
Ruby’s growth course of is kind of not like different languages.
Final 12 months, I described the way it all works in a series of posts (which additionally shares private emotions of somebody making an attempt to take part in it). The principle trait of this course of is that it’s extremely casual: we don’t have something like Python’s PEPs or Rust’s RFCs, solely a bug/discussion tracker. An integral a part of this informality is counting on Matz’s style and instinct for every thing that impacts the language’s core.
Typically talking, the progress on including specialised lessons like IO::Buffer, or an inner construction change, even an enormous one, like JIT or GC modifications, are often simpler to maneuver ahead than even one but “core” method or class, i.e., the issues that immediately have an effect on how we write.
For sure that a change as massive and visual as including kind annotations would require miraculous persuasion powers and syntactical ingenuity to even be significantly thought-about.
To have a greater understanding of the gargantuan job one would wish to resolve, let’s attempt to define the design house and inquiries to be solved to have “pure” kind annotations in Ruby (pretending Matz have by no means said “we aren’t going so as to add any sort of kind annotation”)).
In case you are studying this as one other programming language person, I encourage it to mirror upon how your language addresses these challenges. It would give some fascinating insights into the language developer’s design decisions.
Initially, we’ll want a technique to put kind annotations in methodology definition syntax (…and doubtless in native variable definition and a few different locations, however let’s not overcomplicate this psychological train).
Most languages go both with title: Kind, or with Kind title—with the previous being considerably extra in style amongst languages which might be near Ruby in a few of their design components. Sadly, in Ruby, this primary syntax is already taken by default values of key phrase (named) arguments.
# Right here is kind of a easy Ruby methodology definition:
class File
def self.readlines(title, chomp: false)
# reads the traces from file title, eradicating the road endings if `chomp` is true
finish
finish
# Utilization:
File.readlines('README.txt') #=> ["First linen", "Second linen", ...]
File.readlines('README.txt', chomp: true) #=> ["First line", "Second line", ...]
My restricted data says Ruby’s strategy to named arguments is kind of uncommon. In Python, Kotlin, or C#, the caller decides what to call on name. So there is no such thing as a dilemma within the methodology definition. Say, in Python:
# the identical methodology is likely to be outlined as:
def readlines(title, chomp=False):
# ...
# ...after which known as:
readlines('README.txt', chomp=True)
# or, additionally works, as a result of it's the caller's option to make it named:
readlines('README.txt', True)
# So when Python has added sorts to the syntax, it was simply:
def readlines(title: str, chomp: bool = False):
# ...
In TypeScript, one thing like named arguments is imitated by dictionary destructuring, and the typing downside is solved for the entire dictionary:
operate readlines(title, {chomp=false}) {
// ...
}
// Name:
readlines(title, {chomp: true})
// With sorts
operate readlines(title, {chomp=false}: {chomp: boolean}) {
// ...
}
However OK, as we don’t have a lot selection right here, Ruby may in all probability go along with Kind title:
def readlines(String title, Boolean chomp: false)
TBH, would I attempt to make an actual proposal, my senses would scream at that time, “most Rubyists would reject it as bizarre!”
However let’s transfer to the following query.
We have to have a kind syntax itself.
In Ruby, the frequent chant is “every thing is an object and has its personal class” (even primitive values like numbers), so the choice appears to be easy and apparent: simply write ClassName and be achieved with it. Or— not be achieved?
In most trendy languages, sorts syntax additionally permits defining:
- Union sorts, e.g., “
StringorRegexp”; - Nullable sorts in a useful shortcut: relatively one thing like
String?thanElective(String)orString | NilClass; - Advert-hoc sorts consisting of a restricted set of values:
position: ["admin", "manager", "user"]; - Parametrized sorts/generics, like “array of strings”—and one other technique to say “array containing precisely one string and one quantity” (Ruby doesn’t have a separate heterogeneous tuple kind and makes use of arrays as a substitute of them).
One can say all of this isn’t essential if it may possibly’t be expressed with Ruby lessons—however requiring to make use of of solely “pure,” pre-existing Ruby lessons as kind annotations would severely restrict a capability to deduce/verify sorts. Even a comparatively easy idea “array.first returns one component of the identical kind as doable array’s components sorts, or nil” can’t be expressed and validated.
There would even be loads of small nasty issues distinctive to Ruby’s approaches. Say, solely boolean values pose at the very least two extra issues:
trueandfalsein Ruby belong to separateTrueClassandFalseClass, not having any frequent base, so ought to theBooleanbe launched now (will increase the world of language change)?- in Ruby (not like many different dynamic languages) solely
falseandnilare thought-about “falsy” values—which turned out to be fairly useful, so there are lots of instances when not boolean, however boolean-ish values are handed round. E.g., any non-niland non-falseworth could be handed as a substitute oftrue, and all of it works completely; giving up this benefit in favor of “stricter” typing can be backward incompatible ideological change; preserving it will require to have a further kind declaration likefoo: Booleanishor one thing like that.
And don’t overlook about duck typing right here, i.e., a capability to declare “this methodology doesn’t care about argument’s explicit class so long as the argument has these strategies.” A typical technique to remedy it’s to declare “interfaces” or “protocols.”
That is how it’s done in RBS (whereas Sorbet consciously refuses to assist it). Say, the notion “File.open can obtain something that’s convertible to string, as a file title” must be expressed in RBS as
interface _Stringable
def to_str(): () -> String
finish
def open(title: _Stringable)
As this and related protocols (anticipate the argument to have solely one methodology, or typically two or three) are extraordinarily frequent in Ruby, fixing them with a complete separate “interface” declaration appears to be like extraordinarily verbose for Rubyists’ instinct. YARD’s kind system acknowledges the actual fact by permitting to declare “something that responds to a way” in place:
# @param title [#to_str]
def open(title)
All of those issues are solvable—and to some extent, solved by RBS and Sorbet—I’m simply making an attempt to do an intensive actuality verify.
In case you are nonetheless following, right here is the following query: do these typing statements have a that means as separate expressions or solely could be allowed in methodology definitions and related locations? E.g., is that this legitimate?
# put within the variable "array of strings or nullable integer"
# outlined in some imaginary syntax
my_type_variable = Array[String] | Integer?
This query is kind of vital as a result of if the code above is allowed, we’re extraordinarily restricted to what syntax might be used for sorts. As a result of then the syntax must be unambiguously unused earlier than! Solely taking over an issue of generics, we cannot use:
Array[String]: already a sound syntax, calling Array.[] class methodology;Array<String>: already a sound syntax, handled as(Array < String) > ...lacking code ...(i.e., two comparability operators, BTW, class comparability operators exist and verify for sub-/super-class);Array(String): can be handled as methodology Array() with argumentString;Array{String}: can be handled as methodologyArray()with a block argument that simply returnsString.
So, what must you do?.. (The absolute best candidate remains to be Array<String> in all probability, complicating the parser to rely on areas/sequence of lexemes to tell apart comparability from a generic kind definition. However this results in parser complication and, in all probability, another penalties.)
And that’s solely one of many components essential for an excellent kind system!
We’ll discuss a bit about sample matching in a “bonus section,” however it appears appropriate to say right here that when Ruby launched it, the syntax
Array[something]was used—however it was solely made doable by the truth that PM-specific syntax components are solely legitimate inside PM statements (andArray[something]with one other that means is invalid inside them), so no ambiguity is created.
However why would we have to have kind expressions being unbiased? As a result of metaprogramming!
Which is essential within the context.
Whereas Ruby doesn’t have many distinct instruments for this (not more than Python or JS), it undoubtedly has a definite fashion that favors metaprogramming.
For instance, Ruby objects don’t even have attributes, solely strategies—and right here, the language is kind of not like Python or JS. All object knowledge is in the end non-public. So, this code:
class Consumer
attr_accessor :title
# ...
…is definitely a name of the methodology attr_accessor with argument :title, that defines two accessor strategies, e.g. dynamically generates code equal to this:
class Consumer
def title
@title # @<identifier> is Ruby's syntax for example variable title (at all times non-public)
finish
def title=(val)
@title = val
finish
# ...
One other instance: Ruby’s essential internet framework, Rails (and plenty of different libraries) are filled with DSLs like this:
class Group < ActiveRecord::Base
has_many :customers
Right here, once more, has_many is only a methodology that does a few issues, and amongst them, defines that Group class has strategies like customers (returning a DB scope with all group customers), add_user(u), and so forth. It additionally guesses fairly a handful of issues: that the affiliation hyperlinks the group to customers DB desk, represented by Consumer mannequin, through organization_id overseas key, and so on.
The truth that this can be a very poses questions like (not an exhaustive checklist by any means):
- How can we draw sorts on the fly? As a result of
has_many :customers, if it needs to outline typed strategies, wants a technique to programmatically go from:customersimage toConsumerkind declaration (which proves the purpose above: kind declarations want to be first-class expressions, that may be generated on the fly, handed to different strategies and so on.). - A few of such DSLs want to incorporate kind declarations (
attr_accessor title: String? or what?..), others will draw them (see the purpose above); the “pure” for Ruby kind system—and all of the instruments working with it—ought to assist each instances. - What number of “small revolutions” and reevaluations of language design decisions would’ve been essential for the entire system to work? I imply, of the 2 small examples, one with
attr_accessoralready requires redefining an outdated, in style methodology, and how to do that in a backward-compatible approach, I don’t know.
In fact, there may be an choice to restrict what sorts of language assemble assist typing and simply surrender on the remaining—that is the way in which that Sorbet often chooses, counting on (so far as I perceive) its maintainer, Stripe, which already has a coverage of utilizing solely a subset of Ruby.
Clearly, that’s not what a core language characteristic can permit itself.
The “this may be typed, this may’t” strategy would most likely result in a schism unseen earlier than: splitting of the group into those that desire type-annotated code and consequently grew to become reluctant to any of essentially the most expressive and dynamic options—and everybody else.
TBH, I’m partially afraid this may occur even in our timeline resulting from Sorbet and its assist by a heavy-weight Ruby-powered firm. Or, it would occur in one of many future makes an attempt, carried out within the mindset of “we want sorts, let’s sacrifice no matter could be required to get them,” which could pull Ruby out of its path too far.
What we realized after this psychological train?
I truthfully tried to carry out it alongside the reader: for the reason that early drafts of the article, my expectations have been that I’d give you some coherent thought a couple of doable Ruby typing syntax.
My try resulted in a deeper understanding of the extent of design complexity making it hardly achievable. (I’m not saying “inconceivable” as a result of I’m clearly not the neatest particular person within the room.)
A aspect be aware consequence: whereas the query wasn’t thought-about too deeply in public on the time of Ruby 3.0 growth (and I’ve no inside data about inner core workforce discussions on the subject), the explanations “correct” kind annotations weren’t launched appear to be a tiny bit deeper than “no person simply thought of it” (which some Reddit feedback recommended).
Bonus: a number of dispatch and sample matching
One query about doable kind declarations syntax that I’ve consciously omitted above is methodology overloading by kind. There are loads of strategies in Ruby (particularly in core lessons) that do various things relying on argument depend and kinds. Say, Array#[] helps these protocols:
ary = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
ary[0] #=> 1, simply integer index
ary[1, 3] #=> [2, 3, 4], (begin, size)
ary[1..2] #=> [2, 3], Vary of integers
ary[(0..3) % 2] #=> [1, 3], each second component from 0th to 3th
When kind definitions are a part of the language’s preliminary design, the everyday resolution is defining overloaded strategies:
# Not legitimate Ruby!
def [](index: Integer)
# implementation 1
finish
def [](begin: Integer, size: Integer)
# implementation 2
finish
# ...and so forth
…although some languages, like Rust, consciously avoid overloading.
How we implement such strategies in Ruby is simply if or case within the methodology’s physique:
def [](*args)
if args.depend == 1 && args.first.is_a?(Integer)
# it's index
elsif args.depend == 2
# it's (begin, size)
# ...and so forth
finish
Since Ruby 3+ introduction of sample matching, we now have a robust dispatch-by-pattern instrument in our palms:
def [](*args)
case args
in [Integer => index]
# it's index, deal with the `index` variable
in [Integer => start, Integer => length]
# ...
in [Range => range]
# ...
The identical syntax can be used for validating or unpacking arguments for the tactic that solely has one signature:
def join(db, choices)
choices => Hash[user: {login:, password:}]
# If choices had right construction, `login` and `password variables could be set,
# ...in any other case, NoMatchingPattern would report unsuitable arguments have been handed
finish
Be aware that the syntax/strategy is just not completely not like typechecking. At the least for the direct code studying, the 2 definitions of [] methodology (the imaginary one with overloads and the true one with sample matching) aren’t that completely different and look fairly declarative, exposing what doable methodology signatures there are.
The sample matching-based definition possibly even look nearer to “what’s realistically essential” to declare with out constructing of full kind system and fixing all the sophisticated challenges described above.
However the sample matching-in-body has no benefits for metaprogramming, documentation era, and so on. – what occurs within the methodology’s physique stays within the methodology’s physique and is just accessible in the course of the execution of the tactic (or for very refined static evaluation instruments). E.g., would Array#[] be outlined with a top-level case/in assertion as it’s proven above (it isn’t as a result of it’s applied in C), it will’ve regarded fairly informative/declarative about acceptable signatures, however can’t be queried about it with reflection, say, [1, 2, 3].methodology(:[]).parameters would solely have the ability to say it accepts *args.
The wild(ish) thought it offers us is that some mixture of the sample matching and methodology definitions syntax is considerably simpler to think about than “basic” kind annotations. Ruby’s cousin Elixir does one thing like that.
Say, what if the examples above may’ve been written like this (assume we now have a brand new key phrase defp – “outline a way with dispatching by patterns”):
defp []
in (Integer => index)
# implementation 1
in (Integer => begin, Integer => lengths)
# implementation 2
in (Vary => vary)
# implementation 3
finish
# and for "hook up with DB" instance:
defp join(db, choices => Hash[user: {login:, password:}])
# ...implementation, gaining access to unpacked `login` and `password`
finish
… and be uncovered as a first-class metainformation:
[1, 2, 3].methodology(:[]).signatures
# => [#<Method::Signature (Integer index)>,
# #<Method::Signature(Integer start, Integer length),
# ....and so on
[1, 2, 3].methodology(:[]).signatures.first.parameters #=> [{name: :index, pattern: Integer}]
That is one thing that tickles my Ruby instinct in virtually the correct approach. Not one thing to examine within the close to future, however not one thing inconceivable both. The truth that it doesn’t require a complete kind system could be seen as a energy or weak point, relying on the way you’ll tilt your head.
WDYT?
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