func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
Not necessarily. Higher-kinded types (IIUC) are per-instance - e.g. every instance of a Collection could have a unique type of Index.
I want to constrain a return value, whose type is an associated type, based on a generic parameter to the function. SE-0142 only allows constraining entire associated types, and allows no interaction with per-function generic parameters.
- Karl
···
On 12 Mar 2017, at 06:51, Austin Zheng <austinzheng@gmail.com> wrote:
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
This is a really important feature IMO, but as others have pointed out it basically amounts to higher-kinded types. I would love to be wrong about this but I am reasonably sure this is out of scope for Swift 4 (otherwise I would be working on a proposal already).
···
Sent from my iPad
On Mar 11, 2017, at 11:49 PM, Karl Wagner via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
Some of us who work on the Swift compiler have talked about this extension to the model before, and we *think* it dodges some of the concerns about introducing more-general higher-rank types in Swift while enabling reasonable use cases like the one you provide. It seems like a reasonable direction.
Way out of scope for Swift 4 at this point, of course ;)
- Doug
···
On Mar 11, 2017, at 9:49 PM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com> wrote:
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) ->
ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the
associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be
its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until”
closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I
would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]:
where Result == T
Not necessarily. Higher-kinded types (IIUC) are per-instance - e.g. every
instance of a Collection could have a unique type of Index.
I want to constrain a return value, whose type is an associated type,
based on a generic parameter to the function. SE-0142 only allows
constraining entire associated types, and allows no interaction with
per-function generic parameters.
That’s some pretty strange syntax. I admit I didn’t even try that. ScannerPromise would necessarily have to be generic in this context, because I want to bind one of its associated types to a generic parameter from a function. There is no way a non-generic type could do that.
That said, even though the compiler accepts your code, it doesn’t seem to actually work:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
func await() -> Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
This is a really important feature IMO, but as others have pointed out it basically amounts to higher-kinded types. I would love to be wrong about this but I am reasonably sure this is out of scope for Swift 4 (otherwise I would be working on a proposal already).
Sent from my iPad
I’m not an expert on this stuff, but are they still higher-kinded types if we don’t express a relationship between Self and the associated type? I don’t think it’s quite the same conceptual leap as HKT.
Consider that every associated type must be backed by a typealias (explicit or inferred) in the conforming type. We can already have generic typealiases. This would be a more targeted thing which required those associatedtype-implementing-typealiases to contain generic parameters. It would also extend the constraints from SE-0142 to allow constraints to refer to those parameters and bind them to other associated types.
The workaround is basically to erase and dynamic-cast your way out:
//NOTE: dynamic type of ScanPromise.Result *must* be same as closure result. No static enforcement though :(
extension Scanner where ScanPromise.Result == Any? {
func scan<T>(from f: Offset, until u: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> T? {
return withoutActuallyEscaping(u) { _u -> T? in
return promiseScan(from: f, until: _u).await() as? T // downcast from Any? to T?
}
}
}
class MyPromise<R>: Promise {
typealias Result = R?
let offset: Offset
let block: (Offset, Item) -> R?
}
class MyScanner: Scanner {
typealias ScanPromise = MyPromise<Any> // want this to be “typealias ScanPromise<X> = MyPromise<X>"
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) ->
ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the
associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be
its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until”
closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I
would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]:
where Result == T
Some of us who work on the Swift compiler have talked about this extension
to the model before, and we *think* it dodges some of the concerns about
introducing more-general higher-rank types in Swift while enabling
reasonable use cases like the one you provide. It seems like a reasonable
direction.
Way out of scope for Swift 4 at this point, of course ;)
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements
the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that
parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of
calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
Why does it matter if `ScannerPromise` is generic or not?
That’s some pretty strange syntax. I admit I didn’t even try that.
ScannerPromise would necessarily have to be generic in this context,
because I want to bind one of its associated types to a generic parameter
from a function. There is no way a non-generic type could do that.
That said, even though the compiler accepts your code, it doesn’t seem to
actually work:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
func await() -> Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
error: repl.swift:13:14: error: cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an
argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
^
repl.swift:13:14: note: expected an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
That's because your `T` in `use` has no relationship with your `T` in
`protocol Scanner`; you just happen to have chosen the same letter of the
alphabet. This becomes clear if you rename:
func use<S: Scanner, U>(_ s: S, _ t: U) -> U {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
*// cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(U)'*
*// expected an argument list of type '(T)'*
However, this works:
func use<S: Scanner, T>(_ s: S, _ t: T) -> T
where S.ScannerPromise.Result == T {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
No, what you’ve done is something different. “frobnicate” is itself a generic function, so it should work if you rename the parameter to “U". You’ve just punted the constraint down the abstraction hierarchy.
This becomes clear if you try to continue working at the protocol-level:
error: repl.swift:14:16: error: cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(T)'
return frobnicate(t).await()
^
repl.swift:14:16: note: expected an argument list of type '(T)'
return frobnicate(t).await()
- Karl
···
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:50, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sun, Mar 12, 2017 at 1:39 AM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com <mailto:razielim@gmail.com>> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:21, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com <mailto:xiaodi.wu@gmail.com>> wrote:
Sorry, I'm confused. The following works:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
Why does it matter if `ScannerPromise` is generic or not?
That’s some pretty strange syntax. I admit I didn’t even try that. ScannerPromise would necessarily have to be generic in this context, because I want to bind one of its associated types to a generic parameter from a function. There is no way a non-generic type could do that.
That said, even though the compiler accepts your code, it doesn’t seem to actually work:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
func await() -> Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
error: repl.swift:13:14: error: cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
^
repl.swift:13:14: note: expected an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
That's because your `T` in `use` has no relationship with your `T` in `protocol Scanner`; you just happen to have chosen the same letter of the alphabet. This becomes clear if you rename:
func use<S: Scanner, U>(_ s: S, _ t: U) -> U {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
// cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(U)'
// expected an argument list of type '(T)'
However, this works:
func use<S: Scanner, T>(_ s: S, _ t: T) -> T
where S.ScannerPromise.Result == T {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
which is why you can’t invoke it with a generic ’T’
- Karl
···
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:50, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sun, Mar 12, 2017 at 1:39 AM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com <mailto:razielim@gmail.com>> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:21, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com <mailto:xiaodi.wu@gmail.com>> wrote:
Sorry, I'm confused. The following works:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
Why does it matter if `ScannerPromise` is generic or not?
That’s some pretty strange syntax. I admit I didn’t even try that. ScannerPromise would necessarily have to be generic in this context, because I want to bind one of its associated types to a generic parameter from a function. There is no way a non-generic type could do that.
That said, even though the compiler accepts your code, it doesn’t seem to actually work:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
func await() -> Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
error: repl.swift:13:14: error: cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
^
repl.swift:13:14: note: expected an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
That's because your `T` in `use` has no relationship with your `T` in `protocol Scanner`; you just happen to have chosen the same letter of the alphabet. This becomes clear if you rename:
func use<S: Scanner, U>(_ s: S, _ t: U) -> U {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
// cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(U)'
// expected an argument list of type '(T)'
However, this works:
func use<S: Scanner, T>(_ s: S, _ t: T) -> T
where S.ScannerPromise.Result == T {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
This is a really important feature IMO, but as others have pointed out it basically amounts to higher-kinded types. I would love to be wrong about this but I am reasonably sure this is out of scope for Swift 4 (otherwise I would be working on a proposal already).
Sent from my iPad
I’m not an expert on this stuff, but are they still higher-kinded types if we don’t express a relationship between Self and the associated type? I don’t think it’s quite the same conceptual leap as HKT.
I’m no expert either but it sure seems to me like it enables the things usually discussed in the context of higher-kinder types. Maybe someone from the core team can comment on whether there is a meaningful difference and whether this is something that could fit into Swift 4.
Consider that every associated type must be backed by a typealias (explicit or inferred) in the conforming type. We can already have generic typealiases. This would be a more targeted thing which required those associatedtype-implementing-typealiases to contain generic parameters. It would also extend the constraints from SE-0142 to allow constraints to refer to those parameters and bind them to other associated types.
The workaround is basically to erase and dynamic-cast your way out:
Yes, there are workarounds, none of which are desirable.
I ran into a case last year where there was a significant performance impact caused by the need to perform type erasure as a workaround. The type erasing wrapper required an allocation and type information that could have been used by the optimizer was lost. This was frustrating and convinced me that we definitely need HKT in Swift eventually. There are very useful generic libraries that cannot be implemented efficiently without them.
···
On Mar 12, 2017, at 3:23 PM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 14:32, Matthew Johnson <matthew@anandabits.com <mailto:matthew@anandabits.com>> wrote:
//NOTE: dynamic type of ScanPromise.Result *must* be same as closure result. No static enforcement though :(
extension Scanner where ScanPromise.Result == Any? {
func scan<T>(from f: Offset, until u: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> T? {
return withoutActuallyEscaping(u) { _u -> T? in
return promiseScan(from: f, until: _u).await() as? T // downcast from Any? to T?
}
}
}
class MyPromise<R>: Promise {
typealias Result = R?
let offset: Offset
let block: (Offset, Item) -> R?
}
class MyScanner: Scanner {
typealias ScanPromise = MyPromise<Any> // want this to be “typealias ScanPromise<X> = MyPromise<X>"
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
This is a really important feature IMO, but as others have pointed out it basically amounts to higher-kinded types. I would love to be wrong about this but I am reasonably sure this is out of scope for Swift 4 (otherwise I would be working on a proposal already).
Sent from my iPad
I’m not an expert on this stuff, but are they still higher-kinded types if we don’t express a relationship between Self and the associated type? I don’t think it’s quite the same conceptual leap as HKT.
I’m no expert either but it sure seems to me like it enables the things usually discussed in the context of higher-kinder types. Maybe someone from the core team can comment on whether there is a meaningful difference
Yes, it's a way of getting some of the behavior of higher-kinded types. Kind of a well-known trick in a number of languages. It's significantly simpler to handle in the type system because the higher-kinded entities stay "second class" — you don't necessarily have to deal with, say, higher-kinded type variables in the constraint solver or in type inference. Of course, that limits some of the code you can write, or at least the simplicity of that code.
and whether this is something that could fit into Swift 4.
No.
John.
···
On Mar 12, 2017, at 5:00 PM, Matthew Johnson via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:
On Mar 12, 2017, at 3:23 PM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com <mailto:razielim@gmail.com>> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 14:32, Matthew Johnson <matthew@anandabits.com <mailto:matthew@anandabits.com>> wrote:
Consider that every associated type must be backed by a typealias (explicit or inferred) in the conforming type. We can already have generic typealiases. This would be a more targeted thing which required those associatedtype-implementing-typealiases to contain generic parameters. It would also extend the constraints from SE-0142 to allow constraints to refer to those parameters and bind them to other associated types.
The workaround is basically to erase and dynamic-cast your way out:
Yes, there are workarounds, none of which are desirable.
I ran into a case last year where there was a significant performance impact caused by the need to perform type erasure as a workaround. The type erasing wrapper required an allocation and type information that could have been used by the optimizer was lost. This was frustrating and convinced me that we definitely need HKT in Swift eventually. There are very useful generic libraries that cannot be implemented efficiently without them.
//NOTE: dynamic type of ScanPromise.Result *must* be same as closure result. No static enforcement though :(
extension Scanner where ScanPromise.Result == Any? {
func scan<T>(from f: Offset, until u: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> T? {
return withoutActuallyEscaping(u) { _u -> T? in
return promiseScan(from: f, until: _u).await() as? T // downcast from Any? to T?
}
}
}
class MyPromise<R>: Promise {
typealias Result = R?
let offset: Offset
let block: (Offset, Item) -> R?
}
class MyScanner: Scanner {
typealias ScanPromise = MyPromise<Any> // want this to be “typealias ScanPromise<X> = MyPromise<X>"
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements
the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that
parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of
calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
Hmm, I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish here. If I have an
instance `s` that conforms to `Scanner`, then it must have a concrete
associated type `ScannerPromise.Result`. `s.frobnicate()` can only take an
argument of type `ScannerPromise.Result`; you want to pass an argument of
arbitrary type `T` and have an existing instance conforming to `Scanner`
retroactively change the type of `ScannerPromise.Result`?
···
On Sun, Mar 12, 2017 at 3:02 AM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:50, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sun, Mar 12, 2017 at 1:39 AM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:21, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com> wrote:
Sorry, I'm confused. The following works:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
Why does it matter if `ScannerPromise` is generic or not?
That’s some pretty strange syntax. I admit I didn’t even try that.
ScannerPromise would necessarily have to be generic in this context,
because I want to bind one of its associated types to a generic parameter
from a function. There is no way a non-generic type could do that.
That said, even though the compiler accepts your code, it doesn’t seem to
actually work:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
func await() -> Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
error: repl.swift:13:14: error: cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an
argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
^
repl.swift:13:14: note: expected an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
That's because your `T` in `use` has no relationship with your `T` in
`protocol Scanner`; you just happen to have chosen the same letter of the
alphabet. This becomes clear if you rename:
func use<S: Scanner, U>(_ s: S, _ t: U) -> U {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
*// cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(U)'*
*// expected an argument list of type '(T)'*
However, this works:
func use<S: Scanner, T>(_ s: S, _ t: T) -> T
where S.ScannerPromise.Result == T {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
No, what you’ve done is something different. “frobnicate” is itself a
generic function, so it should work if you rename the parameter to “U".
You’ve just punted the constraint down the abstraction hierarchy.
This becomes clear if you try to continue working at the protocol-level:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 09:11, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sun, Mar 12, 2017 at 3:02 AM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com <mailto:razielim@gmail.com>> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:50, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com <mailto:xiaodi.wu@gmail.com>> wrote:
On Sun, Mar 12, 2017 at 1:39 AM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com <mailto:razielim@gmail.com>> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 08:21, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu@gmail.com <mailto:xiaodi.wu@gmail.com>> wrote:
Sorry, I'm confused. The following works:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
Why does it matter if `ScannerPromise` is generic or not?
That’s some pretty strange syntax. I admit I didn’t even try that. ScannerPromise would necessarily have to be generic in this context, because I want to bind one of its associated types to a generic parameter from a function. There is no way a non-generic type could do that.
That said, even though the compiler accepts your code, it doesn’t seem to actually work:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
func await() -> Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScannerPromise : Promise
func frobnicate<T>(_: T) -> ScannerPromise
where ScannerPromise.Result == T
}
error: repl.swift:13:14: error: cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
^
repl.swift:13:14: note: expected an argument list of type '(T)'
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
That's because your `T` in `use` has no relationship with your `T` in `protocol Scanner`; you just happen to have chosen the same letter of the alphabet. This becomes clear if you rename:
func use<S: Scanner, U>(_ s: S, _ t: U) -> U {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
// cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(U)'
// expected an argument list of type '(T)'
However, this works:
func use<S: Scanner, T>(_ s: S, _ t: T) -> T
where S.ScannerPromise.Result == T {
return s.frobnicate(t).await()
}
No, what you’ve done is something different. “frobnicate” is itself a generic function, so it should work if you rename the parameter to “U". You’ve just punted the constraint down the abstraction hierarchy.
This becomes clear if you try to continue working at the protocol-level:
error: repl.swift:14:16: error: cannot invoke 'frobnicate' with an argument list of type '(T)'
return frobnicate(t).await()
^
repl.swift:14:16: note: expected an argument list of type '(T)'
return frobnicate(t).await()
Hmm, I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish here. If I have an instance `s` that conforms to `Scanner`, then it must have a concrete associated type `ScannerPromise.Result`. `s.frobnicate()` can only take an argument of type `ScannerPromise.Result`; you want to pass an argument of arbitrary type `T` and have an existing instance conforming to `Scanner` retroactively change the type of `ScannerPromise.Result`?
This is a really important feature IMO, but as others have pointed out it basically amounts to higher-kinded types. I would love to be wrong about this but I am reasonably sure this is out of scope for Swift 4 (otherwise I would be working on a proposal already).
Sent from my iPad
I’m not an expert on this stuff, but are they still higher-kinded types if we don’t express a relationship between Self and the associated type? I don’t think it’s quite the same conceptual leap as HKT.
I’m no expert either but it sure seems to me like it enables the things usually discussed in the context of higher-kinder types. Maybe someone from the core team can comment on whether there is a meaningful difference
Yes, it's a way of getting some of the behavior of higher-kinded types. Kind of a well-known trick in a number of languages. It's significantly simpler to handle in the type system because the higher-kinded entities stay "second class" — you don't necessarily have to deal with, say, higher-kinded type variables in the constraint solver or in type inference. Of course, that limits some of the code you can write, or at least the simplicity of that code.
Interesting, thanks John. This would solve many of the use cases I have in mind. It’s good to know there is a solution that doesn’t require the full complexity of higher-kinded types. Maybe it will be feasible sooner than full HKT.
and whether this is something that could fit into Swift 4.
No.
That’s what I suspected. Thanks for confirming.
···
On Mar 13, 2017, at 11:50 AM, John McCall <rjmccall@apple.com> wrote:
On Mar 12, 2017, at 5:00 PM, Matthew Johnson via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org <mailto:swift-evolution@swift.org>> wrote:
On Mar 12, 2017, at 3:23 PM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com <mailto:razielim@gmail.com>> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 14:32, Matthew Johnson <matthew@anandabits.com <mailto:matthew@anandabits.com>> wrote:
John.
Consider that every associated type must be backed by a typealias (explicit or inferred) in the conforming type. We can already have generic typealiases. This would be a more targeted thing which required those associatedtype-implementing-typealiases to contain generic parameters. It would also extend the constraints from SE-0142 to allow constraints to refer to those parameters and bind them to other associated types.
The workaround is basically to erase and dynamic-cast your way out:
Yes, there are workarounds, none of which are desirable.
I ran into a case last year where there was a significant performance impact caused by the need to perform type erasure as a workaround. The type erasing wrapper required an allocation and type information that could have been used by the optimizer was lost. This was frustrating and convinced me that we definitely need HKT in Swift eventually. There are very useful generic libraries that cannot be implemented efficiently without them.
//NOTE: dynamic type of ScanPromise.Result *must* be same as closure result. No static enforcement though :(
extension Scanner where ScanPromise.Result == Any? {
func scan<T>(from f: Offset, until u: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> T? {
return withoutActuallyEscaping(u) { _u -> T? in
return promiseScan(from: f, until: _u).await() as? T // downcast from Any? to T?
}
}
}
class MyPromise<R>: Promise {
typealias Result = R?
let offset: Offset
let block: (Offset, Item) -> R?
}
class MyScanner: Scanner {
typealias ScanPromise = MyPromise<Any> // want this to be “typealias ScanPromise<X> = MyPromise<X>"
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T
// type of vendsGenericBytes is "(<T>(T)->Void where ...)->Void"
func takesGenericBytes<T: Collection>(_: T) where T.Iterator.Element == UInt8 {
// ...
}
// type of takesGenericBytes is: "<T>(T)->Void where …”
vendsGenericBytes(takesGenericBytes)
vendsGenericBytes {
if let idx = index(where: { $0 == 0x04 }) {
//...
}
}
For functions and closures, you sometimes want to refer to them as an unbound generic because you intend to invoke them with a multitude of types within the same scope, and you want to invoke a specialised function/closure for each type of argument.
For example, vendsGenericBytes might decide to call the callback with a ReversedCollection (if the bytes are coming in reverse), or a LazyMapCollection, FilterCollection or any other kind of collection of UInt8s. You can write a generic function which handles that, but you can’t use it as a callback.
Would this kind of thing ever be supported in Swift? If so, could I (or somebody) add it to the generics manifesto so we don't forget?
- Karl
···
On 13 Mar 2017, at 17:50, John McCall <rjmccall@apple.com> wrote:
On Mar 12, 2017, at 5:00 PM, Matthew Johnson via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org <mailto:swift-evolution@swift.org>> wrote:
On Mar 12, 2017, at 3:23 PM, Karl Wagner <razielim@gmail.com <mailto:razielim@gmail.com>> wrote:
On 12 Mar 2017, at 14:32, Matthew Johnson <matthew@anandabits.com <mailto:matthew@anandabits.com>> wrote:
This is a really important feature IMO, but as others have pointed out it basically amounts to higher-kinded types. I would love to be wrong about this but I am reasonably sure this is out of scope for Swift 4 (otherwise I would be working on a proposal already).
Sent from my iPad
I’m not an expert on this stuff, but are they still higher-kinded types if we don’t express a relationship between Self and the associated type? I don’t think it’s quite the same conceptual leap as HKT.
I’m no expert either but it sure seems to me like it enables the things usually discussed in the context of higher-kinder types. Maybe someone from the core team can comment on whether there is a meaningful difference
Yes, it's a way of getting some of the behavior of higher-kinded types. Kind of a well-known trick in a number of languages. It's significantly simpler to handle in the type system because the higher-kinded entities stay "second class" — you don't necessarily have to deal with, say, higher-kinded type variables in the constraint solver or in type inference. Of course, that limits some of the code you can write, or at least the simplicity of that code.
and whether this is something that could fit into Swift 4.
No.
John.
Consider that every associated type must be backed by a typealias (explicit or inferred) in the conforming type. We can already have generic typealiases. This would be a more targeted thing which required those associatedtype-implementing-typealiases to contain generic parameters. It would also extend the constraints from SE-0142 to allow constraints to refer to those parameters and bind them to other associated types.
The workaround is basically to erase and dynamic-cast your way out:
Yes, there are workarounds, none of which are desirable.
I ran into a case last year where there was a significant performance impact caused by the need to perform type erasure as a workaround. The type erasing wrapper required an allocation and type information that could have been used by the optimizer was lost. This was frustrating and convinced me that we definitely need HKT in Swift eventually. There are very useful generic libraries that cannot be implemented efficiently without them.
//NOTE: dynamic type of ScanPromise.Result *must* be same as closure result. No static enforcement though :(
extension Scanner where ScanPromise.Result == Any? {
func scan<T>(from f: Offset, until u: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> T? {
return withoutActuallyEscaping(u) { _u -> T? in
return promiseScan(from: f, until: _u).await() as? T // downcast from Any? to T?
}
}
}
class MyPromise<R>: Promise {
typealias Result = R?
let offset: Offset
let block: (Offset, Item) -> R?
}
class MyScanner: Scanner {
typealias ScanPromise = MyPromise<Any> // want this to be “typealias ScanPromise<X> = MyPromise<X>"
func promiseScan<T>(from: Offset, until: (Offset, Item) -> T?) -> ScanPromise // where Result == T?
}
The thing that I’m trying to express is: whichever type implements the associated type ‘ScanPromise’ must be generic, and that parameter must be its result (i.e. something it got as a result of calling the “until” closure).
Even with SE-0142, this kind of constraint would not be possible. What I would like to write is something like this:
protocol Promise {
associatedtype Result
}
protocol Scanner {
associatedtype ScanPromise<T>: Promise // now generic. [SE-0142]: where Result == T