07 — Structs, enums, and match

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日本語版: 07_data.vibe.md

Data in vibe has one of two shapes, and the distinction runs through the whole language:

a y — is a struct;

rectangle — is an enum.

match is how you take either apart, and the compiler checks that you covered the cases.

Quick shapes: tuple, array, record

Before the named forms, three lightweight ones. A tuple groups a fixed number of values positionally, an array holds many of one type, and a record is a struct you did not bother to name:

fn main with Console {
  let t = (1, "two", true)
  println("t.0 = \{t.0}")
  let a = [
    1,
    2,
    3
  ]
  println("a[0] = \{a[0]}")
  println("Array::length(a) = \{Array::length(a)}")
  let r = record {
    name: "vibe",
    ver: 1
  }
  println("r.name = \{r.name}, r.ver = \{r.ver}")
  let record {
    name: n,
    ver: v
  } = r
  println("n = \{n}, v = \{v}")
}
t.0 = 1
a[0] = 1
Array::length(a) = 3
r.name = vibe, r.ver = 1
n = vibe, v = 1

The last two lines destructure: pulling several fields out under local names, which reads better than repeating r. when you want most of them.

Structs

A struct names the shape, and derive asks the compiler to write the obvious operations for it:

struct Point {
  x: Int; y: Int
} derive (Eq, Ord, Show)

fn main with Console {
  let p = Point::{
    x: 1, y: 2
  }
  println("p.x = \{p.x}")
  println("compare(p, {x:1,y:3}) = \{Point::compare(p, Point::{ x: 1, y: 3 })}")
  println("to_string(p) = \{Point::to_string(p)}")
}
p.x = 1
compare(p, {x:1,y:3}) = -1
to_string(p) = Point { x: 1, y: 2 }

Eq gives ==, Ord gives compare (returning -1, 0 or 1), and Show gives to_string and therefore interpolation. Write them out by hand only when the derived meaning is not the one you want. Generics, traits, and derive goes further.

Enums

An enum lists the alternatives, each carrying its own data, and match dispatches on which one you have:

enum Shape {
  Circle(Int);
  Rect(Int, Int)
}

fn area(s: Shape) -> Int {
  match s {
    Circle(r) => 3 * r * r,
    Rect(w, h) => w * h
  }
}

fn main with Console {
  println("area(Circle(2)) = \{area(Circle(2))}")
  println("area(Rect(6, 7)) = \{area(Rect(6, 7))}")
}
area(Circle(2)) = 12
area(Rect(6, 7)) = 42

Add a Triangle to that enum and area stops compiling until you say what its area is. That is the property worth having: the compiler finds the places that need updating, so adding a case is a mechanical job rather than a hunt.

What match can express

Patterns are not limited to variants. You can match literals, offer alternatives with |, add a condition with if, and catch the rest with _:

fn classify(n: Int) -> String {
  match n {
    0 => "zero",
    1|2 => "small",
    x if x < 0 => "negative",
    _ => "big"
  }
}

fn main with Console {
  println("classify(0) = \{classify(0)}")
  println("classify(2) = \{classify(2)}")
  println("classify(-5) = \{classify(-5)}")
  println("classify(99) = \{classify(99)}")
}
classify(0) = zero
classify(2) = small
classify(-5) = negative
classify(99) = big

Arms are tried in order, so x if x < 0 is reached only for values that were not 0, 1 or 2.

Binding by shape

A pattern that cannot fail can bind directly, without match — at the top level of a file as well as inside a function. The right-hand side is evaluated once and each name is a projection out of it:

struct Version {
  major: Int; minor: Int
}

let (left, right) = (20, 22)

let record {
  name
} = record {
  name: "vibe"
}

let Version::{
  major, minor
} = Version::{
  major: 0, minor: 3
}

fn main with Console {
  println("sum = \{left + right}, \{name} \{major}.\{minor}")
}
sum = 42, vibe 0.3

A pattern that can fail — an enum variant, a literal — needs match, or the is expression, which tests a pattern and binds its names for the branch that follows:

fn main with Console {
  let (a, b) = (1, 2)
  println("a + b = \{a + b}")
  let opt = Some(41)
  if opt is Some(w) {
    println("w = \{w}")
  }
  println("opt is Some(_) = \{opt is Some(_)}")
}
a + b = 3
w = 41
opt is Some(_) = true

opt is Some(_) on its own is just a Bool, which is often all you need.

Next: Effects (the heart of vibe).

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