Records, encapsulation and optional elements

[Vladimir Sekissov]

Good day,

Your code could be more compact:

make_attr(Name, Domain, Options) ->
  Rec = #attr{name = Name, domain = Domain},
  Ret = lists:foldl(fun({domLen, Val}, AccRec) ->
                        AccRec#attr{domLen = Val};
                       ({domPrec, Val}, AccRec) ->
                        AccRec#attr{domPrec = Val};
                        ...
                       ({autonum, Val}, AccRec) ->
                        AccRec#attr{autonum = Val}
                    end, Rec, Options),
  Ret.

or without generic functions:

make_attr(Name, Domain, Options) ->
  Rec = #attr{name = Name, domain = Domain},
  make_attr(Rec, Options).

make_attr(Rec, []) ->
  Rec;
make_attr(Rec, [{domLen, Val}| Rest]) ->
  make_attr(Rec#attr{domLen = Val}, Rest);
...
make_attr(Rec, [{autonum, Val}| Rest]) ->
  make_attr(Rec#attr{autonum = Val}, Rest).

Best Regards,

Vladimir Sekissov

apeake> I am new to Erlang. Could someone please advise if the following is a
apeake> reasonable attempt at encapsulating the creation of records (with optional
apeake> elements)? Is there a more elegant way? It seems a shame that I can define
apeake> defaults (in the .hrl) and yet not use them (in an encapsulated way) in the
apeake> ..erl.
apeake> 
apeake> Thanks,
apeake> 
apeake> Alex
apeake> 
apeake> 
apeake> %% File: attr.hrl
apeake> 
apeake> %%-----------------------------------------------------------
apeake> %% Data Type: attr
apeake> %% where:
apeake> %%    name:  A string (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    domain:  An atom (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    domLen:   An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    domPrec:   An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    nullable: A boolean (default is false).
apeake> %%    isPk: A boolean (default is false).
apeake> %%    pkPos: An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    fkPos: An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    fkRel:  A string (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    fkAttr:  A string (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    autonum: A boolean (default is false).
apeake> %%------------------------------------------------------------
apeake> 
apeake> -record(attr, {name, domain, domLen = 0, domPrec = 0, nullable = false, isPk
apeake> = false, pkPos, fkPos, fkRel, fkAttr, autonum = false}).
apeake> 
apeake> 
apeake> 
apeake> 
apeake> 
apeake> 
apeake> -module(attr).
apeake> -include("attr.hrl").
apeake> -export([make_attr/3, varName/1, label/1]).
apeake> -export([findNamed/2, findNamedC/1, findFromNameList/2]).
apeake> 
apeake> %%-----------------------------------------------------------
apeake> %% Data Type: attr
apeake> %% where:
apeake> %%    name:  A string (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    domain:  An atom (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    domLen:   An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    domPrec:   An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    nullable: A boolean (default is false).
apeake> %%    isPk: A boolean (default is false).
apeake> %%    pkPos: An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    fkPos: An integer (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    fkRel:  A string (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    fkAttr:  A string (default is undefined).
apeake> %%    autonum: A boolean (default is false).
apeake> %%------------------------------------------------------------
apeake> 
apeake> 
apeake> %% Name and Domain are required arguments.
apeake> %% Options is a list of Tuples for the rest.
apeake> %% Example: [{nullable, true},{isPK, true},{pkPos,1}]
apeake> make_attr(Name, Domain, Options) ->
apeake>     DomLen = case lists:keysearch(domLen, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		 {value,{domLen, Value}} ->
apeake> 		     Value;
apeake> 		 _ ->
apeake> 		     undefined
apeake> 	     end,
apeake>     DomPrec = case lists:keysearch(domPrec, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		  {value,{domPrec, Value}} ->
apeake> 		      Value;
apeake> 		  _ ->
apeake> 		      undefined
apeake> 	      end,
apeake>     Nullable = case lists:keysearch(nullable, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		   {value,{nullable, Value}} ->
apeake> 		       Value;
apeake> 		   _ ->
apeake> 		       false
apeake> 	       end,
apeake>     IsPk = case lists:keysearch(isPk, 1, Options) of
apeake> 	       {value,{isPk, Value}} ->
apeake> 		   Value;
apeake> 	       _ ->
apeake> 		   false
apeake> 	   end,
apeake>     PkPos = case lists:keysearch(pkPos, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		{value,{pkPos, Value}} ->
apeake> 		    Value;
apeake> 		_ ->
apeake> 		    undefined
apeake> 	    end,
apeake>     FkPos = case lists:keysearch(fkPos, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		{value,{fkPos, Value}} ->
apeake> 		    Value;
apeake> 		_ ->
apeake> 		    undefined
apeake> 	    end,
apeake>     FkRel = case lists:keysearch(fkRel, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		{value,{fkRel, Value}} ->
apeake> 		    Value;
apeake> 		_ ->
apeake> 		    undefined
apeake> 	    end,
apeake>     FkAttr = case lists:keysearch(fkAttr, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		 {value,{fkAttr, Value}} ->
apeake> 		     Value;
apeake> 		 _ ->
apeake> 		     undefined
apeake> 	     end,
apeake>     Autonum = case lists:keysearch(autonum, 1, Options) of
apeake> 		  {value,{autonum, Value}} ->
apeake> 		      Value;
apeake> 		  _ ->
apeake> 		      false
apeake> 	      end,
apeake>     #attr{name = Name, domain = Domain, domLen = DomLen, domPrec = DomPrec,
apeake> 	  nullable = Nullable, isPk = IsPk, pkPos = PkPos, fkPos = FkPos,
apeake> 	  fkRel = FkRel, fkAttr = FkAttr, autonum = Autonum}.
apeake> 
apeake>