[erlang-questions] idea: function meta data

[Lev Walkin]

I think there's is a problem with attributing metadata to
module or to function. In your example, consider the
first -doc() to be absent. What makes the second -doc()
be bound to function? The extra line directly above it
certainly makes it so for humans, but it shouldn't be
relied upon formally.

Perhaps (I live motivation outside this email), something like this?

	-module(test).
	-doc("Math module with some fancy math functions.").
	-keywords([math, fancy, factorial]).
	-export([fac/1].

	-fun(doc, "The factorial function.").
	-fun(keywords, [math]).
	fac(0) -> 1;
	fac(N) -> N*fac(N-1)


Andreas Hillqvist wrote:
> You make a good point.
> 
> So would this look like:
>      -module(test).
>      -doc("Math module with some fancy math functions.").
>      -keywords([math, fancy, factorial]).
>      -export([fac/1].
> 
>      -doc("The factorial function, for they day you will need it.").
>      -keywords([math]).
>      fac(0) -> 1;
>      fac(N) -> N*fac(N-1)
> 
> I believe Erlang supports multiple occurrences, example a hlr is
> expanded by the pre-parser to:
>      -file("/xxx/yyy/zzz.hrl", 1).
>      -hrl_id(aaa).
>      -hrl_vsn(bbb).
>      -hrl_date(ccc).
>      -hrl_author(ddd).
> 
>      foo() -> bar.
> 
> Where hlr headers seems to be prefixed with hlr. So to differentiate
> module level headers from function level we may use the "fun_" prefix
> on atoms:
>      -module(test).
>      -doc("Math module with some fancy math functions.").
>      -keywords([math, fancy, factorial]).
>      -export([fac/1].
> 
>      -fun_doc("The factorial function, for they day you will need it.").
>      -fun_keywords([math]).
>      fac(0) -> 1;
>      fac(N) -> N*fac(N-1)
> 
> 
> Just my ideas/suggestions, pleas feel free to criticize.
>    ;-)
> 
> 
> Regards
> Andreas Hillqvist
> 
> 2007/11/15, Lev Walkin <vlm@REDACTED>:
>> One of the most peculiar problems people have with certain languages
>> (Objective-C) is that punctuation and non-alphabetical characters
>> are overloaded beyond all reason. +module, -interface, @end, etc.
>>
>> We risk ending up with something like
>>
>> -module(test).
>> +module(test).
>> @module(test).
>>
>> where module is a keyword in one place and atom in another. Having
>> more or less uniform "-<keyword>(<value>)." is arguably more
>> self-consistent and removes unnecessary learning curve.
>>
>> Just 2c.
>>
>> Andreas Hillqvist wrote:
>>> I like the Idea of function meta data.
>>>
>>> But it might be better/simpler/easier/harder to use an alternativ
>>> prefix, like double -- (Similar to %, %% and %%%).
>>>
>>> Why not use the name atom instead of meta?
>>> To me meta dose not contribute with value to the syntax.
>>>
>>> Would look like:
>>>
>>>     -module(test).
>>>     -export([fac/1].
>>>
>>>     --doc("the factorial function").
>>>     --type("int -> int").
>>>     --keywords([math]).
>>>     fac(0) -> 1;
>>>     fac(N) -> N*fac(N-1)
>>>
>>> Or some other prefix like "+"(Just an example, Do not like + myself.
>>> To much alike the udiff format. ;-)?
>>>     -module(test).
>>>     -export([fac/1].
>>>
>>>     +doc("the factorial function").
>>>     +type("int -> int").
>>>     +keywords([math]).
>>>
>>>     fac(0) -> 1;
>>>     fac(N) -> N*fac(N-1)
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> Andreas Hillqvist
>>>
>>> 2007/11/15, Joe Armstrong <erlang@REDACTED>:
>>>> Module have metadata  Mod:module_info(export) etc.
>>>>
>>>> But functions do not.
>>>>
>>>> idea - attach function meta data with a new attribute.
>>>>
>>>>      -meta(doc, "the factorial function").
>>>>      -meta(type, "int -> int").
>>>>      -meta(keywords, [math]).
>>>>
>>>>      fac(0) -> 1;
>>>>      fac(N) -> N*fac(N-1)
>>>>
>>>> The meta data gets *attached* to the Next function in the module
>>>>
>>>>     -meta(process, true).
>>>>     foo() -> spawn(fun() -> ... end)
>>>>
>>>> After compilation meta data can be access as follows:
>>>>
>>>>    Mod:meta_data(fac, 1, doc) => "the factorial function"
>>>>    ...
>>>>    Mod:meta_data(fac, 1, glurk) => '$nothing'
>>>>
>>>> if we then *standardise* the meta data it will be easy to make loads
>>>> of nice tools for type checking, documentation etc.
>>>>
>>>> I'm off on a trip today - so can somebody hack the preprocess and
>>>> parser to do this? (( this needs a small change
>>>> attributes have a different syntax and must be at *before* all functions))
>>>>
>>>> This adds introspection to the language !
>>>>
>>>> /Joe Armstrong
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> erlang-questions@REDACTED
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>>>>
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