[erlang-questions] idea: function meta data

[Lev Walkin]

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
>> _______________________________________________
>> erlang-questions mailing list
>> erlang-questions@REDACTED
>> http://www.erlang.org/mailman/listinfo/erlang-questions
>>
> _______________________________________________
> erlang-questions mailing list
> erlang-questions@REDACTED
> http://www.erlang.org/mailman/listinfo/erlang-questions