[erlang-questions] Dynamically access record fields

[ok@REDACTED]

I still say that Erlang needs dynamic record fields
the way oysters need shooting sticks, but here's
how it could be done.

Step 1.
    "To each module using records, a pseudo function
     is added during compilation to obtain information
     about records:

     record_info(fields, Record) -> [Field]
     record_info(size, Record) -> Size
    "
     Extend this with

     record_info({index,Field}, Record) -> Index

    The term "pseudo function" (which ought to be
    "pseudo-function" or "pseudofunction") refers
    to the way the compiler reports an error if you
    call record_info/2 with non-literal arguments.

Step 2.
    Instead of reporting an error, have the compiler
    report a warning, and actually generate an
    executable module-local definition of the
    record_info/2 function; the existing behaviour
    then just becomes the compiler special-casing a
    known function, which is no more surprising than
    compiling 1+1 as 2.

Step 3.
    There is no step 3.  If you want there to be a
    step 3, you can write

    -compile({inline, [field/3,field/3]}).

    field(Tuple, Record, Field)
      when is_tuple(Tuple),
           tuple_size(Tuple) == record_info(size, Record),
           element(1,Tuple) == Record
      -> I = record_info({index,Field}, Record),
         element(I, Tuple).

    field(Tuple, Record, Field, New_Value)
      when is_tuple(Tuple),
           tuple_size(Tuple) == record_info(size, Record),
           element(1,Tuple) == Record
      -> I = record_info({index,Field}, Record),
         setelement(I, Tuple, New_Value).

    and stuff them in a file which you -include whenever
    you have a real need for this feature.  (Which is
    when oysters have a real need for shooting-sticks.)

The thing that makes this approach almost attractive is
that it very slightly extends an existing interface and
then just removes a highly unusual restriction from it.
(Which other Erlang functions must have literal arguments?)