82 struct

INTRODUCTION.md

@@ -5,7 +5,63 @@
 
 # Brief Yal Introduction
 
-To set the contents of a variable use `set!`:
+Yal is a typical toy lisp with support for numbers, strings, characters, hashes and structures.
+
+
+## Primitive Types
+
+Primitive types work as you would expect:
+
+* Strings are just encoded literally, and escaped characters are honored:
+  * `(print "Hello, world\n")`
+* Numbers can be written as integers in decimal, binary, or hex.
+* Floating point numbers are also supported:
+  * `(print 3)`
+  * `(print 0xff)`
+  * `(print 0b1010)`
+  * `(print 3.4)`
+* Characters are written with a `#\` prefix.
+  * `(print #\*)`
+
+
+## Other Types
+
+We support hashes, which are key/value pairs, written between `{` and `}` pairs:
+
+```lisp
+(print { name "Steve" age (- 2022 1976) } )
+```
+
+Functions exist for getting/setting fields by name, and for iterating over keys, values, or key/value pairs.
+
+We also support structures, which are syntactical sugar for hashes, along with the autogeneration of some methods.
+
+To define a "person" with three fields you'd write:
+
+```lisp
+(struct person name age address)
+```
+
+Once this `struct` has been defined it can be populated via the constructor:
+
+```lisp
+(person "Steve" "18" "123 Fake Street")
+```
+
+The structure's fields can be accessed, and updated:
+
+```
+; Define "me" as a person with fields
+(set! me (person "Steve" "18" "123 Fake Street"))
+
+; Change the adddress
+(person.address me "999 Fake Lane")
+```
+
+
+## Variables
+
+To set the contents of a variable use `set!` which we saw above:
 
     (set! foo "bar")
 
@@ -28,6 +84,9 @@ form of `set!`:
       ;..
     )
 
+
+## Functions
+
 To define a function use `set!` with `fn*`:
 
     (set! fact (fn* (n)

PRIMITIVES.md

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   * [Symbols](#symbols)
   * [Special Forms](#special-forms)
   * [Core Primitives](#core-primitives)
+  * [Structure Methods](#structure-methods)
   * [Standard Library](#standard-library)
 * [Type Checking](#type-checking)
 * [Testing](#testing)
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@
 Here is a list of all the primitives which are available to yal users.
 
 Note that you might need to consult the source of the standard-library, or
-the help file, to see further details.  This is just intended as a summary.
+the help file, to see further details.  This document is primarily intended
+as a quick summary, and might lapse behind reality at times.
 
 
 ## Symbols
@@ -74,6 +76,8 @@ Special forms are things that are built into the core interpreter, and include:
   * Read a form from the specified string.
 * `set!`
   * Set the value of a variable.
+* `struct`
+  * Define a structure.
 * `symbol`
   * Create a new symbol from the given string.
 * `try`
@@ -222,6 +226,34 @@ Things you'll find here include:
 
 
 
+## Structure Methods
+
+A structure is a minimal wrapper over a hash, but when a structure is
+defined several methods are created.  Assuming a person-structure has
+been defined like so:
+
+```lisp
+(struct person name age address)
+```
+
+There is now a new structure, named `person` with three fields `name`, `age`, and `address` which can be instantiated.
+
+To help operate upon this structure several methods have also been created:
+
+* `(person "name" "age" "address")`
+  * Constructor method, which returns a new struct instance.
+  * If the number of arguments is less than the number of object-fields they will be left unset (i.e. nil).
+* `(person? obj)`
+  * Returns true if the given object is an instance of the person struct.
+* `(person.name obj [new-value])`
+  * Accessor/Mutator for the name-field in the given struct instance.
+* `(person.age obj [new-value])`
+  * Accessor/Mutator for the age-field in the given struct instance.
+* `(person.address obj [new-value])`
+  * Accessor/Mutator for the address-field in the given struct instance.
+
+
+
 ## Standard Library
 
 The standard library consists of routines, and helpers, which are written in 100% yal itself.

README.md

@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 
 * [A brief introduction to using this lisp](INTRODUCTION.md).
   * Getting started setting variables, defining functions, etc.
+  * This includes documentation on enhanced features such as
+    * Hashes.
+    * Structures.
 * [A list of primitives we have implemented](PRIMITIVES.md).
   * This describes the functions we support, whether implemented in lisp or golang.
   * For example `(car)`, `(cdr)`, `(file:lines)`, `(shell)`, etc.

eval/eval.go

@@ -42,15 +42,29 @@ type Eval struct {
 
 	// aliases contains any record of aliased functionality
 	aliases map[string]string
+
+	// structs contains a list of known structures.
+	//
+	// The key is the name of the structure, and the value is an
+	// array of the fields that structure possesses.
+	structs map[string][]string
+
+	// accessors contains struct field lookups
+	//
+	// The key is the name of the fake method, the value the name of
+	// the field to get/set
+	accessors map[string]string
 }
 
 // New constructs a new lisp interpreter.
 func New(src string) *Eval {
 
 	// Create with a default context.
 	e := &Eval{
-		context: context.Background(),
-		symbols: make(map[string]primitive.Primitive),
+		context:   context.Background(),
+		symbols:   make(map[string]primitive.Primitive),
+		structs:   make(map[string][]string),
+		accessors: make(map[string]string),
 	}
 
 	// Setup the default symbol-table entries
@@ -302,6 +316,8 @@ func (ev *Eval) eval(exp primitive.Primitive, e *env.Environment, expandMacro bo
 
 				ret.Set(x, val)
 			}
+
+			ret.SetStruct(obj.GetStruct())
 			return ret
 
 		// Numbers return themselves
@@ -641,6 +657,31 @@ func (ev *Eval) eval(exp primitive.Primitive, e *env.Environment, expandMacro bo
 				}
 				return ev.atom(listExp[1].ToString())
 
+			// (struct
+			case primitive.Symbol("struct"):
+				if len(listExp) <= 2 {
+					return primitive.ArityError()
+				}
+
+				// name of structure
+				name := listExp[1].ToString()
+
+				// the fields it contains
+				fields := []string{}
+
+				// convert the fields to strings
+				for _, field := range listExp[2:] {
+
+					f := field.ToString()
+
+					ev.accessors[name+"."+f] = f
+					fields = append(fields, f)
+				}
+
+				// save the structure as a known-thing
+				ev.structs[name] = fields
+				return primitive.Nil{}
+
 			// (env
 			case primitive.Symbol("env"):
 
@@ -792,16 +833,113 @@ func (ev *Eval) eval(exp primitive.Primitive, e *env.Environment, expandMacro bo
 				}
 
 			// Anything else is either a built-in function,
-			// or a user-function.
+			// a structure, or a user-function.
 			default:
 
+				// first item of the list - i.e. the thing
+				// we're gonna call.
+				thing := listExp[0]
+
+				// args supplied to this call
+				listArgs := listExp[1:]
+
+				// Is this a structure field access
+				access, okA := ev.accessors[thing.ToString()]
+				if okA {
+
+					if len(listArgs) == 1 || len(listArgs) == 2 {
+
+						obj := ev.eval(listArgs[0], e, expandMacro)
+						hsh, okH := obj.(primitive.Hash)
+						if okH {
+
+							if len(listArgs) == 1 {
+								return hsh.Get(access)
+							}
+
+							val := ev.eval(listArgs[1], e, expandMacro)
+							hsh.Set(access, val)
+							return primitive.Nil{}
+						}
+					}
+
+				}
+				// Is this a structure creation?
+				fields, ok := ev.structs[thing.ToString()]
+				if ok {
+
+					// ensure that we have some fields that
+					// match those we expect.
+					if len(listArgs) > len(fields) {
+						return primitive.ArityError()
+					}
+
+					// Create a hash to store the state
+					hash := primitive.NewHash()
+
+					// However mark this as a "struct",
+					// rather than a hash.
+					hash.SetStruct(thing.ToString())
+
+					// Set the fields, ensuring we evaluate them
+					for i, name := range fields {
+						if i < len(listArgs) {
+							hash.Set(name, ev.eval(listArgs[i], e, expandMacro))
+						} else {
+							hash.Set(name, primitive.Nil{})
+						}
+					}
+					return hash
+				}
+
+				// Is this a type-check on a struct?
+				if strings.HasSuffix(thing.ToString(), "?") {
+
+					// We're looking for a function-call
+					// that has a trailing "?", and one
+					// argument
+					if len(listExp) != 2 {
+						return primitive.ArityError()
+					}
+
+					// Get the thing that is being tested.
+					typeName := strings.TrimSuffix(thing.ToString(), "?")
+
+					// Does that represent a known-type?
+					_, ok2 := ev.structs[typeName]
+					if ok2 {
+
+						// OK a type-check on a known struct
+						//
+						// Note we evaluate the object
+						obj := ev.eval(listExp[1], e, expandMacro)
+
+						// is it a hash?
+						hsh, ok2 := obj.(primitive.Hash)
+						if !ok2 {
+							// nope - then not a struct
+							return primitive.Bool(false)
+						}
+
+						// is the struct-type the same as the type name?
+						if hsh.GetStruct() == typeName {
+							return primitive.Bool(true)
+						}
+						return primitive.Bool(false)
+					}
+
+					// just a method call with a trailing "?".
+					//
+					// could be "string?", etc, so we fall-through
+				}
+
 				// Find the thing we're gonna call.
-				procExp := ev.eval(listExp[0], e, expandMacro)
+				procExp := ev.eval(thing, e, expandMacro)
 
 				// Is it really a procedure we can call?
 				proc, ok := procExp.(*primitive.Procedure)
 				if !ok {
-					return primitive.Error(fmt.Sprintf("argument '%s' not a function", listExp[0].ToString()))
+					return primitive.Error(fmt.Sprintf("argument '%s' not a function", thing.ToString()))
 				}
 
 				// build up the arguments

eval/eval_test.go

@@ -263,6 +263,14 @@ a
 		{"(cond false 7 (= 2 2) 8 \"else\" 9)", "8"},
 		{"(cond false 7 false 8 false 9)", "nil"},
 
+		// struct
+		{"(struct foo bar) (set! me (foo 3)) (foo.bar me)", "3"},
+		{"(struct foo bar) (set! me (foo 3)) (foo.bar me 32) (foo.bar me)", "32"},
+		{`(struct cat name age) (set! me (cat "meow" 3)) (cat.name me)`, "meow"},
+		{`(struct cat name age) (set! me (cat "meow")) (cat.name me)`, "meow"},
+		{`(struct cat name age) (set! me (cat "meow" 3)) (cat.age me)`, "3"},
+		{`(struct cat name age) (set! me (cat "meow")) (cat.age me)`, "nil"},
+
 		// maths
 		{"(+ 3 1)", "4"},
 		{"(- 3 1)", "2"},
@@ -322,6 +330,15 @@ a
 		{"(let* (a 3 b))", "ERROR{list for (len*) must have even length, got [a 3 b]}"},
 		{"(let* (a 3 3 b))", "ERROR{binding name is not a symbol, got 3}"},
 
+		{"(struct foo bar)  (type (foo 3))", "struct-foo"},
+		{"(struct foo bar)  (foo 3 3)", primitive.ArityError().ToString()},
+		{"(struct foo bar)  (foo? nil)", "#f"},
+		{"(struct foo bar)  (foo? (foo 3))", "#t"},
+		{"(struct a name) (struct b name)  (a? (b 3))", "#f"},
+		{"(struct a name) (struct b name)  (b? (b 3))", "#t"},
+
+		{"(struct)", primitive.ArityError().ToString()},
+		{"(do (struct foo bar ) (foo?))", primitive.ArityError().ToString()},
 		{"(error )", primitive.ArityError().ToString()},
 		{"(quote )", primitive.ArityError().ToString()},
 		{"(quasiquote )", primitive.ArityError().ToString()},

lisp-tests.lisp

@@ -359,6 +359,14 @@ If the name of the test is not unique then that will cause an error to be printe
 (deftest binary:1 (list (dec2bin 3) "11"))
 (deftest binary:2 (list (dec2bin 4) "100"))
 
+;; structures
+(deftest struct:1 (list (do (struct person name) (type (person "me")))
+                        "struct-person"))
+(deftest struct:2 (list (do (struct person name) (person? (person "me")))
+                        true))
+(deftest struct:3 (list (do (struct person name) (person.name (person "me")))
+                        "me"))
+
 
 ;;
 ;; Define a function to run all the tests, by iterating over the hash.