[ruby-core:66533] [ruby-trunk - Feature #6594] Integrated Functor

Issue #6594 has been updated by Nobuyoshi Nakada.

Description updated

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Feature #6594: Integrated Functor
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/6594#change-50148

* Author: Thomas Sawyer
* Status: Assigned
* Priority: Low
* Assignee: Yukihiro Matsumoto
* Category: core
* Target version: Next Major
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I know the developers meeting is coming up so I'd like to get a few ideas I've had sitting in the wings out in the air before then.

One the more useful is the idea of integrating Functors directly into the language. "Functor" is the term I use for "higher-order function".

I blogged about this idea and you can read it here: http://trans.github.com/2011-09-07-ruby-heart-higher-order-functions/

The super short version is this:

~~~ruby
def f => op, arg
  arg.send(__op__, arg)
end

f + 3  #=> 6
f * 3  #=> 9
~~~

Another example:

~~~ruby
class String
  def file => op, *args
    File.send(__op__, self, *args)
  end
end

"README.rdoc".file.mtime  #=> 2012-06-14 12:34:45 -0400
~~~

I'm using `=>` as means of indicating a higher-order function. Of course another syntax could be used if this won't fly. The important thing is the idea of higher-order functions being integrated directly into the language. Doing this without that integration requires the creation of an intermediate object for each call which is very inefficient.


---Files--------------------------------
6594.pdf (77.8 KB)


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