[swift-evolution] [Proposal] Enums with stored properties

[Maximilian Hünenberger]

I think your second point is quite interesting!

We should consider expanding this so that we can get any associated value:

// from the Swift book
enum Barcode {
    case upc(Int, Int, Int, Int)
    case qrCode(String)
}

let code = Barcode.upc(9,2,3,4)
if let upcCode = code.upc {
    // upcCode: (Int, Int, Int, Int)
    upcCode.0 // 9 : Int
}
// direct access
code.upc?.0 // 9 : Int?


This would also increase performance if the following example is not optimized:

enum Term {
    case sum([Term])
    case number(Double)
}

var term = Term.sum([..., ..., ...........])
// appending an element to the array
if var .sum(array) = term {
    // in the worst case the whole array will be copied
    array.insert(.number(1.0) at: 0)
    term = .sum(array)
} else {
    fatalError()
}

// in contrast the proposed version
// here you are sure that the array won't be copied
term.sum!.insert(.number(1.0), at: 0)


I don't know wether this impacts ABI so I would defer this idea if not.

Best regards
Maximilian

> Am 12.10.2016 um 13:22 schrieb Mateusz Malczak via swift-evolution <swift-evolution at swift.org>:
> 
> I agree, we dont event have to add a new language syntax to get this
> feature. Using structs as rawTypes would do the trick but
> 
> 1. it should be possible to use struct initializer to define enum cases
> struct MyStruct {
> var width: Int
> var height: Int
> init(width: Int, height: Int) { ... }
> }
> 
> enum MyEnum: MyStruct
> {
> case myStructCase1(width: 30, height: 30)
> case myStructCase2(width: 60, height: 60)
> ...
> }
> 
> 2. calling .rawVaue should not be required in such case to access
> stored properties
> 
> let e = MyEnum.myStructCase1
> let width = e.width // instead of e.rawValue.width
> 
> Immutability of all properties in enum struct type is already
> implemented in Swift.
> At the same time .rawValue stays as it is for primitive types.
> 
> --
> | Mateusz Malczak
> +-------------------------------
> 
> 
> 2016-10-12 13:02 GMT+02:00 J.E. Schotsman via swift-evolution
> <swift-evolution at swift.org>:
>> 
>> On 12 Oct 2016, at 09:41,Mateusz Malczak wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> That's exactly what this proposal is about. I would like to
>> keep all enum properties but add an extra feature, so that enums can
>> store some extra data.
>> 
>> 
>> If technically possible I would prefer to directly use types for enum cases.
>> Reducing a type to a tuple loses the computed properties and methods of the
>> type.
>> The types must be equatable I suppose.
>> 
>> The current enum rawValues are just indexes or keys which the compiler can
>> autogenerate (like it does for enums without a raw type).
>> Of course the raw values can be used in some smart way, like for sorting or
>> grouping cases, but this can all be done with general types - and better at
>> that.
>> 
>> So basically you have a struct type and an enum which is just a set of
>> static lets of the struct type.
>> struct MyStruct {}
>> enum MyEnum: MyStruct
>> {
>> case myStruct1
>> case myStruct2
>> ...
>> }
>> 
>> MyStruct need not be created specifically for the enum; it might be useful
>> on its own.
>> MyEnum can have additional computed properties and methods which are needed
>> for the enumerated values only.
>> 
>> The cases can be accessed like MyStruct instances. No need for .rawValue
>> except in the case of primitive types. Even there there is room for sugar
>> (if a variable is already known to be of type Int we can assign an enum:Int
>> case to it with implied .rawValue).
>> 
>> Jan E.
>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> swift-evolution at swift.org
>> https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution
>> 
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