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-- eoo.lua: Edrx'x simple OO scheme, with explanations. -- This file: -- http://anggtwu.net/LUA/eoo.lua.html -- http://anggtwu.net/LUA/eoo.lua -- (find-angg "LUA/eoo.lua") -- Author: Eduardo Ochs <[email protected]> -- Version: 2021sep12 -- License: GPL3 - if you need another license, ask me. -- -- A very simple object system. -- Here's a _very_ short description of how it works: -- -- The metatable of each object points to its class; -- classes are callable, and act as creators. -- New classes can be created with, e.g.: -- Circle = Class { type = "Circle", __index = {...} } -- then: -- Circle {size = 1} -- sets the metatable of the table {size = 1} to Circle, -- and returns the table {size = 1} (with its __mt modified). -- -- There are real docs (with lots of diagrams!) below. -- -- Version in my init file: (find-angg "LUA/lua50init.lua" "eoo") -- Originally from: (find-angg "LUA/canvas2.lua" "Class") -- A tool: (find-angg ".emacs.templates" "class") -- Compare with: http://lua-users.org/wiki/ObjectOrientedProgramming -- «.Class» (to "Class") -- «.otype» (to "otype") -- Docs: -- «.syntax-sugars» (to "syntax-sugars") -- «.__mt» (to "__mt") -- «.__mt-box» (to "__mt-box") -- «.Vector» (to "Vector") -- «.Vector-reductions» (to "Vector-reductions") -- Tests: -- «.test-Vector» (to "test-Vector") -- «.test-override» (to "test-override") -- «Class» (to ".Class") -- The code for "Class" is just these five lines. Class = { type = "Class", __call = function (class, o) return setmetatable(o, class) end, } setmetatable(Class, Class) -- «otype» (to ".otype") -- "otype(o)" works like "type(o)", except on my "objects" and on -- objects whose metatables are registered in otype_metatables. -- For example, after doing -- otype_metatables[getmetatable(lpeg.P(1))] = "lpeg" -- then the otype of any lpeg pattern will be "lpeg". otype_metatables = {} otype = function (o) local mt = getmetatable(o) return mt and (otype_metatables[mt] or mt.type) or type(o) end -- «over» (to ".over") -- Code for inheritance. -- Note: I have used this only a handful of times, and ages ago! -- See: (find-dn6 "diagstacks.lua" "MetaStack") -- (find-dn6 "diagstacks.lua" "MetaStack" "MetaStack = ClassOver(Stack) {") over = function (uppertable) return function (lowertable) setmetatable(uppertable, {__index=lowertable}) return uppertable end end ClassOver = function (upperclassmt) return function (lowerclass) setmetatable(upperclassmt.__index, {__index=lowerclass.__index}) return Class(upperclassmt) end end -- ____ -- | _ \ ___ ___ ___ -- | | | |/ _ \ / __/ __| -- | |_| | (_) | (__\__ \ -- |____/ \___/ \___|___/ -- --[==[ «syntax-sugars» (to ".syntax-sugars") 1. Syntax sugars ================ The best way to explain _in all details_ how this system of classes and objects works is by introducing some new notations, or "syntax sugars", that will be valid only in these comments; they are not implemented in the Lua parser. The squiggly arrow "⇝" will mean "desugars to", and is used like this: new notation ⇝ more basic notation In Lua these three syntax sugars are standard: T.foo ⇝ T["foo"] function foo (...) ... end ⇝ foo = function (...) ... end foo:bar(...) ⇝ foo.bar(foo, ...) They are explained in these sections of the manual: (find-lua51manual "#2.2" "field name as an index" "a.name" "a[\"name\"]") (find-lua51manual "#2.3" "var.Name" "var[\"Name\"]") (find-lua51manual "#2.5.8" "v:name(args)" "v.name(v, args)") (find-lua51manual "#2.5.9" "function f () body end") (find-lua51manual "#2.5.9" "colon syntax") Our two first syntax sugars are these: "λ" will be an abbreviation for "function", and "⇒" will be an abbreviation for "return". So: λ(a,b) ⇒ expr end ⇝ function (a,b) return expr end Our third syntax sugar will be the "__mt" notation for metatables - we will pretend that the field ".__mt" of a table accesses its metatable. So: B.__mt ⇝ getmetatable(B) B.__mt = A ⇝ setmetatable(B, A) Now some diagrammatic notations. We will draw tables as boxes with two coluns in which each line represents a key-value pair, like this: ╭──────────╮ │ 1 ┆ 10 │ │ 2 ┆ 20 │ ⇝ {10, 20, a=30, ["!"]=40} │ "a" ┆ 30 │ │ "!" ┆ 40 │ ╰──────────╯ This Lua code A = {10, 20, 30} B = {40, 50, a=A} builds two tables, that we will draw like this: ╭──────────╮ ╭──────────╮ B = │ 1 ┆ 40 │ A = │ 1 ┆ 10 │ │ 2 ┆ 50 │ │ 2 ┆ 20 │ │ "a" ┆ • ───────> │ 3 ┆ 30 │ ╰──────────╯ ╰──────────╯ A table with a metatable will be drawn in special way, with an "mt" at its bottom left pointing to its metatable. This code A = {10, 20, 30} C = {40, 50} setmetatable(A, C) generates the structures below; note that the "⇝" in the middle indicates that the diagram at the left is a syntax sugar for the diagram at the right... ╭──────────╮ ╭─────────────╮ C = │ 1 ┆ 40 │ C = │ 1 ┆ 40 │ │ 2 ┆ 50 │ │ 2 ┆ 50 │ ╰mt────────╯ │ "__mt" ┆ • │ │ ⇝ ╰───────────│─╯ ╰──╮ ╭─────╯ v v ╭──────────╮ ╭──────────╮ A = │ 1 ┆ 10 │ A = │ 1 ┆ 10 │ │ 2 ┆ 20 │ │ 2 ┆ 20 │ │ 3 ┆ 30 │ │ 3 ┆ 30 │ ╰──────────╯ ╰──────────╯ We will use the notation <func> to denote a function - that may or may not have a global name. For example, this code, Class = { type = "Class", __call = function (class, o) return setmetatable(o, class) end, } setmetatable(Class, Class) creates this in the memory: <fcal> = function (class, o) return setmetatable(o, class) end ╭────────────────────╮ Class = │ "type" ┆ "Class" │ │ "__call" ┆ <fcal> │ ╰mt──────────────────╯ │ ^ ╰────╯ If we didn't have the trick of giving names like "<bla>" to function objects we would have to use bullets an arrows, like "• ──> ...", to show that the field "__call" above points to a certain function. From here onwards "Class" will always denote the table "Class" above. Our last (diagrammatic) syntax sugar will give us a convenient way to draw "normal" classes, i.e., classes that are not the class "Class". Every "normal" class - for example: Vector - is made of two tables, one for "the class itself" and another one for its "methods". When we run this code, Vector = Class { type = "Vector", __add = function (V, W) return Vector {V[1]+W[1], V[2]+W[2]} end, __tostring = function (V) return "("..V[1]..","..V[2]..")" end, __index = { norm = function (V) return math.sqrt(V[1]^2 + V[2]^2) end, }, } this will create these structures in the memory: <fcal> = function (class, o) return setmetatable(o, class) end <fadd> = function (V, W) return Vector {V[1]+W[1], V[2]+W[2]} end <ftos> = function (V) return "("..V[1]..","..V[2]..")" end, <fnrm> = function (V) return math.sqrt(V[1]^2 + V[2]^2) end ╭─Class───────────────────╮ ╭─────────────────────────╮ Vector = │ "type" ┆ "Vector" │ Vector = │ "type" ┆ "Vector" │ │ "__add" ┆ <fadd> │ │ "__add" ┆ <fadd> │ │ "__tostring" ┆ <ftos> │ │ "__tostring" ┆ <ftos> │ ├─────────────────────────│ ⇝ │ "__index" ┆ • │ │ "norm" ┆ <fnrm> │ ╰mt─────────────────│─────╯ ╰─────────────────────────╯ │ ╭──╯ │ v │ ╭─────────────────╮ │ │ "norm" ┆ <fnrm> │ │ ╰─────────────────╯ v ╭────────────────────╮ Class = │ "type" ┆ "Class" │ │ "__call" ┆ <fcal> │ ╰mt──────────────────╯ │ ^ ╰────╯ Note the "⇝" indicating that the diagram at the left is a (diagrammatic) syntax sugar for the diagram at the right... the upper part of the box, above the horizontal line, is "the class itself", and the part below the horizontal line is its "table of methods". The metatable of the "class itself" points to the table Class, that is omitted from the drawing at the left, and ".__index" field points to the "table of methods". «__mt» (to ".__mt") 2. The __mt notation ==================== Metatables are explained in detail in section 2.8 of the Lua manual, (find-lua51manual "#2.8" "Metatables") (find-lua51manual "#pdf-setmetatable") but in a way that I find quite difficult. I found out that the "__mt notation", described above, simplifies A LOT the description of _most_ of what happens when metatables are used and the metamethods like "__index" or "__add" are called. If A and B are tables having the same non-nil metatable, then modulo details, we have these "reductions": A + B ⇝ A.__mt.__add(A, B) A - B ⇝ A.__mt.__sub(A, B) A * B ⇝ A.__mt.__mul(A, B) A / B ⇝ A.__mt.__div(A, B) A % B ⇝ A.__mt.__mod(A, B) A ^ B ⇝ A.__mt.__pow(A, B) - A ⇝ A.__mt.__unm(A, A) A .. B ⇝ A.__mt.__concat(A, B) #A ⇝ A.__mt.__len(A, A) A == B ⇝ A.__mt.__eq(A, B) A ~= B ⇝ not (A == B) A < B ⇝ A.__mt.__lt(A, B) A <= B ⇝ A.__mt.__le(A, B) (or not (B < A) in the absence of __le) A[k] ⇝ A.__mt.__index(A, k) A[k] = v ⇝ A.__mt.__newindex(A, k, v) A(...) ⇝ A.__mt.__call(A, ...) tostring(A) ⇝ A.__mt.__tostring(A) The term "reduction" was borrowed from λ-calculus, but I am using it here in an imprecise way. The listing above is a translation to the __mt-notation of the "main cases" that are mentioned in these sections of the manual: (find-lua51manual "#2.8" "op1 + op2") (find-lua51manual "#pdf-tostring") and we follow the order in which these cases are listed in the manual. The "main cases" are the cases in which both A and B are tables with the same metatable, the expected method - like "__add" - is a field in that metatable, and no errors happen. The manual also describes what happens when we are not in the "main case"; then the expressions at the left in the table above may "reduce" to other expressions. «__mt-box» (to ".__mt-box") 3. The __mt notation and box diagrams ===================================== If we combine the reductions of the previous section with the box diagrams from section 1 we can visualize how some quite intrincate operations happen. For example, we can depict the values of a and b after these assignments, a = {10, 20, 30} b = {11, a, "foo", print} T = {__index = b} a.__mt = T as: ╭─────────────╮ ╭────────╮ b = │ 1 ┆ 11 │ a = │ 1 ┆ 10 │ │ 2 ┆ * ──────────> │ 2 ┆ 20 │ │ 3 ┆ "foo" │ │ 3 ┆ 30 │ │ 4 ┆ <print> │ ╰mt──────╯ ╰─────────────╯ │ ^ v │ ╭────────────────╮ │ T = │ "__index" ┆ • ─────╮ │ ╰────────────────╯ │ │ │ ╰──────────────────────────────────────╯ Now let's try to calculate a[4] by a series of reductions. Without metatables we would have a[4] = nil, so: a[4] ⇝ a.__mt.__index[4] ⇝ T.__index[4] ⇝ b[4] ⇝ <print> So a[4] yields <print>. «Vector» (to ".Vector") 4. A class "Vector" =================== Consider this demo code: --[[ * (eepitch-lua51) * (eepitch-kill) * (eepitch-lua51) dofile "eoo.lua" -- this file Vector = Class { type = "Vector", __add = function (V, W) return Vector {V[1]+W[1], V[2]+W[2]} end, __tostring = function (V) return "("..V[1]..","..V[2]..")" end, __index = { norm = function (V) return math.sqrt(V[1]^2 + V[2]^2) end, }, } v = Vector {3, 4} -- v = { 3, 4, __mt = Vector} w = Vector {20, 30} -- w = {20, 30, __mt = Vector} print(v) --> (3,4) print(v + w) --> (23,34) print(v:norm()) --> 5 print( type(v)) --> table print(otype(v)) --> Vector print( type("")) --> string print(otype("")) --> string --]] After running the line "w = ..." we will have this: <fcal> = function (class, o) return setmetatable(o, class) end <fadd> = function (V, W) return Vector {V[1]+W[1], V[2]+W[2]} end <ftos> = function (V) return "("..V[1]..","..V[2]..")" end, <fnor> = function (V) return math.sqrt(V[1]^2 + V[2]^2) end ╭───────╮ ╭────────╮ v = │ 1 ┆ 3 │ w = │ 1 ┆ 20 │ │ 2 ┆ 4 │ │ 2 ┆ 30 │ ╰mt─────╯ ╰mt──────╯ │╭─────────────╯ ││ vv ╭─────────────────────────╮ Vector = │ "type" ┆ "Vector" │ │ "__add" ┆ <fadd> │ │ "__tostring" ┆ <ftos> │ │ "__index" ┆ • │ ╰mt────────────────│──────╯ │ v │ ╭─────────────────╮ │ │ "norm" ┆ <fnor> │ │ ╰─────────────────╯ v ╭────────────────────╮ Class = │ "type" ┆ "Class" │ │ "__call" ┆ <fcal> │ ╰mt──────────────────╯ │ ^ ╰────╯ «Vector-reductions» (to ".Vector-reductions") 5. The "Vector" demo: reductions ================================ We can now use the diagram above and our notation for reductions to understand how expressions like these ones v = Vector {3, 4} v:norm() work. Remember that we can calculate the result of applying a λ-expression to its arguments in two steps, like this: (λ(a,b) ⇒ a+b) (3, 4) ⇝ (a+b) [a:=3, b:=4] ⇝ (3+4) The "[a:=3, b:=4]" means "substitute all `a's by 3 and all `b's by 4 in the preceding expression". Being slightly informal at some steps, we have this: Vector {3, 4} ⇝ Vector({3, 4}) ⇝ Vector.__mt.__call(Vector, {3, 4}) ⇝ Class.__call(Vector, {3, 4}) ⇝ <fcal>(Vector, {3, 4}) ⇝ (λ(class, o) ⇒ setmetatable(o, class)) (Vector, {3, 4}) ⇝ (λ(class, o) o.__mt=class; ⇒ o) (Vector, {3, 4}) ⇝ (o.__mt=class; ⇒ o) [o:={3, 4}, class:=Vector] ⇝ {3, 4, __mt=Vector} and so: v = Vector {3, 4} ⇝ v = {3, 4, __mt=Vector} I am using ideas borrowed from basic λ-calculus to talk about mutable objects, so I had to improvise at some points. Here's what happens when we calculate "v:norm()": v:norm() ⇝ {3, 4, __mt=Vector}:norm() ⇝ {3, 4, __mt=Vector}.norm ({3, 4, __mt=Vector}) ⇝ {3, 4, __mt=Vector}.__mt.__index.norm({3, 4, __mt=Vector}) ⇝ Vector.__index.norm({3, 4, __mt=Vector}) ⇝ (λ(V) ⇒ math.sqrt(V[1]^2+V[2]^2) end)({3, 4, __mt=Vector}) ⇝ (math.sqrt(V[1]^2+V[2]^2)) [V:={3, 4, __mt=Vector}] ⇝ math.sqrt( 3^2+ 4^2) ⇝ math.sqrt( 25) ⇝ 5 6. Overriding methods ===================== (I use this a lot. TODO: write this section!) Demo: Everything below this point will be rewritten and/or deleted. --snip--snip-- The section on __mt reductions was adapted from: http://anggtwu.net/__mt.html (find-TH "__mt") Gavin Wraith implemented two shorthands in his RiscLua: "\" is a shorthand for "function" and "=>" is a shorthand for "return". We will use unicode characters instead: "λ" will be a shorthand for "function" and "⇒" will be a shorthand for "return". With that we can write, for example, square = λ(x) ⇒ x*x end instead of: square = function (x) return x*x end See: http://www.wra1th.plus.com/lua/notes/Scope.html (find-es "lua5" "risclua") We will also use the notation [var := value] for substituion of a single variable, and [var1 := value1, var2 := value2 ...] for simultaneous substitution. A beta-reduction can be calculated in two steps: (λ(x) ⇒ x*x end)(5) ⇝ (x*x)[x:=5] ⇝ 5*5 --]==] -- _____ _ -- |_ _|__ ___| |_ ___ -- | |/ _ \/ __| __/ __| -- | | __/\__ \ |_\__ \ -- |_|\___||___/\__|___/ -- --[[ -- «test-Vector» (to ".test-Vector") * (eepitch-lua51) * (eepitch-kill) * (eepitch-lua51) dofile "eoo.lua" -- this file Vector = Class { type = "Vector", __add = function (V, W) return Vector {V[1]+W[1], V[2]+W[2]} end, __tostring = function (V) return "("..V[1]..","..V[2]..")" end, __index = { norm = function (V) return math.sqrt(V[1]^2 + V[2]^2) end, }, } v = Vector {3, 4} -- v = { 3, 4, __mt = Vector} w = Vector {20, 30} -- w = {20, 30, __mt = Vector} print(v) --> (3,4) print(v + w) --> (23,34) print(v:norm()) --> 5 print( type(v)) --> table print(otype(v)) --> Vector print( type("")) --> string print(otype("")) --> string -- «test-override» (to ".test-override") -- Eoo.lua is "REPL-friendly" in the sense that it is easy to add new -- methods to a class, and to override old methods, from a REPL. * (eepitch-lua51) * (eepitch-kill) * (eepitch-lua51) dofile "eoo.lua" Foo = Class { type = "Foo", new = function (v) return Foo({v=v}) end, __tostring = function (o) return o:tostring() end, __index = { tostring = function (o) return "(" .. o.v .. ")" end }, } a = Foo.new(42) = a --> (42) b = Foo.new(99) = b --> (99) -- This overrides the default ":tostring" of the class: Foo.__index.tostring = function (o) return "[" .. o.v .. "]" end = a --> [42] = b --> [99] -- This overrides the ":tostring" method in a single instance: a.tostring = function (o) return "<" .. o.v .. ">" end = a --> <42> = b --> [99] -- This creates an instance with an overriden ":tostring" method: c = Foo {v=200, tostring = function (o) return "<<" .. o.v .. ">>" end} = c --> <<200>> --]] -- Local Variables: -- coding: utf-8-unix -- End: