A ppx rewriter for monadic and applicative let bindings, match expressions, and if expressions.
The aim of this rewriter is to make monadic and applicative code look nicer by writing custom binders the same way that we normally bind variables. In OCaml, the common way to bind the result of a computation to a variable is:
ppx_let simply adds two new binders: let%bind
and let%map
. These are rewritten into calls to the bind
and map
functions respectively. These functions are expected to have
val map : 'a t -> f:('a -> 'b) -> 'b t val bind : 'a t -> f:('a -> 'b t) -> 'b t
for some type t
, as one might expect.
These functions are to be provided by the user, and are generally expected to be part of the signatures of monads and applicatives modules. This is the case for all monads and applicatives defined by the Jane Street's Core suite of libraries. (see the section below on getting the right names into scope).
ppx_let understands parallel bindings as well. i.e.:
let%bind VAR1 = EXPR1 and VAR2 = EXPR2 and VAR3 = EXPR3 in BODY
The and
keyword is seen as a binding combination operator. To do so it expects the presence of a both
function, that lifts the OCaml pair operation to the type t
in question:
val both : 'a t -> 'b t -> ('a * 'b) t
Some applicatives have optimized map
functions for more than two arguments. These applicatives will export functions like map4
shown below:
val map4: 'a t -> 'b t -> 'c t -> 'd t -> f:('a -> 'b -> 'c -> 'd -> 'r) -> 'r t
In order to use these optmized functions, ppx_let provides the let%mapn
syntax, which picks the right map{n}
function to call based on the amount of applicatives bound by the syntax.
We found that this form was quite useful for match statements as well. So for convenience ppx_let also accepts %bind
and %map
on the match
keyword. Morally match%bind expr with cases
is seen as let%bind x = expr in match x with cases
.
As a further convenience, ppx_let accepts %bind
and %map
on the if
keyword. The expression if%bind expr1 then expr2 else expr3
is morally equivalent to let%bind p = expr1 in if p then expr2 else expr3
.
We accept function%bind
and function%map
too.
let f = function%bind | Some a -> g a | None -> h
is equivalent to
let f = fun temp -> match%bind temp with | Some a -> g a | None -> h
We also expand while%bind expr1 do expr2 done
as
let rec loop () = if%bind expr1 then ( let%bind () = expr2 in loop ()) else return () in loop ()
Note that this form will (potentially) evaluate the textual form of expr1 multiple times!
We do not support while%map
, as that cannot be implemented without bind
.
ppx_let
adds seven syntactic forms
let%bind P = M in E let%map P = M in E match%bind M with P1 -> E1 | P2 -> E2 | ... match%map M with P1 -> E1 | P2 -> E2 | ... if%bind M then E1 else E2 if%map M then E1 else E2 while%bind M do E done
that expand into
bind M ~f:(fun P -> E) map M ~f:(fun P -> E) bind M ~f:(function P1 -> E1 | P2 -> E2 | ...) map M ~f:(function P1 -> E1 | P2 -> E2 | ...) bind M ~f:(function true -> E1 | false -> E2) map M ~f:(function true -> E1 | false -> E2) let rec loop () = bind M ~f:(function true -> bind E ~f:loop | false -> return ()) in loop ()
respectively.
As with let
, let%bind
and let%map
also support multiple parallel bindings via the and
keyword:
let%bind P1 = M1 and P2 = M2 and P3 = M3 and P4 = M4 in E let%map P1 = M1 and P2 = M2 and P3 = M3 and P4 = M4 in E
that expand into
let x1 = M1 and x2 = M2 and x3 = M3 and x4 = M4 in bind (both x1 (both x2 (both x3 x4))) ~f:(fun (P1, (P2, (P3, P4))) -> E) let x1 = M1 and x2 = M2 and x3 = M3 and x4 = M4 in map (both x1 (both x2 (both x3 x4))) ~f:(fun (P1, (P2, (P3, P4))) -> E)
respectively. (Instead of x1
, x2
, ... ppx_let uses variable names that are unlikely to clash with other names)
As with let
, names introduced by left-hand sides of the let bindings are not available in subsequent right-hand sides of the same sequence.
The description of how the %bind
and %map
syntax extensions expand left out the fact that the names bind
, map
, both
, and return
are not used directly., but rather qualified by Let_syntax
. For example, we use Let_syntax.bind
rather than merely bind
.
This means one just needs to get a properly loaded Let_syntax
module in scope to use %bind
and %map
. The intended way to do this is to create a module Let_syntax
with a signature like:
module Let_syntax : sig module Let_syntax : sig val bind : ... val map : ... ... end ... end
and then use open Let_syntax
to make the inner Let_syntax
module available.
Alternatively, the extension can use values from a Let_syntax
module other than the one in scope. If you write %map.A.B.C
instead of %map
, the expansion will use A.B.C.Let_syntax.Let_syntax.map
instead of Let_syntax.map
(and similarly for all extension points).
For monads, Core.Monad.Make
produces a submodule Let_syntax
of the appropriate form.
For applicatives, the convention for these modules is to have a submodule Let_syntax
of the form:
module Let_syntax : sig module Let_syntax : sig val return : 'a -> 'a t val map : 'a t -> f:('a -> 'b) -> 'b t val both : 'a t -> 'b t -> ('a * 'b) t module Open_on_rhs : << some signature >> end end
The Open_on_rhs
submodule is used by variants of %map
and %bind
called %map_open
and %bind_open
. It is locally opened on the right hand sides of the rewritten let bindings in %map_open
and %bind_open
expressions. For match%map_open
and match%bind_open
expressions, Open_on_rhs
is opened for the expression being matched on.
Open_on_rhs
is useful when programming with applicatives, which operate in a staged manner where the operators used to construct the applicatives are distinct from the operators used to manipulate the values those applicatives produce. For monads, Open_on_rhs
contains return
.
ppx_let
can operate on local values. This requires a compiler that supports the local_
and exclave_
keywords, and stack allocation. (The Jane Street branch of the compiler supports these.) Several variants of the %map
and %bind
extensions allow use of local expressions in different contexts. The differences are best demonstrated by example, showing what each extension expands to.
%mapl_fun
and %bindl_fun
The closure generated by the ppx will be stack-allocated:
(* Using ppx *) let open Option.Let_syntax in let%mapl_fun x = y in ... ;; (* Expansion *) let open Option.Let_syntax in Let_syntax.map y ~f:(local_ fun x -> ...) [@nontail]
You can use this with any Let_syntax
whose map
/bind
takes its function argument locally, e.g.:
val bind : 'a t -> local_ ('a -> 'b t) -> 'b tExample:
%mapl_val
and %bindl_val
The generated closure will not have its own region, and thus the return value may be stack allocated:
(* Using ppx *) let open Option.Local.Let_syntax in let%mapl_val x = y in ... ;; (* Expansion *) let open Option.Local.Let_syntax in Let_syntax.map y ~f:(fun x -> exclave_ ...)
You can use with any Let_syntax
module that requires the function argument to return a local value, e.g.:
val bind : 'a t -> ('a -> local_ 'b t) -> local_ 'b tExample:
%mapl
and %bindl
Combines the effects of %mapl_fun/bindl_fun
and %mapl_val/%bindl_val
. The closure generated by the ppx will be stack allocated and the generated closure will not have its own region. Thus, the return value may be stack allocated.
(* Using ppx *) let open Option.Local.Let_syntax in let%mapl x = y in ... ;; (* Expansion *) let open Option.Local.Let_syntax in Let_syntax.map y ~f:(local_ fun x -> exclave_ ...) [@nontail]
You can use use this with any Let_syntax
module that requires the function argument to return a local value and that takes its function argument locally, e.g.
val bind : 'a t -> local_ ('a -> local_ 'b t) -> local_ 'b tList of local-aware let syntaxes Let syntax Ensures the function is stack allocated? Allow the function to return a stack-allocated value?
%map
, %bind
No No %mapl
, %bindl
Yes Yes %mapl_fun
, %bindl_fun
Yes No %mapl_val
, %bindl_val
No Yes
You can use these extensions with %mapn
and %bindn
as well. The full list of such extensions is : %mapnl
, %bindnl
, %mapnl_fun
, %bindnl_fun
, %mapnl_val
, and %bindnl_val
.
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