Kinx v0.21.0 Preview Released

#kinx #ruby #javascript

Hello everybody!

I published Kinx v0.21.0 preview release! Please see Release Page of Kinx

Introduction

At the version 0.21.0 it newly supported an assignment by a pattern matching, case-when, and switch-when syntax.

Reference
- First motivation ... The post of introduction
  - Kinx, I wanted a scripting language with a syntax of C family.
- Repository ... https://github.com/Kray-G/kinx
  - I am waiting for pull requests.

Pattern Matching

The pattern matching is very useful. For example, you can use it in a declaration like this.

var [a, b, , ...c] = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6];
var { x, y } = { x: 20, y: { a: 30, b: 300 } };
var { x: d, y: { a: e, b: 300 } } = { x: 20, y: { a: 30, b: 300 } };

System.println("a = ", a);
System.println("b = ", b);
System.println("c = ", c);
System.println("d = ", d);
System.println("e = ", e);
System.println("x = ", x);
System.println("y = ", y);

// => .y.b requires 300, but it is 3 in actual.
var { x: d, y: { a: e, b: 300 } } = { x: 20, y: { a: 30, b: 3 } };

At the last case, the right hand side is not matched by the pattern of the left hand side. Therefore you will see an exception of NoMatchingPatternException.

a = 1
b = 2
c = [4, 5, 6]
d = 20
e = 30
x = 20
y = {"a":30,"b":300}
Uncaught exception: No one catch the exception.
NoMatchingPatternException: Pattern not matched
Stack Trace Information:
        at <main-block>(test.kx:14)

You can use a same feature also at an assignment, an argument of a function, and case-when.

Please look at the description for the related features as follows.

declaration ... https://github.com/Kray-G/kinx/blob/master/docs/spec/statement/declaration.md
assignment ... https://github.com/Kray-G/kinx/blob/master/docs/spec/statement/expression/assign.md
function argument ... https://github.com/Kray-G/kinx/blob/master/docs/spec/definition/function.md
case-when ... https://github.com/Kray-G/kinx/blob/master/docs/spec/statement/expression/case_when.md

Switch-When

I thought I would like to make a case-when being not fallthrough be substitute of a switch-case being fallthrough.
But there was a problem for the performance on it.

case-when has been designed that the condition is evaluated by a pattern matching. This means the order of evaluating a condition is sequential from the top.
On the other hand, switch-case is designed the order of evaluating a condition is not defined. This means, it will be translated to just a if-else, or it will be translated to a binary search, or it will translated to a jump by table. In particular, a jump by table is important at the point of a performance.

Therefore I have introduced switch-when instead of switch-case. You can use a when label instead of a case label. If you use a when label, the break statement will be automatically inserted after the last statement of when clause.

Of course you can use an else: label instead of a default: label. An else: label means a default: with break.

If you want to use a fallthrough in when, you can also use a fallthrough keyword at the last statement in when.

Conclusion

I sometimes received a reaction like ''Why did you select a fallthrough in switch-case?'', and ''It is a bad selection.'' I believe switch-when will be an answer for that. One of weakpoints in Kinx will be eliminated.

I hope you will be a user of Kinx and try something with this language. I will welcome any feedback.

See you!