[datum] initial public push (IPP)

[Robert Gibson]

Hi,
This looks promising.  I read Brian’s note [1] and I wondered if you have given any consideration to the idea of attempting to generify the equals() method for data classes?
Thanks,
Robert

http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~briangoetz/amber/datum.html

> On 8 Nov 2017, at 12:28, amber-dev-request at openjdk.java.net wrote:
> 
> Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2017 13:11:40 -0500
> From: Vicente Romero <vicente.romero at oracle.com>
> To: Amber dev <amber-dev at openjdk.java.net>
> Subject: [datum] initial public push (IPP)
> Message-ID: <a00cffb6-217b-7e04-ffd3-37f51934352e at oracle.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> We have just made public the development of data classes [1]. The 
> development will continue in the "datum" branch in the amber repo [2]. 
> Data classes allow for more compact class declarations. Basically for 
> classes for which the state of the class can be declared in the class 
> header. The basic, informal, data class syntax is:
> 
> ? __datum Name(Fields) { BODY } or for a body-less data class:
> ??? __datum Name(Fields);
> 
> here Fields is a list of fields, and each field can be:
> 
> [@Annos] [ __nonfinal ] type name
> 
> *Note:* __datum and __nonfinal are just place holders, the final keyword 
> to be used is still to be defined
> 
> The fields are implicitly lifted onto fields of the class, with the 
> default accessibility of "package final", unless noted as non-final. Any 
> additional field declarations in the body are prohibited. Non-abstract 
> data classes are final. Data classes can be generic and can implement 
> arbitrary interfaces. Every non-abstract data class acquires:
> 
> ?- a public constructor that takes fields in the order specified by the 
> field list, and initializes all fields;
> ?- public getters for each field, whose name is same as the field;
> ?- public equals(), hashCode(), and toString().
> 
> If the user provides any of the above members explicitly, it will be 
> used instead of the default defined by the compiler. Abstract data 
> classes are permitted; but they get only a public constructor.? By 
> default the field access of abstract data classes is protected and they 
> are final.? In addition, data classes can extend abstract data classes.? 
> Also, data classes with no parent class have the new class 
> java.lang.DataClass as its parent.? Extension looks like:
> 
> abstract __datum X(int x);
> ??? __datum Y(int x, int y) extends X(int x);
> 
> that is, the fields of X must be a proper prefix (arity, name, and 
> types) of Y's fields. For example the compiler won't accept this 
> declaration for Bad data class:
> 
> ??? abstract __datum Sup(int x, int y);
> ??? __datum Bad(int x, int y, int z) extends Sup(x, z); // field name 
> mismatch should be Sup(x, y)
> 
> The current implementation doesn't allow data classes with an empty list 
> of fields, so:
> 
> ??? __datum D2();? // compiler error
> 
> we can relax this constraint in the future if there are sensible use 
> cases for which it makes sense to declare an empty data class.
> 
> Please try it out and get back to us with your feedback!
> 
> Thanks,
> Vicente
> 
> PS. this code is under active development and bugs are being chased out 
> but still lurking, thanks a lot in advance for any bug report!
> 
> [1] http://hg.openjdk.java.net/amber/amber/rev/04260073c6bd
> [2] http://hg.openjdk.java.net/amber/amber