lib/variadic.ex

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# Copyright (c) 2021 Matthew Evans
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defmodule Variadic do
  @moduledoc """

  Simulates Variadic functions in Elixir (i.e functions with an unknown number of arguments)

  Arguments will named arg1, arg2....argN where N is @max_arity.

  Uninitialized arguments are set to :no_args_at_this_position

  ## Example:

      defmodule MyTestModule do

        import Variadic

        ##
        ## Functions are defined as defv (they will be public)
        ##
        defv :test_function do
          # If arguments needed as a list or need arity then binding() 
          # should be the first thing called
          arguments = args_to_list(binding())
          work = arg1 + arg2
          {arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4, work, arguments}
        end

        defv :other_function do
          binding = binding()
          ## Do work
          x = 1 + 2 + 3
          arguments = args_to_list(binding)
          arity = get_arity(binding)
          {arg1, arg2, x, [arity: arity, arguments: arguments]}
        end
      end

  ## Pass 3 arguments (note arg4 is :no_args_at_this_position):
      iex> MyTestModule.test_function(1, 2, :hello)
      {1, 2, :hello, :no_args_at_this_position, 3, [1, 2, :hello]}

  ## Pass 10 arguments:
      iex> MyTestModule.test_function(1, 2, :hello, 4, 5, 6, :bye, %{key: 123}, [771,"something"], 10)
      {1, 2, :hello, 4, 3, [1, 2, :hello, 4, 5, 6, :bye, %{key: 123}, [771, "something"], 10]}

  ## Show binding:
      iex> MyTestModule.other_function(777, 888, 999)
      {777, 888, 6, [arity: 3, arguments: [777, 888, 999]]}

  ## Helper functions:
      get_arity/1     # Returns the number of valid (set) arguments
      args_to_list/1  # Returns a list of valid (set) arguments

  """

  ## Probably not a good idea to make this too high
  @max_arity 25
  @no_args_tag :no_args_at_this_position

  defmacro defv(name, do: block) do
    args =
      for n <- 1..@max_arity do
        {:\\, [], [{:"arg#{n}", [], nil}, @no_args_tag]}
      end

    function_head = {name, [], args}
    {block_header, _, block_body} = block
    # To avoid unused variables
    new_block = {block_header, [], [{:binding, [], []} | block_body]}

    quote do
      def unquote(function_head) do
        unquote(new_block)
      end
    end
  end

  @doc """
  Returns the arity of the set arguments
      arity = get_arity(binding())

  The function binding should be the first function called
  """
  def get_arity(binding) do
    Enum.count(binding, fn {_, e} -> e != :no_args_at_this_position end)
  end

  @doc """
  Returns the ordered list of set arguments
      arguments = args_to_list(binding())

    The function binding should be the first function called
  """
  def args_to_list(binding) do
    Enum.map(binding, fn {a, v} -> {arg_to_integer(a), v} end)
    |> Enum.filter(fn {_, e} -> e != :no_args_at_this_position end)
    |> Enum.sort()
    |> Enum.map(fn {_, v} -> v end)
  end

  defp arg_to_integer(arg),
    do: Atom.to_string(arg) |> String.replace("arg", "") |> String.to_integer()
end