Interfaces

Interfaces in V define some behavior in the form of methods and fields. Interfaces can be implemented by any type that has the appropriate methods and fields. Interfaces are conventions by which types can work together.

Take for example the Speaker interface, which defines the speak() method:

interface Speaker { speak(msg string) string }

When we define a function that takes the Speaker interface as an argument, we abstract away from the actual implementation and only use what the interface defines:

fn greet(s Speaker) { println(s.speak('Hello')) }

Now we can call greet() with any type that implements the Speaker interface:

interface Speaker { speak(msg string) string } struct Dog {} fn (d Dog) speak(msg string) string { return '${msg}. Woof, woof!' } fn greet(s Speaker) { println(s.speak('Hello')) } fn main() { d := Dog{} greet(d) // Hello. Woof, woof! }

Implement an interface

A type implements an interface by implementing its methods and fields. There is no explicit declaration of intent, no "implements" keyword.

In the example above, we have implemented the Speaker interface for the Dog type. To do this, we have defined a speak() method for the Dog type, which has the same signature as the speak() method in the Speaker interface.

To implement an interface that contains fields, a type must have fields with the same names and types.

interface IdOwner { id int } struct User { id int } fn print_id(o IdOwner) { println(o.id) } fn main() { u := User{ id: 123 } print_id(u) // 123 }

Mutable section

As with structs, you can define a mut section in an interface. Types that implement an interface must have a mut receiver for methods defined in the mut section of the interface.

interface Bar { mut: write(string) string } struct MyStruct {} fn (mut s MyStruct) write(a string) string { return a } fn main() { mut str := MyStruct{} write(mut str) } fn write(mut s Bar) { println(s.write('Bar')) // Bar }

Casting an interface

Interfaces allow you to abstract away from a specific implementation, but sometimes you need to access a specific implementation.

For this, smartcasts and the is operator are used:

The is operator checks if the value that implements the interface is of the specified type:

interface Speaker { speak(msg string) string } struct Dog {} fn (d Dog) speak(msg string) string { return '${msg}. Woof, woof!' } struct Cat {} fn (c Cat) speak(msg string) string { return '${msg}. Meow, meow!' } fn greet(s Speaker) { if s is Dog { println('a dog speaks: ${s.speak('Hello')}') } else if s is Cat { println('a cat speaks: ${s.speak('Hello')}') } else { println('something else') } } fn main() { d := Dog{} greet(d) // a dog speaks: Hello. Woof, woof! }

We can also use match for type checking:

fn greet(s Speaker) { match s { Dog { println('a dog speaks: ${s.speak('Hello')}') } Cat { println('a cat speaks: ${s.speak('Hello')}') } else { println('something else') } } }

Interface method definitions

Also, unlike Go, an interface can have its own methods, similar to how structs can have their methods. These 'interface methods' do not have to be implemented by structs which implement that interface. They are just a convenient way to write i.some_function() instead of some_function(i), similar to how struct methods can be looked at, as a convenience for writing s.xyz() instead of xyz(s).

This feature is NOT a "default implementation" like in C#.

For example, if a struct cat is wrapped in an interface a, that has implemented a method with the same name speak, as a method implemented by the struct, and you do a.speak(), only the interface method is called:

interface Adoptable {} fn (a Adoptable) speak() string { return 'adopt me!' } struct Cat {} fn (c Cat) speak() string { return 'meow!' } struct Dog {} fn main() { cat := Cat{} println(cat.speak()) // meow! a := Adoptable(cat) println(a.speak()) // adopt me! (called Adoptable's `speak()`) if a is Cat { // Inside this `if` however, V knows that `a` is not just any // kind of Adoptable, but actually a Cat, so it will use the // Cat `speak`, NOT the Adoptable `speak`: println(a.speak()) // meow! } b := Adoptable(Dog{}) println(b.speak()) // adopt me! (called Adoptable's `speak`) }

Embedded interface

Interfaces support embedding, just like structs. In this case, all methods and fields of the interface will belong to the parent interface and the type will need to implement methods and fields from all interfaces.

For example, we have two interfaces, Reader and Writer:

pub interface Reader { mut: read(mut buf []byte) ?int } pub interface Writer { mut: write(buf []byte) ?int }

Now, if we want to declare a ReaderWriter interface that requires the implementation of the read() and write() methods, then instead of copying the methods from Reader and Writer to ReaderWriter, we simply embed interfaces themselves in ReaderWriter:

pub interface ReaderWriter { Reader Writer }

Now, if we want to implement ReaderWriter, we need to implement the read() and write() methods from both built-in interfaces:

struct MyReaderWriter {} fn (mut m MyReaderWriter) read(mut buf []byte) ?int { // ... } fn (mut m MyReaderWriter) write(buf []byte) ?int { // ... }

Interfaces

# Implement an interface

# Mutable section

# Casting an interface

# Interface method definitions

# Embedded interface

Implement an interface

Mutable section

Casting an interface

Interface method definitions

Embedded interface