Sum types

The sum type is a special data type that can hold a value of one of several types while maintaining type safety.

Suppose you need to describe the width of an element in CSS. It can be specified either as a number of pixels or as a string expression. Of course, the CSS specification is more complex, but we will simplify it for the sake of the example.

To specify the sum type, use the type keyword:

type Width = int | string

The | lists the types that the sum type will consist of.

Now let us try to use it:

type Width = int | string fn main() { int_width := Width(10) println(int_width) string_width := Width('calc(100% - 100px)') println(string_width) }

To create a new instance of the sum type, use type casting:

int_width := Width(10)

In this case, the expression that is cast to the sum type must be one of the types listed through | when declaring the sum type. Otherwise, there will be a compilation error.

Recursive sum types

The sum type can be recursive, i.e. refer to itself, but only if it is defined as an array or map element type:

Accessing fields from structures in the sum type

If the sum type contains structures, then through the sum type you can access their fields if a field with the same name exists in all structures that are part of the sum type.

struct Star { name string } struct Planet { name string } type Object = Planet | Star fn main() { star := Object(Star{'Sun'}) println(star.name) // Sun }

Calling methods from structures in sum type

Unlike fields, even if all structures in a sum type have a method with the same name, they cannot be accessed through the sum type!

Get the type of the stored value

Sometimes you need to find out what type is stored in an instance of the sum type. To do this, for any sum type, the type_name() method is defined, which returns the name of the type that is currently stored.

struct Moon {} struct Mars {} struct Venus {} type World = Mars | Moon | Venus world := World(Moon{}) println(world.type_name()) // Moon println(world)

Working with sum type

To conveniently handle the type of the sum, the match expression can be used to check the type of the stored value.

type Width = int | string fn absolute_width(width Width) int { return match width { int { width } string { 0 } } }

At the same time, match must be exhaustive, that is, handle all possible variants of the sum type or have an else branch:

type Width = f64 | int | string fn absolute_width(width Width) int { return match width { int { width } else { 0 } } }

With sum types, you could build recursive structures:

struct Empty {} struct Node { value f64 left Tree right Tree } type Tree = Empty | Node fn sum(tree Tree) f64 { return match tree { Empty { 0 } Node { tree.value + sum(tree.left) + sum(tree.right) } } } fn main() { left := Node{0.2, Empty{}, Empty{}} right := Node{0.3, Empty{}, Node{0.4, Empty{}, Empty{}}} tree := Node{0.5, left, right} println(sum(tree)) // 0.2 + 0.3 + 0.4 + 0.5 = 1.4 }

`is` and `as` operators

The is operator checks if the value stored in the sum type is of the specified type:

type Width = int | string fn main() { width := Width(10) println(width is int) // true println(width is string) // false }

The as operator casts the value stored in the sum type to the specified type:

type Width = int | string fn main() { width := Width(10) int_width := width as int println(int_width.hex2()) // 0xa }

If the value stored in the sum type is not of the specified type, then the program will panic. Because of this, the as operator should be used with caution. Smart casts can be used as a replacement.

Smart casts

The V compiler can automatically type cast inside if and match blocks:

type Width = int | string fn main() { width := Width(10) if width is int { println(width.hex2()) // 0xa } }

In this example, width is of type int within the body of the if block. The compiler understands that inside the if block, the width variable is of type int, since the condition of the if block checks that width is int.

If width is a mutable identifier, it would be unsafe if the compiler smart casts it without a warning. That is why you have to declare a mut before the is expression:

type Width = int | string fn main() { mut width := Width(10) if mut width is int { println(width.hex2()) // 0xa } }

Otherwise width would keep its original type.

This works for both, simple variables and complex expressions like user.name:

type Width = int | string struct Component { width Width } fn main() { component := Component{ width: Width(10) } match component.width { int { // smartcasted to int println(component.width.hex2()) // 0xa } string { // smartcasted to string println(component.width.len) } } }

Sum types

# Recursive sum types

# Accessing fields from structures in the sum type

# Calling methods from structures in sum type

# Get the type of the stored value

# Working with sum type

# is and as operators

# Smart casts