Syntax feature layering #306

I'm trying to refactor what ideas we have based on the layering idea. This is also an answer to #305, #281

By layering, I do not mean we must have all features in layer 1 or must defer all features in layer 2.

This layering mostly focused on syntax, not runtime semantics.

I'll analyze this based on whether we can desugar a pattern into the composition of other patterns. (So you'll find the Primitive pattern (1 in { x: 1 }) is in Layer 2.)

This means we can pick all features from Layer 0 and some features from Layer 1 and 2, then the results become a somewhat usable pattern-matching proposal. (You may want to take a look at https://github.com/codehag/pattern-matching-epic).

I include:

• all "future extensions" (= do not expect it will be in the final proposal, marked by 🤔)
• features without consensus (might be incorrect!) (also marked by 🤔)

Non-pattern structures

Level 0: Basic feature

We should have at least one of them to enter the pattern world.

• match expression (match (expr) { ... })
  • basic clause (when, or no keyword at all) (when <pattern>: <expr>, or <pattern>: <expr>)
  • basic clause with guard (when <pattern> if (<expr>): <expr>, or <pattern> if (<expr>): <expr>)
    • 🍬 desugar: can be removed if we have the if pattern
  • default clause (default: <expr>)
  • if clause (if (<expr>): <expr>)
    • 🍬 desugar: can be removed if we have the if pattern
• is expression
  • 🍬 desugar: impossible if the is expression enables the possibility to declare a new variable inside an expression
  • ⚠️ concern: block scoped declaration { if (!(x is [let a, let b])) return; f(a, b) }

Level 1: Good to have

Maybe future extensions.

• if-let (and also for, while, do-while)
  • based on the is expression
  • or something else like if match <pattern> (expr) {}
• 🤔 try-catch integration
• 🤔 async match
• 🤔 match on function parameter
  • 🤔 function overload based on parameter matching

Pattern

Level 0: Basic features, impossible to desugar

• Variable pattern (expected_value)
  • 🍬 desugar with custom matcher: write a function to match the value
• Object pattern ({ a: expected_value })
  • 🍬 desugar with custom matcher: write a function to match the shape and return value as an array
  • ⚠️ concern: { __proto__: f } means property __proto__ (owned or on the prototype) or [[Prototype]] or early errors?
  • ⚠️ concern: Computed property ({ [Symbol.iterator]: f }) adds arbitrary expression interpolation
  • ⚠️ concern: Shorthand property ({ x }) means { x: x } or { x: let x }?
  • ⚠️ concern: Rest property without matcher ({ ...x }) means { ...x: x } or { ...x: let x }?
• Binding pattern ({ a: let x })

Level 1: Advance features, impossible to desugar

• 🤔 Expression pattern (${expression})
  • ⚠️ concern: arbitrary expression interpolation
  • ⚠️ concern: interact with custom matcher
• Untagged template literal with interpolation ({ id: let id, b: `id-${id}` })
  • ⚠️ concern: arbitrary expression interpolation
  • ⚠️ concern: blocks feature that TS have: `a-${let x}-z` matches a-99-z and bind x to "99".
• Iterator pattern ([1, 2])
  • 🍬 desugar: Impossible for iterators
  • 🍬 desugar for Array: { 0: let a, 1: let b }.
  • 🍬 desugar for Array with custom matcher: Array(let a, let b).
  • ⚠️ concern: ...rest consuming
• Custom matcher pattern ({ x: Point }) and extractor pattern ({ x: Point(let x, let y, let z) })
  • ⚠️ concern: performance of creating match result objects Vague runtime performance concerns about custom matchers #253 and Splitting Variable/Extractor matcher hook? #303
  • ⚠️ concern: no way to pass extra parameters / generate a custom matcher on the fly
    • unless we have expression pattern { x: ${SomeFun(param)}(let a, let b) }
  • ⚠️ concern: syntax share with variable pattern
    • cannot know if { x: Point } will call user code or do === Point check until runtime
    • cannot force to do the === Point check
      • unless we have if pattern and and pattern { x: let x and if (x === Point) }
      • unless we have === relational pattern { x: === Point }
  • 🤔 Auto-generated matcher function for class syntax
    • ⚠️ concern: private field performance problem
    • ⚠️ concern: hackable problem
    • ⚠️ concern: interact with Symbol.hasInstance
• and pattern (Map and { size: 1 })
  • 🍬 desugar: Possible only for a few use cases, e.g. { a: Point and let a } => { a: Point, a: let a }
  • ⚠️ concern: syntax diverge with bool &&
• or pattern (1 or 2)
  • ⚠️ concern: interact with binding pattern
  • ⚠️ concern: syntax diverge with bool ||
• not pattern (not 1)
  • ⚠️ concern: interact with binding pattern
  • ⚠️ concern: syntax diverge with bool !
• 🤔 if pattern (if (expr))
  • ⚠️ concern: arbitrary expression interpolation
  • ⚠️ concern: interact with is expression
• 🤔 Default values ({ a = 1 })
  • ⚠️ concern: arbitrary expression interpolation

Level 2: Ergonomic features

• Simple literal pattern (null, true, 1, 2n, "str", NaN, `abc`)
  • 🍬 desugar: extract let x = ...; somewhere then match against x
• Near literal pattern (undefined +1 -1 +1n -1n, 🤔 +Infinity, 🤔 -Infinity)
  • ⚠️ concern: about +Infinity and -Infinity
  • or more powerful version: Unary algebraic pattern
• 🤔 Unary algebraic pattern (+0, -x)
  • ⚠️ concern: what RHS should be? number literal and (dotted) identifier?
  • ⚠️ concern: open the door to defining "simple expression" (a rabbit hole) to do math a + 1
• RegEx literal pattern (/a/)
  • 🍬 desugar (with custom matcher): extract let x = ...; somewhere then match against x({ groups: { ... } })
• 🤔 RegEx named capture group bindings (/a(?<let name>)/)
  • 🍬 desugar: /a(?<name>)/({ groups: { let name } })
  • ⚠️ concern: since we cannot add all patterns we have into RegEx syntax, only allow binding looks not so useful
• Extended variable pattern ({ value: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY }, 🤔 { x: Array[Symbol.iterator] })
  • 🍬 desugar: extract let x = ...; somewhere then match against x
  • ⚠️ concern: cache [[Get]] of "POSITIVE_INFINITY" on Number?
  • ⚠️ concern: arbitrary expression interpolation (for ident[expr] syntax)
• Shorthand property binding ({ let x })
  • 🍬 desugar: { x: let x }
• 🤔 Shorthand object pattern (let { x, y })
  • 🍬 desugar: { x: let x, y: let y }
  • ⚠️ concern: visual confusion
• 🤔 Relation pattern (>= 2)
  • 🍬 desugar with if pattern and and pattern: let x and if (x > 20 && x < 30)
  • ⚠️ concern: what RHS should be? number literal and (dotted) identifier?
  • > 2, < 2
  • 🤔🤔 instanceof x
    • ⚠️ concern: some of us don't like instanceof
  • 🤔🤔 === x
    • ⚠️ concern: looks strange { constructor: === Point }
  • 🤔🤔 "x" in
    • ⚠️ concern: looks strange { x: "a" in }
  • 🤔🤔 typeof "x"
    • ⚠️ concern: we already choose custom matchers to match like { x: Number }, not { x: typeof "number" }
• 🤔 Void pattern ({ a: 1, b: void })
  • 🍬 desugar: create a new unused binding { a: 1, b: let _ }
  • Note: because we need to also add it into destructing and using.
• 🤔 Optional property pattern ({ a: 1, b?: 2 })
  • 🍬 desugar (with or): { a: 1 } or { a: 1, b: 2 }
  • 🍬 desugar (with default value): { a: 1, b = undefined }
• 🤔 Binding-while-matching property pattern ({ let a: Number })
  • 🍬 desugar (with and): { a: Number and let a }
• 🤔 Chaining guards