CodeSculptor

Split many kinds of expressions into detailed parts, play with them, and put them back together again. Think of it as a really souped-up version of splitdef() and splitarg() from MacroTools.jl:

using CodeSculptor

expr = :( f(i::Int) = i )
def = SplitFunction(expr)

# Make the function generic
def.args[1].type = :I
push!(def.where_params, SplitType(:( I<:Integer )))

# Modify metadata
def.doc_string = "Does something with any integer"
def.inline = true

# Put it back together and evaluate
eval(combine_expr(def))

# Generate a function call of f
def.body = nothing
def.args[1] = SplitArg(5, false)
@assert eval(combine_expr(def)) === 5

# Check syntax by looking for a null result
is_type_expr(e) = (SplitType(e) !== nothing)
@assert is_type_expr(:( C <: Integer ))
@assert is_type_expr(:D)
@assert !is_type_expr(:( 3 + 8 ))

• SplitFunction for function calls and definitions
• SplitMacro for macro invocations
• SplitMeta for metadata around a definition, such as a docstring or @inline
• SplitType for type declarations (like C{R, T<:Integer} <: B)
• SplitArg for function arguments (like a::Int...)

Each field on the SplitX types is documented with comments.

Each split type can return nothing when constructed, if the expression fails to parse. The constructors can also run in a less strict mode by passing false into the constructor, for example to stop SplitFunction from verifying that a function name has valid syntax.

Each of them can be deep-copied by constructing with a source instance to copy from. Some of them offer extra flags to skip copying particular parts of the AST.

Helper Functions

• is_scopable_name(expr) checks that the expression is either a Symbol or a series of Symbols separated by a . expression. Optionally allows type parameters at the end, like A.B{C}.
• expr_deepcopy(e) works like deepcopy, but without copying special literals/interpolated references (like a Module).
• visit_exprs(e) is like MacroTools.postwalk(), but without modifying anything and with extra provided data that tells you exactly where you are in the original AST.
• unescape(e) and unescape_deep(e) help remove esc() from expressions.

Operators

There are some tools to map between operators and assignments (e.x. + and +=).

• ASSIGNMENT_INNER_OP maps assignment to operator
• ASSIGNMENT_WITH_OP maps operator to assignment
• compute_op(s::Union{Symbol, Val}, a, b) computes an assignment as an operator
  • For example, compute_op(:+=, 3, 4) returns compute_op(Val(:+=), 3, 4) returns 7.

TODO

• SplitField for struct fields (optionally supporting assigned initial values)
• Break apart SplitFunction into SplitCall, SplitSignature, and SplitFuncDef.