= PatternMatching module


== What

Provides a pure ruby module that:
* can build structured objects easily
* can enable pattern match of objects
* can define method as a partial function style

== Installing

 sudo gem install patternmatching

== The basics

This module provides methods for tree pattern matching features.

* For detail, see {Wikipedia: Pattern matching}[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_matching]
* Syntax based on meta-programming, like "rspec", and so on.

Note: Default equivalence used in structured pattern matching is 
based on "pattern === data", 
so "foo(Numeric)" matches "foo(100)".

From ver. 0.2.0, thread unsafeness restriction is removed.

== Demonstration of usage

Symbols(e.g. ":a", ":right_value") 
in patterns is passed as variable 
to the following block when the pattern matched.

=== Pattern matching expression
 # If installed from gem
 # require "rubygems"
 # gem "patternmatching"
 require "patternmatching"
 
 # For DSL style code, include PatternMatching
 include PatternMatching
 
 # match example
 def calc(code)
   make(code) {
     seems as {plus(:a, :b)} do calc(a) + calc(b) end
     seems as {mul(:a, :b)} do  calc(a) * calc(b) end
     seems something do code end
   }
 end
 
 code = build {plus(mul(100, 100), 200)}
 p calc(code) #=> 10200

=== Partial style method

 require "patternmatching"
 
 # Structured data builder
 code = PatternMatching.build {plus(mul(100, 100), 200)}
 
 # Partial style method example
 class Calc
   # At first, extends with the module
   extend PatternMatching
 
   # def calcm(o), as 3 partial styles
   func(:calcm).seems as {plus(:a, :b)} do
     calcm(b) + calcm(b)
   end
   func(:calcm).seems as {mul(:a, :b)} do
     calcm(a) * calcm(b)
   end
   func(:calcm).seems as {:value} do
     value
   end
 end
 
 # use as standard method
 p Calc.new.calcm(code) #=> 10200

=== Array/Enumerable pattern

 require "patternmatching"
 
 include PatternMatching
 
 # Example for matching Enumerable
 is = build { exact([1,2,3,4,5]) }
 make is do
    # _!  matches rest of lists
   seems as {exact([:a,:b, _!(:c)])} do
     puts a.to_s + ", " + b.to_s  + " and " + c.to_s
   end
   seems something do
     puts "not matched"
   end
 end # => "1, 2, and 345"

=== Hash pattern

 require "patternmatching"
 
 include PatternMatching
 
 # Example for matching Hash
 dict = build { {:name => "Taro", :age => 5} }
 make dict do
   seems as {{:name => :name}} do
     puts "He is " + name
   end
   seems something do
     puts "no name"
   end
 end # => "He is Taro"

=== Non-Hash/Object pattern

 require "patternmatching"
 
 include PatternMatching
 
 class Person
   def initialize(name, age)
     @name = name
     @age = age
   end
   attr :name
   attr :age
 end
 
 # Example for matching Object except Hash
 person = Person.new("Jiro", 3)
 make person do
   seems as {{:name => :name}} do
     puts "He is " + name
   end
   seems something do
     puts "no name"
   end
 end # => "He is Jiro"

=== Field Access Example
It is ver. 0.2.0 API

 require "patternmatching"
 
 include PatternMatching
 
 class Foo 
   def initialize
     @name = "Foo"
   end
   attr :name
   def foo
   end
 
   def bar
     make "bar" do
       seems as {:val} do
         foo
         # To access fields like this.name or this.name = ...
         the.name = val
         # To access self as this
         this
       end
     end
   end
   
   func(:buzz).seems as {:val} do 
     the.name = val
     this
   end
 end
 
 o = Foo.new
 p o.bar == o #=> true
 p o.name #=> "bar"
 p o.buzz("buzz") == o #=> true
 p o.name #=> "buzz"

== Forum

Visit the project forum in RubyForge. 

== How to submit patches

Read the {8 steps for fixing other people's code}[http://drnicwilliams.com/2007/06/01/8-steps-for-fixing-other-peoples-code/] and for section {8b: Submit patch to Google Groups}[http://drnicwilliams.com/2007/06/01/8-steps-for-fixing-other-peoples-code/#8b-google-groups], use the forum above.

The trunk repository is 
 svn://rubyforge.org/var/svn/patternmatching/trunk 
for anonymous access.

== License

This code is free to use under the terms of the MIT license. 

== Links

* {Web Site}[http://patternmatching.rubyforge.org/]
* {Project Page}[http://rubyforge.org/projects/patternmatching/]
* {API Doc}[http://patternmatching.rubyforge.org/rdoc/]

== Contact

Comments are welcome. Send a message to the forum. 

== Authors

* ICHIYAMA Ryoichi: bellbind at gmail dot com

{My blog}[http://d.hatena.ne.jp/bellbind/] (written in Japanese) 
could be help you.