Ability to defer functions, closes #403

ast/ast.go

@@ -25,6 +25,27 @@ type Expression interface {
 	expressionNode()
 }
 
+// Deferrable is used to be able to
+// check whether an expression needs
+// to be executed now or at the end
+// of the scope
+type Deferrable interface {
+	IsDeferred() bool
+	SetDeferred(bool)
+}
+
+// Deferred is a struct that can be embedded
+// in order to define whether the current node
+// needs to be executed right away or whether
+// it should be deferred until the end of the
+// current scope.
+type Deferred struct {
+	deferred bool
+}
+
+func (d *Deferred) IsDeferred() bool          { return d.deferred }
+func (d *Deferred) SetDeferred(deferred bool) { d.deferred = deferred }
+
 // Represents the whole program
 // as a bunch of statements
 type Program struct {
@@ -275,6 +296,7 @@ type MethodExpression struct {
 	Method    Expression
 	Arguments []Expression
 	Optional  bool
+	Deferred
 }
 
 func (me *MethodExpression) expressionNode()      {}
@@ -416,6 +438,7 @@ func (fe *ForExpression) String() string {
 type CommandExpression struct {
 	Token token.Token // The command itself
 	Value string
+	Deferred
 }
 
 func (ce *CommandExpression) expressionNode()      {}
@@ -479,6 +502,7 @@ type CallExpression struct {
 	Token     token.Token // The '(' token
 	Function  Expression  // Identifier or FunctionLiteral
 	Arguments []Expression
+	Deferred
 }
 
 func (ce *CallExpression) expressionNode()      {}

docs/src/.vuepress/config.js

@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ module.exports = {
             'syntax/system-commands',
             'syntax/operators',
             'syntax/comments',
+            'syntax/defer',
           ]
         },
         {

docs/src/docs/syntax/defer.md

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+---
+permalink: /syntax/defer
+---
+
+# Defer <Badge text="experimental" type="warning"/>
+
+Sometimes it is very helpful to guarantee a certain function is executed
+regardless of what code path we take: you can use the `defer` keyword for
+this.
+
+```py
+echo(1)
+defer echo(3)
+echo(2)
+# 1
+# 2
+# 3
+```
+
+When you schedule a function to be deferred, it will executed right at
+the end of the current scope. A `defer` inside a function will then
+execute at the end of that function itself:
+
+```py
+echo(1)
+f fn() {
+    defer echo(3)
+    echo(2)
+}
+fn()
+echo(4)
+# 1
+# 2
+# 3
+# 4
+```
+
+You can `defer` any callable: a function call, a method or even a system
+command. This can be very helpful if you need to run a cleanup function
+right before wrapping up with your code:
+
+```sh
+defer `rm my-file.txt`
+"some text" > "my-file.txt"
+
+...
+...
+"some other text" >> "my-file.txt"
+```
+
+In this case, you will be guaranteed to execute the command that removes
+`my-file.txt` before the program closes.
+
+Be aware that code that is deferred does not have access to the return value
+of its scope, and will supress errors -- if a `defer` block messes up you're
+not going to see any error. This behavior is experimental, but we would most
+likely like to give this kind of control through [try...catch...finally](https://github.com/abs-lang/abs/issues/118).

evaluator/evaluator.go

@@ -231,36 +231,70 @@ func Eval(node ast.Node, env *object.Environment) object.Object {
 
 func evalProgram(program *ast.Program, env *object.Environment) object.Object {
 	var result object.Object
+	deferred := []*ast.ExpressionStatement{}
+
+loop:
 	for _, statement := range program.Statements {
+		x, ok := statement.(*ast.ExpressionStatement)
+
+		if ok {
+			if d, ok := x.Expression.(ast.Deferrable); ok && d.IsDeferred() {
+				deferred = append(deferred, x)
+				continue
+			}
+		}
 		result = Eval(statement, env)
-		switch result := result.(type) {
+
+		switch ret := result.(type) {
 		case *object.ReturnValue:
-			return result.Value
+			result = ret.Value
+			break loop
 		case *object.Error:
-			return result
+			break loop
 		}
 	}
 
+	for _, statement := range deferred {
+		Eval(statement, env)
+	}
+
 	return result
 }
 
+// This should fundamentally be using the same function as evalProgram,
+// but there are some subtle difference on how they brak / handle return
+// values. You will see a lot of repeated code between the 2, especially
+// since we introduced `defer` which adds a bit of complexity to both.
 func evalBlockStatement(
 	block *ast.BlockStatement,
 	env *object.Environment,
 ) object.Object {
 	var result object.Object
+	deferred := []*ast.ExpressionStatement{}
 
 	for _, statement := range block.Statements {
+		x, ok := statement.(*ast.ExpressionStatement)
+
+		if ok {
+			if d, ok := x.Expression.(ast.Deferrable); ok && d.IsDeferred() {
+				deferred = append(deferred, x)
+				continue
+			}
+		}
 		result = Eval(statement, env)
 
 		if result != nil {
 			rt := result.Type()
 			if rt == object.RETURN_VALUE_OBJ || rt == object.ERROR_OBJ {
-				return result
+				break
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
+	for _, statement := range deferred {
+		Eval(statement, env)
+	}
+
 	return result
 }
 

evaluator/evaluator_test.go

@@ -428,6 +428,29 @@ func TestStringInterpolation(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDeferredFunctions(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		input    string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		// you can use functions
+		{`x = {"test": ""}; f deferred() { x.test += "c"}; f fn() { x.test += "a"; defer deferred(); x.test += "b"}; fn(); x.test`, "abc"},
+		{`x = {"test": ""}; f deferred() { x.test += "c"}; f fn() { x.test += "a"; defer deferred(); x.test += "b"; return;}; fn(); x.test`, "abc"},
+		{`x = {"test": ""}; f deferred() { x.test += "c"}; f fn() { x.test += "a"; defer deferred(); return; x.test += "b"}; fn(); x.test`, "ac"},
+		// you can use commands
+		{"f test() { 'a' > 'test-ignore-defer.abs'; defer `echo c >> test-ignore-defer.abs`; 'b' >> 'test-ignore-defer.abs' }; test(); `cat test-ignore-defer.abs`", "abc"},
+		// let's just test you can use methods
+		{`x = {"test": ""}; f fn() { x.test += "a"; defer "".upper(); x.test += "b"}; fn(); x.test`, "ab"},
+		// you can use defer in the main scope
+		{`x = {"test": "a"}; defer f() {x.test += "c"}; x.test += "b"; x.test`, "ab"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		evaluated := testEval(tt.input)
+		testStringObject(t, evaluated, tt.expected)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestForInExpressions(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		input    string
@@ -541,17 +564,17 @@ func TestReturnStatements(t *testing.T) {
 		expected interface{}
 	}{
 		{`
-if false {
+if true {
 	return
 }		
 return 3
-`, 3},
+`, nil},
 		{`
-if true {
+if false {
 	return
 }		
 return 3
-`, nil},
+`, 3},
 		{`
 if false {
 	return;

lexer/lexer_test.go

@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ f hello(x, y) {
 1 !in []
 !in_variable_named_in
 !i
+defer fn
 `
 
 	tests := []struct {
@@ -414,6 +415,8 @@ f hello(x, y) {
 		{token.IDENT, "in_variable_named_in"},
 		{token.BANG, "!"},
 		{token.IDENT, "i"},
+		{token.DEFER, "defer"},
+		{token.IDENT, "fn"},
 		{token.EOF, ""},
 	}
 

parser/parser.go

@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ func New(l *lexer.Lexer) *Parser {
 	p.registerPrefix(token.CONTINUE, p.parseContinue)
 	p.registerPrefix(token.CURRENT_ARGS, p.parseCurrentArgsLiteral)
 	p.registerPrefix(token.AT, p.parseDecorator)
+	p.registerPrefix(token.DEFER, p.parseDefer)
 
 	p.infixParseFns = make(map[token.TokenType]infixParseFn)
 	p.registerInfix(token.PLUS, p.parseInfixExpression)
@@ -848,6 +849,20 @@ func (p *Parser) parseDecorator() ast.Expression {
 	return dc
 }
 
+// defer fn()
+func (p *Parser) parseDefer() ast.Expression {
+	p.nextToken()
+	exp := p.parseExpression(0)
+
+	if d, ok := exp.(ast.Deferrable); ok {
+		d.SetDeferred(true)
+	} else {
+		p.reportError("you can only defer a call: defer some.method() | defer `some command` | defer some_fn()", p.curToken)
+	}
+
+	return exp
+}
+
 // ...
 func (p *Parser) parseCurrentArgsLiteral() ast.Expression {
 	return &ast.CurrentArgsLiteral{Token: p.curToken}

parser/parser_test.go

@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ func TestForElseExpression(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestFunctionLiteralParsing(t *testing.T) {
-	input := `f(x, y = 2) { x + y; }`
+	input := `f(x, y = 2) { defer f() {echo(1)}(); x + y; }`
 
 	l := lexer.New(input)
 	p := New(l)
@@ -1012,18 +1012,29 @@ func TestFunctionLiteralParsing(t *testing.T) {
 	testParameter(t, function.Parameters[0], "x")
 	testParameter(t, function.Parameters[1], "y = 2")
 
-	if len(function.Body.Statements) != 1 {
+	if len(function.Body.Statements) != 2 {
 		t.Fatalf("function.Body.Statements has not 1 statements. got=%d\n",
 			len(function.Body.Statements))
 	}
 
-	bodyStmt, ok := function.Body.Statements[0].(*ast.ExpressionStatement)
+	stmt, ok = function.Body.Statements[0].(*ast.ExpressionStatement)
 	if !ok {
 		t.Fatalf("function body stmt is not ast.ExpressionStatement. got=%T",
 			function.Body.Statements[0])
 	}
 
-	testInfixExpression(t, bodyStmt.Expression, "x", "+", "y")
+	_, ok = stmt.Expression.(*ast.CallExpression)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expression should be a call expression, got=%T", stmt.Expression)
+	}
+
+	secondExpr, ok := function.Body.Statements[1].(*ast.ExpressionStatement)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("function body stmt is not ast.ExpressionStatement. got=%T",
+			function.Body.Statements[1])
+	}
+
+	testInfixExpression(t, secondExpr.Expression, "x", "+", "y")
 }
 
 func TestCommandParsing(t *testing.T) {

token/token.go

@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ const (
 	NOT_IN   = "NOT_IN"
 	BREAK    = "BREAK"
 	CONTINUE = "CONTINUE"
+	DEFER    = "DEFER"
 )
 
 type Token struct {
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ var keywords = map[string]TokenType{
 	"null":     NULL,
 	"break":    BREAK,
 	"continue": CONTINUE,
+	"defer":    DEFER,
 }
 
 // NumberAbbreviations is a list of abbreviations that can be used in numbers eg. 1k, 20B