Pipe forward operator and curried free functions = fluent interface

gistfile1.swift

// meet Stringy - a simple string type with a fluent interface
struct Stringy {
  let content: String
  
  init(_ content: String) {
    self.content = content
  }
  
  func append(appendage: Stringy) -> Stringy {
    return Stringy(self.content + " " + appendage.content)
  }
  
  func printMe() {
    println(content)
  }
}

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Stringy in action ...

var greeting = Stringy("Hi")

greeting.append(Stringy("how"))
        .append(Stringy("are"))
        .append(Stringy("you?"))
        .printMe()  // => "Hi how are you?"

// A lovely fluent interface!

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Now what append and printMe were 'free functions'?

func appendFreeFunction(a: Stringy, b: Stringy) -> Stringy {
  return Stringy(a.content + " " + b.content)
}

func printMe(a: Stringy) {
  a.printMe()
}

// Stringy with free functions in action ...
printMe(
  appendFreeFunction(
    appendFreeFunction(
      appendFreeFunction(greeting, Stringy("how")), Stringy("are")), Stringy("you?")))
        // => "Hi how are you?"

// Yuck - we no longer have the fluent interface, with a real mess of brackets

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Pipe forward

// modify the free functions, turnign them into curried functions
func appendCurriedFreeFunction(a: Stringy)(b: Stringy) -> Stringy {
  return Stringy(b.content + " " + a.content)
}

// and define a pipe forward operator
infix operator |> { associativity left }

func |><X> (stringy: Stringy, transform: Stringy -> X) -> X {
  return transform(stringy)
}

// we now have free functions AND a fluent interface
greeting
  |> appendCurriedFreeFunction(Stringy("how"))
  |> appendCurriedFreeFunction(Stringy("are"))
  |> appendCurriedFreeFunction(Stringy("you?"))
  |> printMe // => "Hi how are you?"

Mind blown. This is epic. Thanks for taking it step-by-step!

👍

Thank you for this!

HOLY S**T!

👍