Value Types via Syntax

vt.scala

// We don't want to do this:

case class Contact(person: String, address: String)

// We prefer:

class Name(val value: String) extends AnyVal
class Email(val value: String) extends AnyVal
case class Contact(person: Name, address: Email)

// Can we reduce the friction on the value type creation?

// Perhaps use the fact the val and class are keyword:

val class Name = String  // Read as "value class Name is a String"
val class Email = String
case class Contact(person: Name, address: Email)

// This could be a desuggaring to the extends AnyVal form.

// Extensions:
val case class Name = String

// and
val class Email = String {
 def parts = value splitAt "@"
}

// and
val class Name = String extends Thing

Problem: values classes cannot be inside other classes. Using a val at the top-level like that might be a problem in that your intuition on where you can use "val class" would be wrong.