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diff --git a/doc/gawk.texi b/doc/gawk.texi index 501aacde..7e53a1e4 100644 --- a/doc/gawk.texi +++ b/doc/gawk.texi @@ -562,6 +562,7 @@ particular records in a file and perform operations upon them. * Computed Regexps:: Using Dynamic Regexps. * GNU Regexp Operators:: Operators specific to GNU software. * Case-sensitivity:: How to do case-insensitive matching. +* Strong Regexp Constants:: Strongly typed regexp constants. * Regexp Summary:: Regular expressions summary. * Records:: Controlling how data is split into records. @@ -4999,6 +5000,7 @@ regular expressions work, we present more complicated instances. * Computed Regexps:: Using Dynamic Regexps. * GNU Regexp Operators:: Operators specific to GNU software. * Case-sensitivity:: How to do case-insensitive matching. +* Strong Regexp Constants:: Strongly typed regexp constants. * Regexp Summary:: Regular expressions summary. @end menu @@ -6246,6 +6248,85 @@ The value of @code{IGNORECASE} has no effect if @command{gawk} is in compatibility mode (@pxref{Options}). Case is always significant in compatibility mode. +@node Strong Regexp Constants +@section Strongly Typed Regexp Constants + +This @value{SECTION} describes a @command{gawk}-specific feature. + +Regexp constants (@code{/@dots{}/}) hold a strange position in the +@command{awk} language. In most contexts, they act like an expression: +@samp{$0 ~ /@dots{}/}. In other contexts, they denote only a regexp to +be matched. In no case are they really a ``first class citizen'' of the +language. That is, you cannot define a scalar variable whose type is +``regexp'' in the same sense that you can define a variable to be a +number or a string: + +@example +num = 42 @ii{Numeric variable} +str = "hi" @ii{String variable} +re = /foo/ @ii{Wrong!} re @ii{is the result of} $0 ~ /foo/ +@end example + +For a number of more advanced use cases (described later on in this +@value{DOCUMENT}), it would be nice to have regexp constants that +are @dfn{strongly typed}; in other words, that denote a regexp useful +for matching, and not an expression. + +@command{gawk} provides this feature. A strongly typed regexp constant +looks almost like a regular regexp constant, except that it is preceded +by an @samp{@@} sign: + +@example +re = @@/foo/ @ii{Regexp variable} +@end example + +Strongly typed regexp constants @emph{cannot} be used eveywhere that a +regular regexp constant can, because this would make the language even more +confusing. Instead, you may use them only in certain contexts: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +On the righthand side of the @samp{~} and @samp{!~} operators: @samp{some_var ~ @@/foo/} +(@pxref{Regexp Usage}). + +@item +In the @code{case} part of a @code{switch} statement +(@pxref{Switch Statement}). + +@item +As an argument to one of the built-in functions that accept regexp constants: +@code{gensub()}, +@code{gsub()}, +@code{match()}, +@code{patsplit()}, +@code{split()}, +and +@code{sub()} +(@pxref{String Functions}). + +@item +As a parameter in a call to a user-defined function. +(@pxref{User-defined}). + +@item +On the righthand side of an assignment to a variable: @samp{some_var = @@/foo/}. +In this case, the type of @code{some_var} is regexp. Additionally, @code{some_var} +can be used with @samp{~} and @code{!~}, passed to one of the built-in functions +listed above, or passed as a parameter to a user-defined function. +@end itemize + +You may use the @code{typeof()} built-in function +(@pxref{Type Functions}) +to determine if a variable or function parameter is +a regexp variable. + +The true power of this feature comes from the ability to create variables that +have regexp type. Such variables can be passed on to user-defined functions, +without the confusing aspects of computed regular expressions created from +strings or string constants. They may also be passed through indirect function +calls (@pxref{Indirect Calls}) +onto the built-in functions that accept regexp constants. + @node Regexp Summary @section Summary @@ -6289,6 +6370,11 @@ treated as regular expressions). case sensitivity of regexp matching. In other @command{awk} versions, use @code{tolower()} or @code{toupper()}. +@item +Strongly typed regexp constants (@code{@@/.../}) enable +certain advanced use cases to be described later on in the +@value{DOCUMENT}. + @end itemize @@ -19384,16 +19470,41 @@ results of the @code{compl()}, @code{lshift()}, and @code{rshift()} functions. @node Type Functions @subsection Getting Type Information -@command{gawk} provides a single function that lets you distinguish -an array from a scalar variable. This is necessary for writing code +@command{gawk} provides two functions that lets you distinguish +the type of a variable. +This is necessary for writing code that traverses every element of an array of arrays -(@pxref{Arrays of Arrays}). +(@pxref{Arrays of Arrays}), and in other contexts. @table @code @cindexgawkfunc{isarray} @cindex scalar or array @item isarray(@var{x}) Return a true value if @var{x} is an array. Otherwise, return false. + +@cindexgawkfunc{typeof} +@cindex variable type +@cindex type, of variable +@item typeof(@var{x}) +Return one of the following strings, depending upon the type of @var{x}: + +@c nested table +@table @code +@item "array" +@var{x} is an array. + +@item "regexp" +@var{x} is a strongly typed regexp (@pxref{Strong Regexp Constants}). + +@item "scalar_n" +@var{x} is a number. + +@item "scalar_s" +@var{x} is a string. + +@item "untyped" +@var{x} has not yet been given a type. +@end table @end table @code{isarray()} is meant for use in two circumstances. The first is when @@ -19411,6 +19522,14 @@ that has not been previously used to @code{isarray()}, @command{gawk} ends up turning it into a scalar. @end quotation +The @code{typeof()} function is general; it allows you to determine +if a variable or function parameter is a scalar, an array, or a strongly +typed regexp. + +@code{isarray()} is deprecated; you should use @code{typeof()} instead. +You should replace any existing uses of @samp{isarray(var)} in your +code with @samp{typeof(var) == "array"}. + @node I18N Functions @subsection String-Translation Functions @cindex @command{gawk}, string-translation functions |