rhaj/rhai_engine/rhaibook/language/object-maps.md

Object Maps

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Always limit the [maximum size of object maps].

Object maps are hash dictionaries. Properties are all [Dynamic] and can be freely added and retrieved.

The Rust type of a Rhai object map is rhai::Map. Currently it is an alias to BTreeMap<SmartString, Dynamic>.

[type_of()] an object map returns "map".

Object maps are disabled via the [no_object] feature.

Normally, when [properties][getters/setters] are accessed, copies of the data values are made.
This is normally slow.

Object maps have special treatment – properties are accessed via _references_, meaning that
no copies of data values are made.

This makes object map access fast, especially when deep within a properties chain.

```rust
// 'obj' is a normal custom type
let x = obj.a.b.c.d;

// The above is equivalent to:
let a_value = obj.a;        // temp copy of 'a'
let b_value = a_value.b;    // temp copy of 'b'
let c_value = b_value.c;    // temp copy of 'c'
let d_value = c_value.d;    // temp copy of 'd'
let x = d_value;

// 'map' is an object map
let x = map.a.b.c.d;        // direct access to 'd'
                            // 'a', 'b' and 'c' are not copied

map.a.b.c.d = 42;           // directly modifies 'd' in 'a', 'b' and 'c'
                            // no copy of any property value is made

map.a.b.c.d.calc();         // directly calls 'calc' on 'd'
                            // no copy of any property value is made
```

[`SmartString`] is used because most object map properties are short (at least shorter than 23 characters)
and ASCII-based, so they can usually be stored inline without incurring the cost of an allocation.

The vast majority of object maps contain just a few properties.

`BTreeMap` performs significantly better than `HashMap` when the number of entries is small.

Literal Syntax

Object map literals are built within braces #{ ... } with name:value pairs separated by commas ,:

#{ property : value, ... , property : value }

#{ property : value, ... , property : value , } // trailing comma is OK

The property name can be a simple identifier following the same naming rules as [variables], or a [string literal][literals] without interpolation.

Property Access Syntax

Dot notation

The dot notation allows only property names that follow the same naming rules as [variables].

object . property

Elvis notation

The [Elvis notation][elvis] is similar to the dot notation except that it returns [()] if the object itself is [()].

// returns () if object is ()
object ?. property

// no action if object is ()
object ?. property = value ;

Index notation

The index notation allows setting/getting properties of arbitrary names (even the empty [string]).

object [ property ]

Handle Non-Existent Properties

Trying to read a non-existent property returns [()] instead of causing an error.

This is similar to JavaScript where accessing a non-existent property returns undefined.

let map = #{ foo: 42 };

// Regular property access
let x = map.foo;            // x == 42

// Non-existent property
let x = map.bar;            // x == ()

It is possible to force Rhai to return an `EvalAltResult:: ErrorPropertyNotFound` via
[`Engine:: set_fail_on_invalid_map_property`][options].

For fine-tuned control on what happens when a non-existent property is accessed,
see [_Non-Existent Property Handling for Object Maps_](object-maps-missing-prop.md).

Check for property existence

Use the [in] operator to check whether a property exists in an object-map.

let map = #{ foo: 42 };

"foo" in map == true;

"bar" in map == false;

Short-circuit non-existent property access

Use the [Elvis operator][elvis] (?.) to short-circuit further processing if the object is [()].

x.a.b.foo();        // <- error if 'x', 'x.a' or 'x.a.b' is ()

x.a.b = 42;         // <- error if 'x' or 'x.a' is ()

x?.a?.b?.foo();     // <- ok! returns () if 'x', 'x.a' or 'x.a.b' is ()

x?.a?.b = 42;       // <- ok even if 'x' or 'x.a' is ()

Default property value

Using the null-coalescing operator to give non-existent properties default values.

let map = #{ foo: 42 };

// Regular property access
let x = map.foo;            // x == 42

// Non-existent property
let x = map.bar;            // x == ()

// Default value for property
let x = map.bar ?? 42;      // x == 42

Built-in Functions

The following methods (defined in the [BasicMapPackage][built-in packages] but excluded when using a [raw Engine]) operate on object maps.

Function	Parameter(s)	Description
get	property name	gets a copy of the value of a certain property ([()] if the property does not exist); behavior is not affected by [Engine::fail_on_invalid_map_property][options]
set	property name new element	sets a certain property to a new value (property is added if not already exists)
len	none	returns the number of properties
is_empty	none	returns true if the object map is empty
clear	none	empties the object map
remove	property name	removes a certain property and returns it ([()] if the property does not exist)
+= operator, mixin	second object map	mixes in all the properties of the second object map to the first (values of properties with the same names replace the existing values)
+ operator	first object map second object map	merges the first object map with the second
== operator	first object map second object map	are the two object maps the same (elements compared with the == operator, if defined)?
!= operator	first object map second object map	are the two object maps different (elements compared with the == operator, if defined)?
fill_with	second object map	adds in all properties of the second object map that do not exist in the object map
contains, [in] operator	property name	does the object map contain a property of a particular name?
keys	none	returns an [array] of all the property names (in random order), not available under [no_index]
values	none	returns an [array] of all the property values (in random order), not available under [no_index]
drain	[function pointer] to predicate (usually a [closure])	removes all elements (returning them) that return true when called with the predicate function taking the following parameters: key (optional) object map element (if omitted, the object map element is bound to this)
retain	[function pointer] to predicate (usually a [closure])	removes all elements (returning them) that do not return true when called with the predicate function taking the following parameters: key (optional) object map element (if omitted, the object map element is bound to this)
filter	[function pointer] to predicate (usually a [closure])	constructs a object map with all elements that return true when called with the predicate function taking the following parameters: key (optional) object map element (if omitted, the object map element is bound to this)
to_json	none	returns a JSON representation of the object map ([()] is mapped to null, all other data types must be supported by JSON)

Examples

let y = #{              // object map literal with 3 properties
    a: 1,
    bar: "hello",
    "baz!$@": 123.456,  // like JavaScript, you can use any string as property names...
    "": false,          // even the empty string!

    `hello`: 999,       // literal strings are also OK

    a: 42,              // <- syntax error: duplicated property name

    `a${2}`: 42,        // <- syntax error: property name cannot have string interpolation
};

y.a = 42;               // access via dot notation
y.a == 42;

y.baz!$@ = 42;          // <- syntax error: only proper variable names allowed in dot notation
y."baz!$@" = 42;        // <- syntax error: strings not allowed in dot notation
y["baz!$@"] = 42;       // access via index notation is OK

"baz!$@" in y == true;  // use 'in' to test if a property exists in the object map
("z" in y) == false;

ts.obj = y;             // object maps can be assigned completely (by value copy)
let foo = ts.list.a;
foo == 42;

let foo = #{ a:1, };    // trailing comma is OK

let foo = #{ a:1, b:2, c:3 }["a"];
let foo = #{ a:1, b:2, c:3 }.a;
foo == 1;

fn abc() {
    #{ a:1, b:2, c:3 }  // a function returning an object map
}

let foo = abc().b;
foo == 2;

let foo = y["a"];
foo == 42;

y.contains("a") == true;
y.contains("xyz") == false;

y.xyz == ();            // a non-existent property returns '()'
y["xyz"] == ();

y.len == ();            // an object map has no property getter function
y.len() == 3;           // method calls are OK

y.remove("a") == 1;     // remove property

y.len() == 2;
y.contains("a") == false;

for name in y.keys() {  // get an array of all the property names via 'keys'
    print(name);
}

for val in y.values() { // get an array of all the property values via 'values'
    print(val);
}

y.clear();              // empty the object map

y.len() == 0;

No Support for Property Getters

In order not to affect the speed of accessing properties in an object map, new [property getters][getters/setters] cannot be registered because they conflict with the syntax of property access.

A [property getter][getters/setters] function registered via Engine::register_get, for example, for a Map will never be found – instead, the property will be looked up in the object map.

Properties should be registered as methods instead:

map.len                 // access property 'len', returns '()' if not found

map.len()               // 'len' method - returns the number of properties

map.keys                // access property 'keys', returns '()' if not found

map.keys()              // 'keys' method - returns array of all property names

map.values              // access property 'values', returns '()' if not found

map.values()            // 'values' method - returns array of all property values