why currying does not work with a function literal? - scala

What is the logical reason that the first form works and not the second?
scala> val d = (a: Int, b: Int) => a + b
d: (Int, Int) => Int = <function2>
scala> val d = (a: Int)(b: Int) => a + b
<console>:1: error: not a legal formal parameter.
Note: Tuples cannot be directly destructured in method or function parameters.
Either create a single parameter accepting the Tuple1,
or consider a pattern matching anonymous function: `{ case (param1, param1) => ... }
val d=(a:Int)(b:Int)=>a+b

Because multiple parameter lists aren't allowed on function declarations. If you want to curry a function, you do:
scala> val d: Int => Int => Int = a => b => a + b
d: Int => (Int => Int) = $$Lambda$1106/512934838#6ef4cbe1
scala> val f = d(3)
f: Int => Int = $$Lambda$1109/1933965693#7e2c6702
scala> f(4)
res6: Int = 7
You can also create a single parameter list and partially apply it:
scala> val d = (a: Int, b: Int) => a + b
d: (Int, Int) => Int = $$Lambda$1064/586164630#7c8874ef
scala> d(4, _: Int)
res2: Int => Int = $$Lambda$1079/2135563436#4a1a412e
We partially applied d with 4, and we got back a function, Int => Int, which means when we supply the next argument, we'll get the result:
scala> res2(3)
res3: Int = 7
We can also create a named method, and use eta-expansion to create a curried function out of it:
scala> def add(i: Int)(j: Int): Int = i + j
add: (i: Int)(j: Int)Int
scala> val curriedAdd = add _
curriedAdd: Int => (Int => Int) = $$Lambda$1115/287609100#f849027
scala> val onlyOneArgumentLeft = curriedAdd(1)
onlyOneArgumentLeft: Int => Int = $$Lambda$1116/1700143613#77e9dca8
scala> onlyOneArgumentLeft(2)
res8: Int = 3

Function currying is possible.
val curryFunc = (a: Int) => (b: Int) => a + b
curryFunc now has the type Int => (Int => Int)

Related

How to make scala shell to show an anonymous function?

I am learning scala and a typical example is the definition of an anonymous function:
scala> (x: Int) => x + 7
res11: Int => Int = <function1>
How do I make the shell to show me the body of <function1>?
Which would be x + 7 in the above case.
This becomes interesting if a function is partially applied:
scala> def adder(m: Int, n: Int) : Int = m + n
adder: (m: Int, n: Int)Int
scala> val add2 = adder(2, _:Int)
add2: Int => Int = <function1>

anonymous function with multiple parameter lists

I am trying to declare a simple method in scala with multiple parameter lists.
These two work.
scala> def add(a:Int, b:Int) = a+ b
add: (a: Int, b: Int)Int
scala> def add(a:Int)(b:Int) = a + b
add: (a: Int)(b: Int)Int
This does not...
scala> val add = (a:Int)(b:Int)=>a + b
<console>:1: error: not a legal formal parameter.
Note: Tuples cannot be directly destructured in method or function parameters.
Either create a single parameter accepting the Tuple1,
or consider a pattern matching anonymous function: `{ case (param1, param1) => ... }
val add = (a:Int)(b:Int)=>a + b
But why ... all I am trying to do is to assign a anonymous function which takes multiple parameter lists to a value. that works with a single parameter list but not with multiple parameter lists.
It's just a matter of syntax when declaring the curried arguments.
scala> val add = (a:Int) => (b:Int) => a + b
add: Int => (Int => Int) = <function1>
scala> add(4)
res5: Int => Int = <function1>
scala> res5(9)
res6: Int = 13
Example of anonymous usage:
scala> def doit(f: Int => Int => String): String = f(2)(5)
doit: (f: Int => (Int => String))String
scala> doit(a => b => (a+b).toString)
res8: String = 7

Why does this partial application not compile?

The following:
val add = (a: Int, b: Int) => a + b
gets converted to:
object add extends Function2[Int, Int, Int] {
def apply(a: Int, b: Int) = a + b
}
while
val a1 = add(_: Int, 3)
gets converted to:
object a1 extends Function1[Int, Int] {
def apply(x: Int): Int = {
add(x, 3)
}
}
But when I do:
scala> val a2 = add _
a2: () => (Int, Int) => Int = <function0>
And then call a2, it throws an error:
scala> a2(1, 2)
<console>:11: error: too many arguments for method apply: ()(Int, Int) => Int in trait Function0
a2(1, 2)
^
Why is this? Why does the following work?
a2()(1, 2)
add is already a Function2[Int, Int, Int]. If you want a2 to have the same type, then a simple assignment will suffice.
scala> val a2 = add
a2: (Int, Int) => Int = <function2>
scala> a2(1, 2)
res3: Int = 3
What you're thinking of is eta-expansion of a method into a function. If we had:
def add(a: Int, b: Int): Int = a + b
Then, we would use add _ to get the eta-expansion to assign to a value.
scala> def a2 = add _
a2: (Int, Int) => Int
scala> a2(1, 2)
res4: Int = 3
But add is already a function, so the underscore has a different meaning. add is now a value and not a method. Since add is a value, it is like a parameter-less method that returns a Function2[Int, Int, Int]. And if we try to get the eta-expansion of that, we get () => Function2[Int, Int, Int].
Consider a simpler example where we have a simple val a = 1. a is essentially the same as a parameter-less method that returns 1 (def a = 1). If I try to obtain the eta-expansion, I will get () => Int.
scala> val a = 1
a: Int = 1
scala> val a2 = a _
a2: () => Int = <function0>

Simple currying in scala

I have the following two functions, written in scala:
def f: (Int,Int) => Int = (x,y) => x+y
def g: Int=>Int=>Int=x=>y=>x+y
Now I want to write a function that curries the function f, taking one argument, into a function g, taking two arguments.
Beside the definition I cant find a solution to this problem
curry: ((Int, Int) => Int) => (Int => Int => Int):
Any suggestions?
Can you simply use the curried function?
scala> def f: (Int,Int) => Int = (x,y) => x+y
f: (Int, Int) => Int
scala> val g = f.curried
g: Int => (Int => Int) = <function1>
scala> g(1)(2)
res0: Int = 3
Edit: an example of a curry function based on the source code of curried in Function2:
def curry[A,B,C](f: (A,B) => C): A => B => C = (x1: A) => (x2: B) => f(x1,x2)
scala> def f(x: Int, y: Int) = x + y
f: (x: Int, y: Int)Int
scala> def curry(fn: (Int, Int) => Int) = (x: Int) => (y: Int) => fn(x, y)
curry: (fn: (Int, Int) => Int)Int => (Int => Int)
scala> val g = curry(f)
g: Int => (Int => Int) = <function1>
scala> g(3)(4)
res0: Int = 7

How do I get (a, b) => c from a => b => c in Scala?

If I have:
val f : A => B => C
This is shorthand for:
val f : Function1[A, Function1[B, C]]
How do I get a function g with the signature:
val g : (A, B) => C = error("todo")
(i.e.)
val g : Function2[A, B, C] //or possibly
val g : Function1[(A, B), C]
in terms of f?
scala> val f : Int => Int => Int = a => b => a + b
f: (Int) => (Int) => Int = <function1>
scala> Function.uncurried(f)
res0: (Int, Int) => Int = <function2>
Extending retonym's answer, for completeness
val f : Int => Int => Int = a => b => a + b
val g: (Int, Int) => Int = Function.uncurried(f)
val h: ((Int, Int)) => Int = Function.tupled(g)
The converse functions for both of these operations are also provided on the Function object, so you could write the above backwards, if you wished
val h: ((Int, Int)) => Int = x =>(x._1 + x._2)
val g: (Int, Int) => Int = Function.untupled(h)
val f : Int => Int => Int = g.curried //Function.curried(g) would also work, but is deprecated. Wierd
Just to round out the answer, although there is a library method to do this, it may also be instructive to do it by hand:
scala> val f = (i: Int) => ((s: String) => i*s.length)
f: (Int) => (String) => Int = <function1>
scala> val g = (i: Int, s: String) => f(i)(s)
g: (Int, String) => Int = <function2>
Or in general,
def uncurry[A,B,C](f: A=>B=>C): (A,B)=>C = {
(a: A, b: B) => f(a)(b)
}
Similar to the answer by Rex Kerr but easier to read.
type A = String
type B = Int
type C = Boolean
val f: A => B => C = s => i => s.toInt+i > 10
val f1: (A, B) => C = f(_)(_)