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Builtin Functions

This chapter in the Oils Reference describes builtin functions.

(As opposed to builtin commands.

Values

len()

Returns the

• number of entries in a List
• number of pairs in a Dict
• number of bytes in a Str
  • TODO: countRunes() can return the number of UTF-8 encoded code points.

type()

Given an arbitrary value, returns a string representing the value's runtime type.

For example:

var d = {'foo': 'bar'}
var n = 1337

$ = type(d)
(Str)    'Dict'

$ = type(n)
(Str)    'Int'

repeat()

TODO:

= repeat('a', 3)
(Str)   'aaa'

= repeat(['a'], 3)
(List)   ['a', 'a', 'a']

Note that list elements are NOT copied. They are repeated by reference, which means the List can have aliases.

= repeat([[42]], 3)
(List)   [[42], [42], [42]]

Modeled after these Python expressions:

>>> 'a' * 3
'aaa'
>>> ['a'] * 3
['a', 'a', 'a']

Conversions

bool()

Returns the truth value of its argument. Similar to bool() in python, it returns false for:

• false, 0, 0.0, '', {}, [], and null.

Returns true for all other values.

int()

Given a float, returns the largest integer that is less than its argument (i.e. floor()).

$ = int(1.99)
(Int)    1

Given a string, Int() will attempt to convert the string to a base-10 integer. The base can be overriden by calling with a second argument.

$ = int('10')
(Int)   10

$ = int('10', 2)
(Int)   2

ysh$ = Int('foo')
# fails with an expression error

float()

Given an integer, returns the corressponding flaoting point representation.

$ = float(1)
(Float)   1.0

Given a string, Float() will attempt to convert the string to float.

$ = float('1.23')
(Float)   1.23

ysh$ = float('bar')
# fails with an expression error

str()

Converts a Float or Int to a string.

list()

Given a list, returns a shallow copy of the original.

Given an iterable value (e.g. a range or dictionary), returns a list containing one element for each item in the original collection.

$ = list({'a': 1, 'b': 2})
(List)   ['a', 'b']

$ = list(1:5)
(List)   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

dict()

Given a dictionary, returns a shallow copy of the original.

chr()

(not implemented)

Convert an integer to a Str with the corresponding UTF-8 encoded code point.

Integers in the surrogate range are an error.

= chr(97)
(Str)    'a'

= chr(0x3bc)
(Str)    'μ'

ord()

(not implemented)

Convert a single UTF-8 encoded code point to an integer.

= ord('a')
(Int)   97

= ord('μ')
(Int)   956  # same as 0x3bc

runes()

TODO: Explicit iterator over runes.

Str

strcmp()

TODO

split()

TODO

If no argument is passed, splits by whitespace

If a delimiter Str with a single byte is given, splits by that byte.

Modes:

• Python-like algorithm
• Is awk any different?
• Split by eggex

shSplit()

Split a string into a List of strings, using the shell algorithm that respects $IFS.

Prefer split() to shSplit().

List

join()

Given a List, stringify its items, and join them by a separator. The default separator is the empty string.

var x = ['a', 'b', 'c']

$ echo $[join(x)]
abc

$ echo $[join(x, ' ')]  # optional separator
a b c

It's also often called with the => chaining operator:

var items = [1, 2, 3]

json write (items => join())      # => "123"
json write (items => join(' '))   # => "1 2 3"
json write (items => join(', '))  # => "1, 2, 3"

any()

Returns true if any value in the list is truthy (x is truthy if Bool(x) returns true).

If the list is empty, return false.

= any([])  # => false
= any([true, false])  # => true
= any([false, false])  # => false
= any([false, "foo", false])  # => true

Note, you will need to source --builtin list.ysh to use this function.

all()

Returns true if all values in the list are truthy (x is truthy if Bool(x) returns true).

If the list is empty, return true.

= any([])  # => true
= any([true, true])  # => true
= any([false, true])  # => false
= any(["foo", true, true])  # => true

Note, you will need to source --builtin list.ysh to use this function.

Word

glob()

See glob-pat topic for syntax.

maybe()

Math

abs()

Compute the absolute (positive) value of a number (float or int).

= abs(-1)  # => 1
= abs(0)   # => 0
= abs(1)   # => 1

Note, you will need to source --builtin math.ysh to use this function.

max()

Compute the maximum of 2 or more values.

max takes two different signatures:

1. max(a, b) to return the maximum of a, b
2. max(list) to return the greatest item in the list

For example:

  = max(1, 2)  # => 2
  = max([1, 2, 3])  # => 3

Note, you will need to source --builtin math.ysh to use this function.

min()

Compute the minimum of 2 or more values.

min takes two different signatures:

1. min(a, b) to return the minimum of a, b
2. min(list) to return the least item in the list

For example:

= min(2, 3)  # => 2
= max([1, 2, 3])  # => 1

Note, you will need to source --builtin math.ysh to use this function.

round()

sum()

Computes the sum of all elements in the list.

Returns 0 for an empty list.

= sum([])  # => 0
= sum([0])  # => 0
= sum([1, 2, 3])  # => 6

Note, you will need to source --builtin list.ysh to use this function.

Pattern

_group()

Like Match => group(), but accesses the global match created by ~:

if ('foo42' ~ / d+ /) {
  echo $[_group(0)]  # => 42
}

_start()

Like Match => start(), but accesses the global match created by ~:

if ('foo42' ~ / d+ /) {
  echo $[_start(0)]  # => 3
}

_end()

Like Match => end(), but accesses the global match created by ~:

if ('foo42' ~ / d+ /) {
  echo $[_end(0)]  # => 5
}

Introspection

shvar_get()

TODO

Config Gen

Better Syntax

These functions give better syntax to existing shell constructs.

• shquote() for printf %q and ${x@Q}
• lstrip() for ${x#prefix} and ${x##prefix}
• rstrip() for ${x%suffix} and ${x%%suffix}
• lstripglob() and rstripglob() for slow, legacy glob
• upper() for ${x^^}
• lower() for ${x,,}
• strftime(): hidden in printf

Codecs

TODO

Hashing

TODO