when reading unicode characters from an StringRead...

# announcements

[Peter Ertl]

when reading unicode characters from an StringReader, should I use method #read() returning [Int] values or is there something else to convert the characters into [kotlin.Char] first ? what is the correct way to represent unicode code points?

[Peter Ertl]

so basically, after removing -1 Char and Int are equivalent?

[Peter Ertl]

kotlin could probably provider a “nicer” method readChar(): Char? instead I guess

[Peter Ertl]

since using Int for delivering -1 as a sentinel value feels like a quirk

[Peter Ertl]

yeah, I was just thinking of an extension method… thanks for clarifying this, Ruckus 🙂

[Peter Ertl]

I just do it like this now:

[Peter Ertl]

input.read().takeIf { it != -1 }?.toChar()

[Peter Ertl]

I use it to implement a tokenizer used by a parser to evaluate expressions

[Peter Ertl]

thanks a lot for helping 🙂

[Peter Ertl]

with the introduction of value classes it will probably come sooner or later

[Peter Ertl]

^ which are currently experimental afaik

[Peter Ertl]

‘value class Option<T>’ for the world :-)

[Peter Ertl]

true … legacy vs modern api = 1:0 i guess 😛

[ephemient]

even Kotlin's indexOf() uses -1 as a sentinel. that will stay unless there's an inexpensive alternative