Hey folks, Kotlin has a `coerceAtLeast` function w...

# android

[mzgreen]

Hey folks, Kotlin has a coerceAtLeast function which is defined as:
fun <T : Comparable<T>> T.coerceAtLeast(minimumValue: T): T
So any type that is comparable can invoke this function, for example this works: "foo".coerceAtLeast(...).
I’ve created a similar function:

fun interface Foo<in T> {
  fun foo()
}

fun <T : Foo<T>> T.bar() {}

but when I call it like this:

val test = Foo<Int> {}
    test.bar()

it doesn’t work. It fails to compile with error:

Unresolved reference. None of the following candidates is applicable because of receiver type mismatch: public fun <T : Foo<TypeVariable(T)>> TypeVariable(T).bar(): Unit defined in root package in file File.kt

why is that? I don’t see any difference between this and coerceAtLeast. I can define more extensions on Comparable type and they work fine but my custom type doesn’t.

It works only if I change:
fun <T : Foo<T>> T.bar() {}
to:
fun <T> Foo<T>.bar() {}
but these don’t have the exact same meaning and I still don’t get why the first one doesn’t work in the first place

[Timo Gruen]

its not the same

[Timo Gruen]

fun <A, B : Foo<A>> B.bar() { }
would be the same to your
fun <A> Foo<A>.bar() { }

[Timo Gruen]

But you are using T twice, as the generic parameter of Foo and as a super type of Foo. Which doesnt make sense typically

[mzgreen]

it does make sense and it’s typically used with comparable for example: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8537500/java-the-meaning-of-t-extends-comparablet

[mzgreen]

see: https://kotlinlang.org/api/latest/jvm/stdlib/kotlin.ranges/coerce-at-least.html

[CLOVIS]

@mzgreen it means comparable instances must be comparable of themselves. Int doesn't implement your Foo interface, so it's never possible for it to be Foo of itself.

[mzgreen]

ahh yeah that’s right @CLOVIS, makes sense now, thanks!

[mzgreen]

just to close the topic, as Ivan explained, this works:

class Test: Foo<Test> {
    override fun foo() {}
}

fun main() {
    val test = Test()
    test.bar()
}

[CLOVIS]

Multiple people have wanted to add this pattern of "extension interfaces", if you're curious here's a bit of reading:

• Approach inspired by Haskell, proposed by the Arrow team : KEEP-87 | Discussion. For various reasons (in the discussion), it will not be added to Kotlin, but it's still very interesting to read.
• The most likely solution to be implemented is KEEP-259 | Discussion. It's not exactly the same, but they took into consideration the KEEP-87 ideas and the solution seems very good to me. From what I've read, the Arrow team is happy with it too.

[mzgreen]

this one is pretty good too: https://quickbirdstudios.com/blog/keep-87-typeclasses-kotlin/

[CLOVIS]

It's out-dated though, typeclasses won't be added to Kotlin.

[mzgreen]

Yeah but it explains what the original keep 87 was about in simple words