-> method call

src/ndspkg/chunk.nim

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ type
     opClosure, # closures
     opPop, opPopSA, opPopA # pop
     opNegate, opNot # unary
-    opSwap, # stack manipulation
+    opSwap, opDup, # stack manipulation
     opAdd, opSubtract, opMultiply, opDivide, # math
     opEqual, opGreater, opLess, # comparison
     opTrue, opFalse, opNil, # literal
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ proc writeConstant*(ch: var Chunk, constant: NdValue, line: int): int =
 const simpleInstructions = {
   opReturn,
   opPop,
-  opSwap,
+  opSwap, opDup,
   opNegate, opNot,
   opAdd, opSubtract, opMultiply, opDivide,
   opEqual, opGreater, opLess,

src/ndspkg/compiler/functions.nim

@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 {.used.}
 
 import strformat
+import bitops
 
 import ../scanner
 import ../chunk
+import ../types/value
 import ../config
 
 import types
@@ -67,6 +69,32 @@ proc parsePipeCall(comp: Compiler) =
 
 tkDoublecolon.genRule(nop, parsePipeCall, pcAmpersand)
 
+proc parseArrowCall(comp: Compiler) =
+  # -> syntactic sugar for table "methods"
+
+  # when called, the stack contains the table
+  # the table should be duplicated first
+  comp.writeChunk(1, opDup)
+  # then the index should be read
+  comp.consume(tkIdentifier, "Identifier (index) expected after '->'.")
+  let index = comp.previous.text.fromNimString()
+  comp.writeConstant(index)
+  comp.writeChunk(-1, opGetIndex)
+  # the stack's state now is table, method
+  # invert to get the right alignment for further function call
+  comp.writeChunk(0, opSwap)
+  # now the same code as :: applies
+  var argcount = 1
+  # args optional
+  if comp.match(tkLeftParen):
+    argcount = 1 + comp.parseArgs()
+  
+  comp.writeChunk(-argcount, opCall)
+  comp.writeChunk(0, argcount.uint8)
+
+
+tkArrow.genRule(nop, parseArrowCall, pcIndex)
+
 proc parseFunct(comp: Compiler) =
 
   # jump over

src/ndspkg/scanner.nim

@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ type
 
   TokenType* = enum
     tkNone, # the default tokentype, if encountered anywhere, erroring out is the best course of action
-    tkLeftParen, tkRightParen, tkLeftBrace, tkRightBrace, tkComma, tkDot, tkColon, tkDoublecolon,
+    tkLeftParen, tkRightParen, tkLeftBrace, tkRightBrace, tkComma, tkDot, 
+    tkColon, tkDoublecolon, tkArrow,
     tkMinus, tkPlus, tkSemicolon, tkSlash, tkStar, tkBang, tkBangEqual,
     tkGreater, tkGreaterEqual, tkLess, tkLessEqual, tkEqual, tkEqualEqual,
     tkStartList, tkStartTable, tkLeftBracket, tkRightBracket,
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ const keywords = {
 }.toTable
 
 proc canStartIdent(chr: char): bool =
-  chr in Letters or chr in {'_', ':'}
+  chr in Letters or chr in {'_'}
 
 proc canContIdent(chr: char): bool =
   canStartIdent(chr) or chr in Digits
@@ -175,7 +176,11 @@ proc scanToken*(scanner: Scanner): Token =
     of ';': return scanner.makeToken(tkSemicolon)
     of ',': return scanner.makeToken(tkComma)
     of '.': return scanner.makeToken(tkDot)
-    of '-': return scanner.makeToken(tkMinus)
+    of '-': 
+      if scanner.match('>'):
+        return scanner.makeToken(tkArrow)
+      else:
+        return scanner.makeToken(tkMinus)
     of '+': return scanner.makeToken(tkPlus)
     of '/': return scanner.makeToken(tkSlash)
     of '*': return scanner.makeToken(tkStar)
@@ -197,13 +202,13 @@ proc scanToken*(scanner: Scanner): Token =
       if scanner.match('['): return scanner.makeToken(tkStartList)
       elif scanner.match('{'): return scanner.makeToken(tkStartTable)
       else: return scanner.scanLabel()
+    of ':':
+      if scanner.match(':'): return scanner.makeToken(tkDoublecolon)
+      elif scanner.peek().canContIdent(): return scanner.scanIdentifier()
+      else: return scanner.makeToken(tkColon)
     else:
-      if c == ':' and scanner.match(':'):
-        return scanner.makeToken(tkDoublecolon)
       if c.canStartIdent():
-        # : can start ident, but if on its own it's probably syntactic sugar for tables
-        if c == ':' and not scanner.peek().canContIdent():
-          return scanner.makeToken(tkColon)
+        # ':' can start ident, but is not handled here
         return scanner.scanIdentifier()
       else:
         return scanner.errorToken("Unexpected character.")

src/ndspkg/vm.nim

@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ proc run*(chunk: Chunk): InterpretResult =
         stack.popn(amt)
       of opSwap:
         stack.swap()
+      of opDup:
+        stack.push(stack.peek())
       of opConstant:
         let val: NdValue = ip.readConstant(chunk)
         stack.add(val)

tests/sugar.nds

@@ -40,4 +40,44 @@ nested["lvl1"]["lvl2"]["lvl3"] = -5.4;
 nested .lvl1 .lvl2 .lvl3 :: print;
 //expect:-5.4
 
-// creating tables with : and no [] idents
+// creating tables with : and no [] idents
+
+var mix = @{
+  ident = 5,
+  ident2: 6,
+  [3] = 7,
+  ["ident4"]: 8,
+};
+
+print(mix.ident, mix["ident2"], mix[3], mix.ident4);
+//expect:5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0
+
+// -> method call syntax
+
+var class = @{
+  method = funct(self) print ("i was called")
+};
+
+// no args needed then no parentheses needed
+class->method;
+//expect:i was called
+
+var multiplier = @{
+  multiple = 5,
+  do = funct(self, arg) :result = self.multiple * arg,
+};
+
+multiplier->do(7) :: print;
+//expect:35.0
+
+// -> method call syntax with :: - check for precedence
+
+var returner = @{
+  method = funct(self) :result = funct(n) :result = n * 2
+};
+
+1.7 :: returner->method :: print;
+//expect:3.4
+
+print("finish");
+//expect:finish