A function that can handle any type of `map` key-value

Development Programming & Scripting Verse
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1

I’d like to create a single function in Verse that handle a map without worrying about the key or value type passed in the parameter..

My goal is to avoid writing multiple functions, such as AddAgentToMap, AddStringToMap, AddIntToMap, etc. Instead, I want a single function that accepts any key type and any value type (agent, string, int, float, logical, or even a class) and simply assigns the key-value pair to the map.

The idea would be something like this:

# Just the function example to be more direct
AddKeyToMap(Map : [K]V, Key : K, Value : V where K : AnyType, V : AnyType):[AnyType]AnyType =
    var NewMap := Map
    if:
        not NewMap[Key]
        set NewMap[Key] = Value
    return NewMap

# Or within a class:
Map_Manager := class():
    var Map : [AnyType]AnyType

    AddKeyToMap(Key : AnyType, Value : AnyType):[AnyType]AnyType =
        if:
            not Map[Key]
            set Map[Key] = Value
        return Map

What I want to know:

Is there a way in Verse to declare any type parameters so that a function can work with any type of map?

2

I’m not quite sure why you need a function to add to a map, can’t you just do set Map[Key] = Value? But you can do it like this:

    AddKeyToMap(Map:[k]v, Key:k, Value:v where k:subtype(comparable), v:type): [k]v=
        var NewMap : [k]v = Map
        if. set NewMap[Key] = Value
        NewMap

Or as an extension method of map:

    (Map:[k]v where k:subtype(comparable), v:type).AddKey(Key:k, Value:v): [k]v=
        var NewMap : [k]v = Map
        if. set NewMap[Key] = Value
        NewMap
1 Like
3

It’s not that I need it. It’s just that I like having functions for things that happen frequently, like assign a map[Key]Value.

Of course, I could do it the common way every time, like this:

var PlayersData : [player]Player_Data = map{}

AssignPlayerData(Player : player):void=
    if:
        not PlayersData[Player]
        set PlayersData[Player] = Player_Data{}

This is more of a curiosity and a possibility within Verse. I do a lot of things that might seem unnecessary when I’m programming. I just think that the more I can simplify my code, the better.

I found the extension method interesting. It might not be useful for all the map types I have, especially those with objects that need some initialization data.