Scala example source code file (TailCalls.scala)

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Java - Scala tags/keywords

a, a, call, call, done, done, tailcalls, tailrec, tailrec

The Scala TailCalls.scala source code

package scala.util.control

/** Methods exported by this object implement tail calls via trampolining.
 *  Tail calling methods have to return their result using `done` or call the next
 *  method using `tailcall`. Both return a `TailRec` object. The result of evaluating
 *  a tailcalling function can be retrieved from a `Tailrec` value using method result`.
 *  Here's a usage example:
 *  {{{
 *  import scala.util.control.TailCalls._
 *
 *  def isEven(xs: List[Int]): TailRec[Boolean] =
 *    if (xs.isEmpty) done(true) else tailcall(isOdd(xs.tail))
 *
 *  def isOdd(xs: List[Int]): TailRec[Boolean] =
 *   if (xs.isEmpty) done(false) else tailcall(isEven(xs.tail)) 
 *
 *  isEven((1 to 100000).toList).result
 *  }}}
 */
object TailCalls {

  /** This class represents a tailcalling computation.
   */
  abstract class TailRec[+A] {
    /** Returns the result of the tailcalling computation
     */
    def result: A = {
      def loop(body: TailRec[A]): A = body match {
        case Call(rest) => loop(rest())
        case Done(result) => result
      }
      loop(this)
    }
  }

  /** Internal class representing a tailcall */
  protected case class Call[A](rest: () => TailRec[A]) extends TailRec[A]

  /** Internal class representing the final result return from a tailcalling computation */
  protected case class Done[A](override val result: A) extends TailRec[A]

  /** Performs a tailcall
   *  @param rest  the expression to be evaluated in the tailcall
   *  @return a `TailRec` object representing the expression `rest`
   */
  def tailcall[A](rest: => TailRec[A]): TailRec[A] = new Call(() => rest)

  /** Used to return final result from tailcalling computation
   *  @param  `result` the result value
   *  @return a `TailRec` object representing a computation which immediately returns `result`
   */
  def done[A](result: A): TailRec[A] = new Done(result)
  
}