Update regex syntax pitch

Documentation/Evolution/RegexSyntax.md → Documentation/Evolution/RegexSyntaxRunTimeConstruction.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 Hello, we want to issue an update to [Regular Expression Literals](https://forums.swift.org/t/pitch-regular-expression-literals/52820) and prepare for a formal proposal. The great delimiter deliberation continues to unfold, so in the meantime, we have a significant amount of surface area to present for review/feedback: the syntax _inside_ a regex literal. Additionally, this is the syntax accepted from a string used for run-time regex construction, so we're devoting an entire pitch/proposal to the topic of _regex syntax_, distinct from the result builder DSL or the choice of delimiters for literals. 
 -->
 
-# Run-time Regex Construction
+# Regex Syntax and Run-time Construction
 
 - Authors: [Hamish Knight](https://github.com/hamishknight), [Michael Ilseman](https://github.com/milseman)
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ The overall story is laid out in [Regex Type and Overview][overview] and each in
 
 Swift aims to be a pragmatic programming language, striking a balance between familiarity, interoperability, and advancing the art. Swift's `String` presents a uniquely Unicode-forward model of string, but currently suffers from limited processing facilities.
 
-`NSRegularExpression` can construct a processing pipeline from a string containing [ICU regular expression syntax][icu-syntax]. However, it is inherently tied to ICU's engine and thus it operates over a fundamentally different model of string than Swift's `String`. It is also limited in features and carries a fair amount of Objective-C baggage.
+`NSRegularExpression` can construct a processing pipeline from a string containing [ICU regular expression syntax][icu-syntax]. However, it is inherently tied to ICU's engine and thus it operates over a fundamentally different model of string than Swift's `String`. It is also limited in features and carries a fair amount of Objective-C baggage, such as the need to translate between `NSRange` and `Range`.
 
 ```swift
 let pattern = #"(\w+)\s\s+(\S+)\s\s+((?:(?!\s\s).)*)\s\s+(.*)"#
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func processEntry(_ line: String) -> Transaction? {
 }
 ```
 
-Fixing these fundamental limitations requires migrating to a completely different engine and type system representation. This is the path we're proposing with `Regex`, outlined in [Regex Type and Overview][overview]. Details on the semantic mismatch between ICU and Swift's `String` is discussed in [Unicode for String Processing][pitches].
+Fixing these fundamental limitations requires migrating to a completely different engine and type system representation. This is the path we're proposing with `Regex`, outlined in [Regex Type and Overview][overview]. Details on the semantic differences between ICU's string model and Swift's `String` is discussed in [Unicode for String Processing][pitches].
 
 Run-time construction is important for tools and editors. For example, SwiftPM allows the user to provide a regular expression to filter tests via `swift test --filter`.
 
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ let regex: Regex<(Substring, Substring, Substring, Substring, Substring)> =
   try! Regex(compiling: pattern)
 ```
 
-
 ### Syntax
 
 We propose accepting a syntactic "superset" of the following existing regular expression engines:
@@ -80,11 +79,87 @@ Regex syntax will be part of Swift's source-compatibility story as well as its b
 
 ## Detailed Design
 
-<!--
- ... init, dynamic match, conversion to static
- -->
+We propose initializers to declare and compile a regex from syntax. Upon failure, these initializers throw compilation errors, such as for syntax or type errors. API for retrieving error information is future work.
+
+```swift
+extension Regex {
+  /// Parse and compile `pattern`, resulting in a strongly-typed capture list.
+  public init(compiling pattern: String, as: Output.Type = Output.self) throws
+}
+extension Regex where Output == AnyRegexOutput {
+  /// Parse and compile `pattern`, resulting in an existentially-typed capture list.
+  public init(compiling pattern: String) throws
+}
+```
+
+We propose `AnyRegexOutput` for capture types not known at compilation time, alongside casting API to convert to a strongly-typed capture list.
+
+```swift
+/// A type-erased regex output
+public struct AnyRegexOutput {
+  /// Creates a type-erased regex output from an existing output.
+  ///
+  /// Use this initializer to fit a regex with strongly typed captures into the
+  /// use site of a dynamic regex, i.e. one that was created from a string.
+  public init<Output>(_ match: Regex<Output>.Match)
+
+  /// Returns a typed output by converting the underlying value to the specified
+  /// type.
+  ///
+  /// - Parameter type: The expected output type.
+  /// - Returns: The output, if the underlying value can be converted to the
+  ///   output type, or nil otherwise.
+  public func `as`<Output>(_ type: Output.Type) -> Output?
+}
+extension AnyRegexOutput: RandomAccessCollection {
+  public struct Element {
+    /// The range over which a value was captured. `nil` for no-capture.
+    public var range: Range<String.Index>?
+
+    /// The slice of the input over which a value was captured. `nil` for no-capture.
+    public var substring: Substring?
+
+    /// The captured value. `nil` for no-capture.
+    public var value: Any?    
+  }
+
+  // Trivial collection conformance requirements
 
-We propose the following syntax for regex.
+  public var startIndex: Int { get }
+
+  public var endIndex: Int { get }
+
+  public var count: Int { get }
+
+  public func index(after i: Int) -> Int
+
+  public func index(before i: Int) -> Int
+
+  public subscript(position: Int) -> Element
+}
+```
+
+We propose adding an API to `Regex<AnyRegexOutput>.Match` to cast the output type to a concrete one. A regex match will lazily create a `Substring` on demand, so casting the match itself saves ARC traffic vs extracting and casting the output.
+
+```swift
+extension Regex.Match where Output == AnyRegexOutput {
+  /// Creates a type-erased regex match from an existing match.
+  ///
+  /// Use this initializer to fit a regex match with strongly typed captures into the
+  /// use site of a dynamic regex match, i.e. one that was created from a string.
+  public init<Output>(_ match: Regex<Output>.Match)
+
+  /// Returns a typed match by converting the underlying values to the specified
+  /// types.
+  ///
+  /// - Parameter type: The expected output type.
+  /// - Returns: A match generic over the output type if the underlying values can be converted to the
+  ///   output type. Returns `nil` otherwise.
+  public func `as`<Output>(_ type: Output.Type) -> Regex<Output>.Match?
+}
+```
+
+The rest of this proposal will be a detailed and exhaustive definition of our proposed regex syntax.
 
 <details><summary>Grammar Notation</summary>
 
@@ -856,6 +931,12 @@ We are deferring runtime support for callouts from regex literals as future work
 
 ## Alternatives Considered
 
+### Failalbe inits
+
+There are many ways for compilation to fail, from syntactic errors to unsupported features to type mismatches. In the general case, run-time compilation errors are not recoverable by a tool without modifying the user's input. Even then, the thrown errors contain valuable information as to why compilation failed. For example, swiftpm presents any errors directly to the user.
+
+As proposed, the errors thrown will be the same errors presented to the Swift compiler, tracking fine-grained source locations with specific reasons why compilation failed. Defining a rich error API is future work, as these errors are rapidly evolving and it is too early to lock in the ABI.
+
 
 ### Skip the syntax
 

Sources/_StringProcessing/Regex/AnyRegexOutput.swift

@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ extension Regex.Match where Output == AnyRegexOutput {
   }
 }
 
+/// A type-erased regex output
 public struct AnyRegexOutput {
   let input: String
   fileprivate let _elements: [ElementRepresentation]
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ extension AnyRegexOutput {
 
   /// Returns a typed output by converting the underlying value to the specified
   /// type.
+  ///
   /// - Parameter type: The expected output type.
   /// - Returns: The output, if the underlying value can be converted to the
   ///   output type, or nil otherwise.
@@ -119,13 +121,20 @@ extension AnyRegexOutput: RandomAccessCollection {
     fileprivate let representation: ElementRepresentation
     let input: String
 
+    /// The range over which a value was captured. `nil` for no-capture.
     public var range: Range<String.Index>? {
       representation.bounds
     }
 
+    /// The slice of the input over which a value was captured. `nil` for no-capture.
     public var substring: Substring? {
       range.map { input[$0] }
     }
+
+    /// The captured value, `nil` for no-capture
+    public var value: Any? {
+      fatalError()
+    }
   }
 
   public var startIndex: Int {
@@ -152,3 +161,23 @@ extension AnyRegexOutput: RandomAccessCollection {
     .init(representation: _elements[position], input: input)
   }
 }
+
+extension Regex.Match where Output == AnyRegexOutput {
+  /// Creates a type-erased regex match from an existing match.
+  ///
+  /// Use this initializer to fit a regex match with strongly typed captures into the
+  /// use site of a dynamic regex match, i.e. one that was created from a string.
+  public init<Output>(_ match: Regex<Output>.Match) {
+    fatalError("FIXME: Not implemented")
+  }
+
+  /// Returns a typed match by converting the underlying values to the specified
+  /// types.
+  ///
+  /// - Parameter type: The expected output type.
+  /// - Returns: A match generic over the output type if the underlying values can be converted to the
+  ///   output type. Returns `nil` otherwise.
+  public func `as`<Output>(_ type: Output.Type) -> Regex<Output>.Match? {
+    fatalError("FIXME: Not implemented")
+  }
+}