Better than IO, part 3
intro
In the first part and second part we ensured that our little function can produce only desired subset of side effects. In here we are going to ensure that it's not only can, but it should.
Should produce a side effect
Lets say we want to be even more strict and want always produce a particular side effect from the function foo.
A quick reminder - foo looks like this -
def foo(x:Int):Int
And it performs database and logging side effects.
First thing that comes to mind is use something like Command pattern.
case class User(userId:String, nickName:String, age:Int)
sealed trait DoDbAction
object DoDbAction {
case class UpdateUserNickname(userId:String, newName:String) extends DoDbAction
}
def foo(x:Int):(DoDbAction, Int)
Now we sure that foo will return some db action. And we can implement some interpreter for Db actions and run it after foo.
However it is not that userful at the moment. What if we want to write a function that first queries the database and then updates the user nickname prepending "Mr. " to it? How do we compose that? Lets abstract for a moment from the fact that it's database and try a simple list of strings. So we first get a string and then we modify it in that list.
List("one", "two", "three").map(s => if(s) == "two" "Mr. two" else s)
So we can do it with map. So we need a functor.
Lets introduce a composition DoDbAction.
sealed trait DoDbAction[A]
object DoDbAction {
case class Map[A, B](a:DoDbAction[A], fx:A => B) extends DoDbAction[B]
case class FindUser(userId:UserId) extends DoDbAction[User]
case class UpdateUserNickname(userId:UserId, newNickname:String) extends DoDbAction[String]
}
def foo(x:Int):DoDbAction[User] = DoDbAction.FindUser(UserId.fromInt(x))
def bar(y:User):DoDbAction[String] = DoDbAction.UpdateUserNickName(y.id, "Mr. " + y.nickname)
val z:DoDbAction[String] = DoDbAction.Map(foo(12), bar)
Ok, that works. We can also introduce FlatMap and Pure, and make our DoDbAction not only functor, but almost a monad!
However if we introduce Pure then it will invalidate our original requirement that function MUST produce a side effect, as we will be able just to wrap some int into Pure and lie that side effect was produced.
You have probably noticed that we dropped logging. No worries - we are going to get it back in a moment. Lets start with defining the same structure for the logger as for db.
sealed trait DoLogAction[A]
object DoLogAction {
case class Map[A, B](a:DoLogAction[A], fx:A => B) extends DoLogAction[B]
case class FlatMap[A, B](a:DoLogAction[A], fx:A => DoLogAction[B]) extends DoLogAction[B]
case class LogMsg(msg:String) extends DoLogAction[Unit]
}
How do we compose this now? This depends on our original question - we requested function to produce side effect for sure. So which side effect do we require? We can go with both or either of log and db.
def fooEither(x:Int):Either[DoDbAction[User], DoLogAction[Unit]]
def fooBoth(x:Int):(DoDbAction[User], DoLogAction[Unit])
We have some problems with fooBoth - how do we interpret this? First _._1 and then _._2 second side effect? Or vice versa?
What if side effects are somewhat connected (e.g. log is logging into database)?
Lets solve this for either of side effects. Original question was about producing any side effect, not about producing db side effect.
So what if we want to write a simple program like this -
// log "hello world"
// get user(x)
// log user age
How do we do this with Either[DoDbAction[User], DoLogAction[Unit]]?
Our Map and FlatMap for both db and log are defined accepting appropriately DoDbAction and DoLogAction.
It feels like we will need some better sum type than either with appropriate FlatMap.
trait DoAction[A]
sealed trait DoLogAction[A] extends DoAction[A]
sealed trait DoDbAction[A] extends DoAction[A]
object DoAction {
case class Map[A, B](a:DoAction[A], fx:A => B) extends DoAction[B]
case class FlatMap[A, B](a:DoAction[A], fx:A => DoAction[B]) extends DoAction[B]
}
Now we can try to write our program -
def foo(x:Int):DoAction[Unit] = {
DoAction.FlatMap(DoLogAction.LogMsg("hello world"),
{ _ => DoAction.FlatMap(DoDbAction.FindUser(UserId(x)), {
user => DoLogAction.LogMsg(s"user age is ${user.age}")})})
}
In the test we can use different interpreter for database - for example the one that will use State monad for storing Users.
If we use State that effectively we will build from description of computation represented in DoAction a actual computation described with State.
However defining interpreters is a bit clumsy - you have to define a whole interpreter for the whole DoAction every time.
And it would be great to abstract and make reusable DoAction.Map and DoAction.FlatMap. And make possible to put our algebras into it.
sealed trait DoAction[S[_], A]
object DoAction {
case class Lift[S[_], A](a:S[A]) extends DoAction[S, A]
case class Map[S[_], A, B](a:DoAction[S, A], f:A => B) extends DoAction[S, B]
case class FlatMap[S[_], A, B](a:DoAction[S, A], f:A => DoAction[X, B]) extends DoAction[S, B]
}
In here S[_] is our algebra. Now we can go back and write Log and Db algebras separately.
sealed trait DbAlg[A]
object DbAlg {
case class FindUser(userId:UserId) extends DbAlg[User]
case class UpdateUserNickname(userId:UserId, newName:String) extends DbAlg[Unit]
}
object Db {
def findUser(userId:UserId):DoAction[DbAlg, User] =
DoAction.Lift[DbAlg, User](DbAlg.FindUser(userId))
def updateUserNickName(userId:UserId, newName:String):DoAction[DbAlg, Unit] =
DoAction.Lift[DbAlg, Unit](DbAlg.UpdateUserNickname(userId, newName))
}
sealed trait LogAlg[A]
object LogAlg {
case class LogMsg(msg:String) extends LogAlg[A]
}
object Log {
def logMsg(msg:String):DoAction[LogAlg, Unit] = DoAction.Lift[LogAlg, Unit](LogAlg.LogMsg(msg))
}
Can we compose our programs now? Well no, because DoAction.Map and DoAction.FlatMap are bound to single algebra S.
So in case if we want to pull something like this -
def foo(x:Int):DoAction[Unit] = {
DoAction.FlatMap(LogAction.LogMsg("hello world"),
{ _ => DoAction.FlatMap(DbAction.FindUser(UserId(x)), {
user => LogAction.LogMsg(s"user age is ${user.age}")})})
}
It won't compile because function we pass to DoAction.FlatMap[LogAction, Unit, Unit] actually returns DoAction.FlatMap[DbAction, Unit, Unit]. And LogAction is not DbAction.
As we saw previously we should make a sum type out of DbAction and LogAction. We can do this with EitherK.
type Level0[A] = EitherK[LogAction, NetAction, A]
type AppStack[A] = EitherK[DbAction, Level0, A]
Now we should lift everything into AppStack.
At this stage this all resembles Free monad quite hard.
Our DoAction is almost same thing as a Free.
Free monad
So lets use Free from cats.
object DbAction {
case class QueryUser(userId:String) extends DbAction[User]
case class StoreUser(newUser:User) extends DbAction[Unit]
}
object Db {
def queryUser(userId:String) = Free.liftF(DbAction.QueryUser(userId))
def storeUser(newUser:User) = Free.liftF(DbAction.StoreUser(newUser))
}
// same for net and log as above
def foo(x:Int):Free[AppStack, user] = for {
user <- Db.queryUser(x.toString).inject[AppStack]
_ <- Log.logMsg(s"got user ${user}").inject[AppStack]
_ <- Db.storeUser(user.copy(age=user.age + 1)).inject[AppStack]
} yield user
inject here is for automatic lifting of algebras into our combined algebra AppStack.
We also get a pure function. Which deviates from our original target of not being able to fake side effects.
But I guess in this case road was way more interesting than the end result - we ended up with a new way to combine our programs.
Running
To run program we need interpreters. We get one for EitherK[F[_], G[_], A] for free as long as interpreters for both F and G are defined.
Lets define one for database.
import cats.effect.IO
import cats.~>
class DbIoNat extends ~>[DbAction, IO] {
override def apply[A](fa: DbAction[A]): IO[A] = fa match {
case DbAction.QueryUser(userId) => IO {
Console.println(s"db: querying user $userId")
User(userId, "somebody", 32)
}
case DbAction.StoreUser(user) => IO {
Console.println(s"db: storing user $user")
}
}
}
Where ~> is natural transformation from one functor to another.
After we define transformations Db, Log and Net we are good to go -
val logIoNat = new LogIoNat()
val dbIoNat = new DbIoNat()
val netIoNat = new NetIoNat()
val level0Nat = logIoNat.or(netIoNat)
val appStackNat = dbIoNat.or[Level0](level0Nat)
(foo(12) flatMap bar)
.foldMap(appStackNat)
.unsafeRunSync()
Produce subset of side effects?
Can I tell what foo does by simply looking at the signature? No.
I can't simple because it uses AppStack algebra that is set of all algebras combined with EitherK.
We are going to solve this by defining needed subsets of algebras (through EitherK) and in the end injecting them into AppStack.
Injecting into AppStack will require additional InjectK instance for LogAndDb, as they are in different EitherKs of AppStack.
For LogAndNet we don't need one - it will be derived automatically, as it's same thing as Level0.
type Level0[A] = EitherK[LogAction, NetAction, A]
type AppStack[A] = EitherK[DbAction, Level0, A]
type LogAndDb[A] = EitherK[LogAction, DbAction, A]
def foo(x:Int):Free[LogAndDb, User] = for {
user <- Db.queryUser(x.toString).inject[LogAndDb]
_ <- Log.logMsg(s"got user ${user}").inject[LogAndDb]
_ <- Db.storeUser(user.copy(age=user.age + 1)).inject[LogAndDb]
} yield user
type LogAndNet[A] = EitherK[LogAction, NetAction, A]
def bar(user:User):Free[LogAndNet, Int] = for {
_ <- Log.logMsg("lets notify user change!").inject[LogAndNet]
_ <- Net.notifyUserChange(user).inject[LogAndNet]
} yield user.age
override def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
lazy val logIoNat = new LogIoNat()
lazy val dbIoNat = new DbIoNat()
lazy val netIoNat = new NetIoNat()
lazy val level0Nat = logIoNat.or(netIoNat)
lazy val appStackNat = dbIoNat.or[Level0](level0Nat)
implicit val logAndDbIntoAppStack = new InjectK[LogAndDb, AppStack] {
override def inj: ~>[LogAndDb, AppStack] = new ~>[LogAndDb, AppStack] {
override def apply[A](fa: LogAndDb[A]): AppStack[A] = fa match {
case EitherK(Left(act)) => InjectK[LogAction, AppStack].inj(act)
case EitherK(Right(act)) => InjectK[DbAction, AppStack].inj(act)
}
}
override def prj: ~>[AppStack, λ[α => Option[LogAndDb[α]]]] = ??? // not used
}
val r = (foo(12).inject[AppStack] flatMap (u => bar(u).inject[AppStack]))
.foldMap(appStackNat)
.unsafeRunSync()
Console.println(s"end result: $r")
}
Source code
You can find source code here
Next
In next part we are going to lift other effects into Free monad.