//! This module implements the runtime representation of Thunks. //! //! Thunks are a special kind of Nix value, similar to a 0-argument //! closure that yields some value. Thunks are used to implement the //! lazy evaluation behaviour of Nix: //! //! Whenever the compiler determines that an expression should be //! evaluated lazily, it creates a thunk instead of compiling the //! expression value directly. At any point in the runtime where the //! actual value of a thunk is required, it is "forced", meaning that //! the encompassing computation takes place and the thunk takes on //! its new value. //! //! Thunks have interior mutability to be able to memoise their //! computation. Once a thunk is evaluated, its internal //! representation becomes the result of the expression. It is legal //! for the runtime to replace a thunk object directly with its value //! object, but when forcing a thunk, the runtime *must* mutate the //! memoisable slot. use std::{cell::RefCell, rc::Rc}; use crate::Value; use super::Lambda; /// Internal representation of the different states of a thunk. #[derive(Debug)] enum ThunkRepr { /// Thunk is suspended and awaiting execution. Suspended { lambda: Lambda }, /// Thunk is closed over some values, suspended and awaiting /// execution. ClosedSuspended { lambda: Lambda, upvalues: Vec, }, /// Thunk currently under-evaluation; encountering a blackhole /// value means that infinite recursion has occured. Blackhole, /// Fully evaluated thunk. Evaluated(Value), } #[derive(Clone, Debug)] pub struct Thunk(Rc>); impl Thunk { pub fn new(lambda: Lambda) -> Self { Thunk(Rc::new(RefCell::new(ThunkRepr::Suspended { lambda }))) } }