Issue #19000 has been updated by Eregon (Benoit Daloze). k0kubun (Takashi Kokubun) wrote in #note-37:

+1. I'm not sure if it's possible to distinguish them in Ruby, but ideally `data.with` or `data.with()` should be rejected even if we accept `data.with(**changes)` when `changes` are empty.

That's not possible to differentiate and also it shouldn't be (it would be very confusing if it was different).

If it's feasible, then it might clear Matz's concern at #note-27.

@matz Is it really that big a concern? I think it's far far more important that `with(**changes)` works, whether `changes` is empty or not. Honestly I think there is no point to prevent that, it's necessary for the `with(**changes)` use case and it seems pretty much harmless. ---------------------------------------- Feature #19000: Data: Add "Copy with changes method" [Follow-on to #16122 Data: simple immutable value object] https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/19000#change-100726 * Author: RubyBugs (A Nonymous) * Status: Open * Priority: Normal ---------------------------------------- *As requested: extracted a follow-up to #16122 Data: simple immutable value object from [this comment](http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-core/109815)* # Proposal: Add a "Copy with changes" method to Data Assume the proposed `Data.define` exists. Seeing examples from the [[Values gem]](https://github.com/ms-ati/Values): ```ruby require "values" # A new class Point = Value.new(:x, :y) # An immutable instance Origin = Point.with(x: 0, y: 0) # Q: How do we make copies that change 1 or more values? right = Origin.with(x: 1.0) up = Origin.with(y: 1.0) up_and_right = right.with(y: up.y) # In loops movements = [ [ :x, +0.5 ], [ :x, +0.5 ], [ :y, -1.0 ], [ :x, +0.5 ], ] # position = Point(x: 1.5, y: -1.0) position = movements.inject(Origin) do |p, (field, delta)| p.with(field => p.send(field) + delta) end ``` ## Proposed detail: Call this method: `#with` ```ruby Money = Data.define(:amount, :currency) account = Money.new(amount: 100, currency: 'USD') transactions = [+10, -5, +15] account = transactions.inject(account) { |a, t| a.with(amount: a.amount + t) } #=> Money(amount: 120, currency: "USD") ``` ## Why add this "Copy with changes" method to the Data simple immutable value class? Called on an instance, it returns a new instance with only the provided parameters changed. This API affordance is now **widely adopted across many languages** for its usefulness. Why is it so useful? Because copying immutable value object instances, with 1 or more discrete changes to specific fields, is the proper and ubiquitous pattern that takes the place of mutation when working with immutable value objects. **Other languages** C# Records: “immutable record structs — Non-destructive mutation” — is called `with { ... }` https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-reference/builtin-ty... Scala Case Classes — is called `#copy` https://docs.scala-lang.org/tour/case-classes.html Java 14+ Records — Brian Goetz at Oracle is working on adding a with copy constructor inspired by C# above as we speak, likely to be called `#with` https://mail.openjdk.org/pipermail/amber-spec-experts/2022-June/003461.html Rust “Struct Update Syntax” via `..` syntax in constructor https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/ch05-01-defining-structs.html#creating-instan... ## Alternatives Without a copy-with-changes method, one must construct entirely new instances using the constructor. This can either be (a) fully spelled out as boilerplate code, or (b) use a symmetrical `#to_h` to feed the keyword-args constructor. **(a) Boilerplate using constructor** ```ruby Point = Data.define(:x, :y, :z) Origin = Point.new(x: 0.0, y: 0.0, z: 0.0) change = { z: -1.5 } # Have to use full constructor -- does this even work? point = Point.new(x: Origin.x, y: Origin.y, **change) ``` **(b) Using a separately proposed `#to_h` method and constructor symmetry** ```ruby Point = Data.define(:x, :y, :z) Origin = Point.new(x: 0.0, y: 0.0, z: 0.0) change = { z: -1.5 } # Have to use full constructor -- does this even work? point = Point.new(**(Origin.to_h.merge(change))) ``` Notice that the above are not ergonomic -- leading so many of our peer language communities to adopt the `#with` method to copy an instance with discrete changes. -- https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/