Re: [Caml-list] generic data type -> int function

[Hal Daume III <hdaume@ISI.EDU>]

Unsatisfied with any of the solutions offered to me, I threw together a 
quick perl script to do this for me.  For anyone who wants it, you can get 
it at:

  http://www.isi.edu/~hdaume/type_to_enum.pl

It's very limited in that it has no knowledge of built in types, and type 
specs must all be on one line per type, but for my purposes it works 
keenly.

Example input:

type etype = GPE | LOC | ORG | PER | NAE_e | BOS_e
type mtype = BAR | NAM | NOM | PRE | PRO | OTHER | NAE_m | BOS_m
type pairs = EM of etype*mtype | EE of etype*etype | MM of mtype*mtype
type pairs2 = EP of etype * pairs | MP of mtype * pairs


Corresponding output:

let int_of_etype = function | GPE -> 0 | LOC -> 1 | ORG -> 2 | PER -> 3 | NAE_e -> 4 | BOS_e -> 5
let int_of_mtype = function | BAR -> 0 | NAM -> 1 | NOM -> 2 | PRE -> 3 | PRO -> 4 | OTHER -> 5 | NAE_m -> 6 | BOS_m -> 7
let int_of_pairs = function | EM (etype_0, mtype_1) -> 0 + 1 * (int_of_etype etype_0 + 6 * (int_of_mtype mtype_1)) | EE (etype_0, etype_1) -> 48 + 1 * (int_of_etype etype_0 + 6 * (int_of_etype etype_1)) | MM (mtype_0, mtype_1) -> 84 + 1 * (int_of_mtype mtype_0 + 8 * (int_of_mtype mtype_1))
let int_of_pairs2 = function | EP (etype_0, pairs_1) -> 0 + 1 * (int_of_etype etype_0 + 6 * (int_of_pairs pairs_1)) | MP (mtype_0, pairs_1) -> 888 + 1 * (int_of_mtype mtype_0 + 8 * (int_of_pairs pairs_1))


I've stress tested it a bit and it seems to be all in working order.

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005, Jean-Christophe Filliatre wrote:

> 
> Hi,
> 
>  > Is there a straightforward way (or a built in function, or...) to 
>  > automatically map an enumerated data type to integers (and back, if 
>  > possible, but that's not strictly necessary).  
> 
> I don't think there such  a built-in function.  But using Obj.magic to
> convert  constant  constructors  to  integers is  safe  (the  constant
> constructors of a type are represented by integers starting from 0):
> 
> ======================================================================
> # type t = A|B|C|D;;
> type t = A | B | C | D
> # (Obj.magic A : int);;
> - : int = 0
> # (Obj.magic D : int);;
> - : int = 3
> ======================================================================
> 
> Going the  way back  obviously requires a  dynamic check  (the integer
> needs to be within the right bounds).
> 
> Note that I  do not encourage the use of Obj.magic.  I even think that
> writing your own function to  convert constructors to integers will be
> equally fast (since pattern-matching is compiled using a constant time
> lookup table in this case); and you can macro-generate such functions.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> 

-- 
 Hal Daume III                                   | hdaume@isi.edu
 "Arrest this man, he talks in maths."           | www.isi.edu/~hdaume