local functions

local functions

[Ray Andrews]

I see nothing to indicate it is possible, but can we make a helper 
function 'local'?  Just to keep them out of the name-space.  Putting 
'local' in front of a function definition seems not to be an error, but 
it seems to make no difference.  I read that autoload could be used for 
something like this, but that requires separate files for each helper, 
if I understand. Not worth the trouble of 'unfunction'ing them.  Very 
minor issue.

Re: local functions

[Bart Schaefer]

On Mon, Dec 19, 2022 at 10:20 AM Ray Andrews <rayandrews@eastlink.ca> wrote:
>
> I see nothing to indicate it is possible, but can we make a helper
> function 'local'?

No.

> Putting
> 'local' in front of a function definition seems not to be an error, but
> it seems to make no difference.

You have most likely just redefined "local" as a function.  Try again
with "setopt NO_MULTI_FUNC_DEF".

Re: local functions

[Ray Andrews]

On 2022-12-19 11:01, Bart Schaefer wrote:
> You have most likely just redefined "local" as a function. Try again
> with "setopt NO_MULTI_FUNC_DEF".

No need.  Whatever I did, it wasn't what I was intending.  Ok, can't be 
done.  Trivial issue tho, the namespace is a big tent and a few helper 
functions are a drop in the bucket.

Re: local functions

[Bart Schaefer]

The current git head has a new utility function
Completion/Base/Utility/_shadow that can be used to simulate local
function names.  You write

   {
     _shadow myfunc
     function myfunc {
       # Do your new thing
     }
     # call myfunc as needed
   } always {
     _unshadow myfunc
   }

If there is already a function named "myfunc" it gets moved aside and
replaced by the new one, and then moved back by _unshadow.  This can
also be used to temporarily replace a builtin.

The functions aren't really local -- they exist in the global scope,
so there's still a chance that something that wants to call the
original one will get the newer one by mistake -- but that's pretty
similar to what happens with local parameters.

Re: local functions

[Ray Andrews]

On 2022-12-19 17:00, Bart Schaefer wrote:
> The current git head has a new utility function
> Completion/Base/Utility/_shadow that can be used to simulate local
> function names.  You write
>
>     {
>       _shadow myfunc
>       function myfunc {
>         # Do your new thing
>       }
>       # call myfunc as needed
>     } always {
>       _unshadow myfunc
>     }

Cool.