NAME

Needle::Compile - compile a search needle specification

SYNOPSIS

use Needle::Compile;

my &basic = compile-needle("bar");
say basic("foo bar baz");             # True
say basic("Huey, Dewey, and Louie");  # False

my &capitals-ok = compile-needle("bar", :ignorecase);
say capitals-ok("foo bar baz");             # True
say capitals-ok("FOO BAR BAZ");             # True
say capitals-ok("Huey, Dewey, and Louie");  # False

my &regex-ok = compile-needle("regex" => '\w+');
say regex-ok("foo");  # True
say regex-ok(":;+");  # False

my &regex-matches = compile-needle("regex" => '\w+', :matches);
say regex-matches(":foo:");  # (foo)
say regex-matches(":;+");    # False

DESCRIPTION

Needle::Compile exports a subroutine "compile-needle" that takes a number of arguments that specify a search query needle, and returns a Callable that can be called with a given haystack to see if there is a match.

It can as such be used as the argument to the rak subroutine provided by the rak distribution.

SEARCH QUERY SPECIFICATION

A query can consist of multiple needles of different types. A type of needle can be specified in 3 ways:

implicitely

# accept haystack if "bar" as word is found
my &needle = compile-needle("§bar");

By using textual markers at the start and end of the given string needle (see: type is "auto").

explicitely

# accept haystack if "bar" as word is found
my &needle = compile-needle("words" => "bar");

By specifying a needle as a Pair, with the key being a string describing the type.

mixed in

use Needle::Compile "Type";

# accept haystack if "bar" as word is found
my &needle = compile-needle("bar" but Type("words"));

If the specified needle supports a .type method, then that method will be called to determine the type. This can be done with the Type role that is optionally exported.

If you specify "Type" in the use statement, a Type role will be exported that allows you to mixin a type with a given string. The Type role will only allow known types in its specification. If that is too restrictive for your application, you can define your own Type role. Which can be as simple as:

my role Type { $.type }

If you want to be able to dispatch on strings that have a but Type mixed in, you can also import the StrType class:

use Needle::Compile <Type StrType>;

say "foo" but Type<words> ~~ Str;      # True
say "foo" but Type<words> ~~ StrType;  # True
say "foo"                 ~~ StrType;  # False

Furthermore, you can call the .ACCEPTS method on the StrTtype class to check whether a given type string is valid:

use Needle::Compile <Type StrType>;

say StrType.ACCEPTS("contains");    # True
say StrType.ACCEPTS("frobnicate");  # False

Modifiers

Many types of matching support ignorecase and ignoremark semantics. These can be specified explicitely (with the :ignorecase and :ignoremark named arguments), or implicitely with the :smartcase and :smartmark named arguments.

The same types also support the <:match> named argument, to return the string that actually matched, rather than True.

ignorecase

# accept haystack if "bar" is found, regardless of case
my &needle = compile-needle("bar", :ignorecase);

Allow characters to match even if they are of mixed case.

smartcase

# accept haystack if "bar" is found, regardless of case
my &anycase = compile-needle("bar", :smartcase);

# accept haystack if "Bar" is found
my &exactcase = compile-needle("Bar", :smartcase);

If the needle is a string and does not contain any uppercase characters, then ignorecase semantics will be assumed.

ignoremark

# accept haystack if "bar" is found, regardless of any accents
my &anycase = compile-needle("bar", :ignoremark);

Allow characters to match even if they have accents (or not).

smartmark

# accept haystack if "bar" is found, regardless of any accents
my &anymark = compile-needle("bar", :smartmark);

# accept haystack if "bår" is found
my &exactmark = compile-needle("bår", :smartmark);

If the needle is a string and does not contain any characters with accents, then ignoremark semantics will be assumed.

matches

my &regex-matches = compile-needle("regex" => '\w+', :matches);
say regex-matches(":foo:");  # (foo)
say regex-matches(":;+");    # False

Return all the strings that matched as a Slip, rather than True. Will still return False if no matches were found.

Types of matchers

auto

This is the default type of matcher. It looks at the given string for a number of markers, and adjust the type of match and the string accordingly. The following markers are recognized:

starts with !

# accept haystack if "bar" is NOT found
my &needle = compile-needle('!bar');

This is a meta-marker. Assumes the string given (without the !) should be processed, and its result negated (see: type is "not").

starts with &

# accept haystack if "foo" and "bar" are found
my &needle = compile-needle('foo', '&bar');

This is a meta-marker. Marks the needle produced for the given string (without the &) as needing an && infix with its predecessor be processed, rather than the default || infix (see: type is "and").

starts with §

# accept haystack if "bar" is found as a word
my &needle = compile-needle('§bar');

Assumes the string given (without the §) should match with word-boundary semantics applied (see: type is "words").

starts with *

# accept haystack if alphabetically before "bar"
my &is-before = compile-needle('* before "bar"');

# return every haystack uppercased
my &uppercased = compile-needle('*.uc');

Assumes the given string is a valid WhateverCode specification and attempts to produce that specification accordingly (see: type is "code").

starts with ^

# accept haystack if it starts with "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle('^bar');

Assumes the string given (without the ^) should match with .starts-with semantics applied (see: type is "starts-with").

starts with file:

# accept matching patterns in file "always"
my &needle = compile-needle('file:always');

Assumes the given string (without the file: prefix) is a valid path specification, pointing to a file containing the patterns to be used (see: type is "file").

starts with jp:

# return result of JSON::Path query "auth"
my &needle = compile-needle('jp:auth');

Assumes the given string (without the jp: prefix) is a valid JSON Path specification (see: type is "json-path").

starts with s:

# accept if string contains "foo" *and* "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle('s:foo &bar');

Splits the given string (without the s: prefix) on whitespace and interpretes the result as a list of needles (see: type is "split").

starts with url:

# accept if any of the needles at given URL matches
my &domain = compile-needle('url:raku.org/robots.txt');  # assumes https://
my &url    = compile-needle('url:https://raku.org/robots.txt');

Interpretes the given string (without the url: prefix) as a URL from which to obtain the needles from (see: type is "url").

ends with $

# accept haystack if it ends with "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle('bar$');

Assumes the string given (without the $) should match with .ends-with semantics applied (see: type is "ends-with").

starts with ^ and ends with $

# accept haystack if it is equal to "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle('^bar$');

Assumes the string given (without the ^ and $) should match exactly (see: type is "equal").

starts with / and ends with /

# accept haystack if it matches "bar" as a regular expression
my &needle = compile-needle('/bar/');

Assumes the string given (without the /'s) is a regex and attempts to produce a Regex object and wraps that in a call to .contains (see: type is "regex").

starts with { and ends with }

# return the lowercased, whitespace trimmed haystack
my &needle = compile-needle('{.trim.lc}');

Assumes the string given (without the { and }) is an expression and attempts to produce the code (see: type is "code").

none of the above

# accept haystack if it contains "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle("bar");

Assumes the string given should match with .contains semantics applied (see: type is "contains").

and

# accept haystack if "foo" and "bar" are found
my &needle = compile-needle('foo', "and" => 'bar');

This is a meta-marker. Marks the needle produced for the given string as needing an && infix with its predecessor be processed, rather than the default || infix. Has no meaning on the first (or only) needle in a list of needles.

code

# return uppercase version of the haystack
my &needle = compile-needle("code" => ".uc");

Assumes the string is an expression and attempts to produce that code, with the haystack being presented as the topic ($_).

To facilitate the use of libraries that wish to access that topic, it is also available as the $*_ dynamic variable.

Furthermore, the "code" type also accepts two named arguments:

:repo

# look for modules in "lib" subdirectory as well
my &needle = compile-needle("code" => '.uc', :repo<lib>);

Specifies location(s) in which loadable modules should be searched. It is the equivalent of Raku's -I command line option, and the use lib pragma.

:module

# Load the "Test" module
my &needle = compile-needle("code" => 'is $_, 42', :module<Test>);

Specifies module(s) that should be loaded. It is the equivalent of Raku's -M command line option, and the use statement.

contains

# accept haystack if it contains "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle("contains" => "bar");

Assumes the string is a needle in a call to .contains.

ends-with

# accept haystack if it ends with "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle("ends-with" => "bar");

Assumes the string is a needle in a call to .ends-with.

equal

# accept haystack if it is equal to "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle("equal" => "bar");

Assumes the string is a needle to compare with the haystack using infix eq semantics.

file

# return result of matching patterns in file "always"
my &needle = compile-needle("file" => 'always');

Assumes the given string is a valid path specification, pointing to a file containing the patterns to be used.

The following types of lines will be ignored:

• empty lines

• lines consisting of whitespace only

• lines starting with "#"

Note that the filename "-" will be interpreted as "read from STDIN".

json-path

# return result of JSON::Path query "auth"
my &needle = compile-needle("json-path" => 'auth');

Assumes the given string is a valid JSON Path specification.

Must have the JSON::Path module installed.

The generated Callable will expect an Associative haystack (aka, a ) to be passed, and will return a Slip with any results.

# return result of JSON::Path query "auth"
my &needle = compile-needle({ jp('auth').Slip });

Alternately, you can also the jp() function. This returns a specialized JP object. Note that simply specifying a call to the jp function is not enough: one must do something with it. In the above example calling .Slip will cause the actual querying to happen.

See "Doing JSON path queries in code needles" for more information.

not

# accept haystack if "bar" is NOT found
my &needle = compile-needle("not" => "bar");

This is a meta-type: it inverts the result of the result of matching of the given needle (which can be anything otherwise acceptable).

regex

# accept haystack if "bar" is found
my &needle = compile-needle("regex" => "bar");

Assumes the string is a regex specification to be used as a needle in a call to .contains.

split

# accept if string contains "foo" *and* "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle("split" => 'foo &bar');

This is a meta-type: it splits the given string on whitespace and interpretes the result as a list of needles.

starts-with

# accept haystack if it starts with "bar"
my &needle = compile-needle("starts-with" => "bar");

Assumes the string is a needle in a call to .starts-with.

url

# accept if any of the needles at given URL matches
my &domain = compile-needle("url" => 'raku.org/robots.txt');
my &url    = compile-needle("url" => 'http://example.com/patterns');

Interpretes the given string as a URL from which to obtain the needles from. Assumes https:// if no protocol is specified.

Requires the curl program to be installed and runnable. All protocols supported by curl can be used in the URL specification.

words

# accept haystack if "bar" is found as a word
my &needle = compile-needle("words" => "bar");

Assumes the string is a needle that will match if the needle is found with word boundaries on either side of the needle.

Doing JSON path queries in code needles

# return result of JSON::Path query "auth"
my &needle = compile-needle("code" => 'jp("auth").Slip');

The initial call to the jp function will attempt to load the JSON::Path module, and fail if it cannot. If the load is successful, it will create an object of the (internal) JP class with the giveni pattern.

If the JSON::Path module was already loaded, it will either produce the JP object from a cache, or create a new JP object.

The object as such, does nothing. It needs to have a method called on it within the scope of the code needle to properly function.

If you're using the (implicit) "json-path" type for your needle, this is done automatically for you, by calling the .Slip method on it.

The following methods can be called on the JP object:

# return first and third result of JSON::Path query "auth" as a Slip
my &needle = compile-needle({ jp('auth')[0,2] });

Furthermore, you can use postcircumfix [ ] on the JP object to select values from the result.

HELPER SUBROUTINES

implicit2explicit

use Needle::Compile "implicit2explicit";

dd implicit2explicit('foo');    # :contains("foo")
dd implicit2explicit('§bar');   # :words("bar")
dd implicit2explicit('!baz$');  # :not(:ends-with("baz"))

The implicit2explicit subroutine converts an implicit query specification into an explicit one (expressed as a Pair with the key as the type, and the value as the actual string for which to create a needle).

THEORY OF OPERATION

This module uses the new RakuAST classes as much as possible to create an executable Callable. This means that until RakuAST supports the complete Raku Programming Language features, it is possible that some code will not actually produce a Callable needle.

There is not a lot of documentation about RakuAST yet, but there are some blog posts, e.g. RakuAST for early adopters.

AUTHOR

Elizabeth Mattijsen liz@raku.rocks

Source can be located at: https://github.com/lizmat/Needle-Compile . Comments and Pull Requests are welcome.

If you like this module, or what I’m doing more generally, committing to a small sponsorship would mean a great deal to me!

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Mattijsen

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the Artistic License 2.0.