Agent skill
generics-implementation
Expert skill for implementing parametric polymorphism including type parameter bounds, monomorphization, type erasure, variance, higher-kinded types, and associated types.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/a5c-ai/babysitter/tree/main/library/specializations/programming-languages/skills/generics-implementation
SKILL.md
Generics Implementation Skill
Implement parametric polymorphism for programming languages including generics, type bounds, and compilation strategies.
Capabilities
- Design generic syntax and type parameter bounds
- Implement monomorphization (Rust-style)
- Implement type erasure (Java-style)
- Handle variance in generic types
- Implement higher-kinded types (if applicable)
- Design trait/interface bounds
- Handle associated types
- Implement generic method dispatch
Usage
Invoke this skill when you need to:
- Add generics to a language
- Implement monomorphization or type erasure
- Design trait bounds and constraints
- Handle variance and subtyping with generics
Inputs
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| compilationStrategy | string | Yes | Strategy (monomorphization, erasure, dictionary) |
| features | array | No | Features to implement |
| varianceModel | string | No | Variance handling (explicit, inferred, none) |
| boundsSystem | object | No | Bounds system configuration |
Compilation Strategies
{
"compilationStrategy": "monomorphization", // Rust, C++
"compilationStrategy": "erasure", // Java, TypeScript
"compilationStrategy": "dictionary" // Haskell, Swift witness tables
}
Feature Options
{
"features": [
"type-parameters",
"trait-bounds",
"associated-types",
"variance",
"higher-kinded-types",
"default-type-parameters",
"const-generics",
"where-clauses",
"specialization"
]
}
Output Structure
generics/
├── syntax/
│ ├── type-params.grammar # Type parameter syntax
│ ├── bounds.grammar # Bounds and constraints
│ └── where-clause.grammar # Where clause syntax
├── typing/
│ ├── generic-types.ts # Generic type representation
│ ├── bounds-checking.ts # Bounds verification
│ ├── variance.ts # Variance checking
│ └── instantiation.ts # Type instantiation
├── compilation/
│ ├── monomorphization.ts # Monomorphization
│ ├── erasure.ts # Type erasure
│ └── dictionary.ts # Dictionary passing
├── inference/
│ ├── type-inference.ts # Generic type inference
│ └── constraint-solving.ts # Constraint resolution
└── tests/
├── bounds.test.ts
├── variance.test.ts
└── compilation.test.ts
Generic Type System
Type Parameter Syntax
// Basic generics
struct Vec<T> {
data: T[],
len: usize
}
// Multiple type parameters
struct HashMap<K, V> {
buckets: Array<(K, V)>
}
// Type parameter bounds
fn sort<T: Ord>(arr: &mut [T]) { ... }
// Where clauses for complex bounds
fn process<T, U>(t: T, u: U) -> bool
where
T: Clone + Debug,
U: AsRef<T>
{ ... }
// Default type parameters
struct Container<T = i32> {
value: T
}
// Const generics
struct Array<T, const N: usize> {
data: [T; N]
}
Generic Type Representation
interface GenericType {
name: string;
typeParams: TypeParameter[];
body: Type;
}
interface TypeParameter {
name: string;
bounds: TypeBound[];
variance: Variance;
default?: Type;
}
interface TypeBound {
trait: TraitRef;
// Additional constraints
}
type Variance = 'covariant' | 'contravariant' | 'invariant' | 'bivariant';
// Type application
interface TypeApplication {
generic: GenericType;
args: Type[];
}
Monomorphization
// Monomorphization: generate specialized code for each type instantiation
interface MonomorphizationContext {
instantiations: Map<string, Type[]>[]; // Track all instantiations
generatedCode: Map<string, GeneratedFunction>;
}
function monomorphize(
program: Program,
entryPoints: FunctionRef[]
): MonomorphizedProgram {
const ctx: MonomorphizationContext = {
instantiations: [],
generatedCode: new Map()
};
// Collect all instantiations starting from entry points
for (const entry of entryPoints) {
collectInstantiations(entry, ctx);
}
// Generate specialized code for each instantiation
for (const [signature, typeArgs] of ctx.instantiations) {
const original = lookupGenericFunction(signature);
const specialized = specializeFunction(original, typeArgs);
ctx.generatedCode.set(mangleName(signature, typeArgs), specialized);
}
return buildMonomorphizedProgram(ctx);
}
function specializeFunction(
fn: GenericFunction,
typeArgs: Type[]
): SpecializedFunction {
// Substitute type parameters with concrete types
const substitution = buildSubstitution(fn.typeParams, typeArgs);
return {
name: mangleName(fn.name, typeArgs),
params: fn.params.map(p => substituteType(p.type, substitution)),
returnType: substituteType(fn.returnType, substitution),
body: substituteInBody(fn.body, substitution)
};
}
// Name mangling for monomorphized functions
function mangleName(baseName: string, typeArgs: Type[]): string {
return `${baseName}_${typeArgs.map(typeToString).join('_')}`;
}
Type Erasure
// Type erasure: erase generic types at runtime, use casts
function eraseGenericType(type: Type): Type {
if (type.kind === 'typeParam') {
// Erase to bound (or Object if unbounded)
return type.bounds.length > 0
? type.bounds[0] // Erase to first bound
: ObjectType;
}
if (type.kind === 'application') {
// Erase type arguments
return eraseGenericType(type.generic);
}
if (type.kind === 'generic') {
// Erase body
return eraseGenericType(type.body);
}
return type;
}
// Insert casts at usage sites
function insertCasts(expr: Expr, expectedType: Type, actualType: Type): Expr {
const erasedExpected = eraseGenericType(expectedType);
const erasedActual = eraseGenericType(actualType);
if (!typesEqual(erasedExpected, erasedActual)) {
return {
type: 'cast',
expr: expr,
targetType: erasedExpected
};
}
return expr;
}
Variance
// Variance checking
type Variance = 'covariant' | 'contravariant' | 'invariant' | 'bivariant';
interface VarianceChecker {
// Compute variance of type parameter in type
computeVariance(typeParam: TypeParameter, type: Type): Variance;
// Check if variance annotation is correct
checkVariance(generic: GenericType): VarianceError[];
// Infer variance from usage
inferVariance(generic: GenericType): Map<TypeParameter, Variance>;
}
function computeVariance(param: TypeParameter, type: Type): Variance {
switch (type.kind) {
case 'typeParam':
return type.name === param.name ? 'covariant' : 'bivariant';
case 'function':
// Contravariant in parameter types, covariant in return
const paramVariance = combineVariances(
type.params.map(p => flipVariance(computeVariance(param, p)))
);
const returnVariance = computeVariance(param, type.returnType);
return combineVariance(paramVariance, returnVariance);
case 'application':
// Combine based on declared variance of type constructor
return combineVariances(
type.args.map((arg, i) => {
const declaredVariance = type.generic.typeParams[i].variance;
const usageVariance = computeVariance(param, arg);
return multiplyVariance(declaredVariance, usageVariance);
})
);
case 'mutable':
// Mutable positions are invariant
return 'invariant';
default:
return 'bivariant';
}
}
// Variance rules for subtyping
function isSubtype(sub: Type, sup: Type): boolean {
if (sub.kind === 'application' && sup.kind === 'application') {
if (sub.generic !== sup.generic) return false;
return sub.args.every((subArg, i) => {
const supArg = sup.args[i];
const variance = sub.generic.typeParams[i].variance;
switch (variance) {
case 'covariant':
return isSubtype(subArg, supArg);
case 'contravariant':
return isSubtype(supArg, subArg);
case 'invariant':
return typesEqual(subArg, supArg);
case 'bivariant':
return true;
}
});
}
// ... other cases
}
Trait Bounds
// Trait bound checking
interface BoundsChecker {
// Check if type satisfies bound
satisfiesBound(type: Type, bound: TypeBound): boolean;
// Find implementation for trait
resolveImpl(type: Type, trait: TraitRef): TraitImpl | null;
// Check where clause
checkWhereClause(clause: WhereClause, env: TypeEnv): boolean;
}
function satisfiesBound(type: Type, bound: TypeBound): boolean {
// Look for trait implementation
const impl = findTraitImpl(type, bound.trait);
if (!impl) return false;
// Check associated type constraints
for (const [name, constraint] of bound.associatedTypes) {
const actualType = resolveAssociatedType(impl, name);
if (!typesEqual(actualType, constraint)) return false;
}
return true;
}
// Where clause example:
// where T: Iterator<Item = U>, U: Display
interface WhereClause {
constraints: BoundConstraint[];
}
interface BoundConstraint {
type: Type;
bounds: TypeBound[];
}
Associated Types
// Associated types in traits
trait Iterator {
type Item;
fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item>;
}
impl Iterator for Range {
type Item = i32;
fn next(&mut self) -> Option<i32> { ... }
}
// Associated type representation
interface AssociatedType {
name: string;
bounds: TypeBound[];
default?: Type;
}
interface TraitImpl {
trait: TraitRef;
forType: Type;
associatedTypes: Map<string, Type>;
methods: Map<string, Function>;
}
// Resolve associated type
function resolveAssociatedType(
type: Type,
trait: TraitRef,
assocName: string
): Type {
const impl = findTraitImpl(type, trait);
if (!impl) throw new Error(`No impl of ${trait} for ${type}`);
const assocType = impl.associatedTypes.get(assocName);
if (!assocType) throw new Error(`Associated type ${assocName} not found`);
return assocType;
}
Higher-Kinded Types
// Higher-kinded types: types that take type constructors as parameters
// Kind system
type Kind =
| { kind: 'type' } // * - concrete type
| { kind: 'arrow'; from: Kind; to: Kind }; // * -> * - type constructor
// Example: Functor takes a type constructor F : * -> *
trait Functor<F: * -> *> {
fn map<A, B>(fa: F<A>, f: A -> B) -> F<B>;
}
// Implementation
interface HigherKindedType {
name: string;
kind: Kind;
}
function checkKind(type: Type, expectedKind: Kind): boolean {
const actualKind = inferKind(type);
return kindsEqual(actualKind, expectedKind);
}
function inferKind(type: Type): Kind {
if (type.kind === 'typeParam') {
return type.declaredKind;
}
if (type.kind === 'application') {
// F<A> : check F : K1 -> K2 and A : K1, result is K2
const fnKind = inferKind(type.constructor);
if (fnKind.kind !== 'arrow') throw new Error('Expected type constructor');
checkKind(type.arg, fnKind.from);
return fnKind.to;
}
// ... other cases
}
Workflow
- Design generic syntax - Type parameters, bounds, where clauses
- Implement type system - Generic types, instantiation
- Add bounds checking - Verify trait bounds
- Implement variance - Covariance, contravariance
- Choose compilation - Monomorphization or erasure
- Add associated types - If using traits
- Consider HKT - For advanced use cases
- Generate tests - Bounds, variance, compilation
Best Practices Applied
- Clear separation of type checking and compilation
- Efficient monomorphization with deduplication
- Proper variance inference and checking
- Clear error messages for bound violations
- Support for type inference with generics
- Incremental compilation support
References
- Rust Generics: https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/ch10-00-generics.html
- Java Generics: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/generics/
- Type Classes vs Objects: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rwh/papers/objects/popl93.pdf
- Higher-Kinded Types: https://typelevel.org/blog/2016/08/21/hkts-moving-forward.html
Target Processes
- generics-polymorphism.js
- type-system-implementation.js
- code-generation-llvm.js
- ir-design.js
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