alcibiades 0.2.2

//! Defines the `SearchExecutor` trait.

use std::time::Duration;
use std::sync::Arc;
use std::sync::mpsc::TryRecvError;
use uci::SetOption;
use moves::Move;
use value::*;
use depth::*;
use hash_table::*;
use search_node::SearchNode;


/// Parameters describing a search.
///
/// **Important note:** `lower_bound` and `upper_bound` fields
/// together give the interval within which an as precise as possible
/// evaluation is required. If during the search is determined that
/// the exact evaluation is outside of this interval, the search may
/// return a value that is closer to the the interval bounds than the
/// exact evaluation, but always staying on the correct side of the
/// interval (i.e. "fail-soft").
#[derive(Clone)]
pub struct SearchParams<T: SearchNode> {
    /// A number identifying the search.
    pub search_id: usize,

    /// The root position for the search.
    pub position: T,

    /// The requested search depth.
    ///
    /// Should be between `DEPTH_MIN` and `DEPTH_MAX`.
    pub depth: Depth,

    /// The lower bound for the search.
    ///
    /// Should be no lesser than `VALUE_MIN`.
    pub lower_bound: Value,

    /// The upper bound for the search.
    ///
    /// Should be greater than `lower_bound`, but no greater than
    /// `VALUE_MAX`.
    pub upper_bound: Value,

    /// Restricts the analysis to the supplied list of moves only.
    ///
    /// * All moves in the list should be legal.
    ///
    /// * The same move should not occur more than once.
    ///
    /// * If the root position is final, the supplied list of moves
    ///   should be empty.
    ///
    /// The behavior of the search is *undefined* if the root position
    /// is not final, but `searchmoves` is empty.
    pub searchmoves: Vec<Move>,
}


/// A progress report from a search.
#[derive(Clone)]
pub struct SearchReport<T> {
    /// The ID assigned to the search.
    ///
    /// Should be the same for all reports from a given search.
    pub search_id: usize,

    /// The number of positions searched so far.
    ///
    /// Should be no lesser than the value sent in the previous
    /// report.
    pub searched_nodes: u64,

    /// The search depth completed so far.
    ///
    /// Should be no lesser than the value sent in the previous
    /// report, and no greater than the requested search depth. If the
    /// search has not been forcefully terminated, the last reported
    /// `depth` should be the requested search depth.
    ///
    /// **Note:** Depth-first searches should send `0` in all reports
    /// except the last one.
    pub depth: Depth,

    /// The evaluation of the root position so far, or `VALUE_UNKNOWN`
    /// if not available.
    ///
    /// If the search has not been forcefully terminated, the last
    /// report should contain the calculated final evaluation.
    ///
    /// **Note:** Depth-first searches should send `VALUE_UNKNOWN` in
    /// all reports except the last one.
    pub value: Value,

    /// Whether the search is done.
    ///
    /// Should be `false` for all reports except the last one.
    pub done: bool,

    /// Auxiliary data.
    ///
    /// For example, this may contain calculated principal
    /// variation(s).
    pub data: T,
}


/// A trait for executing consecutive searches in different starting
/// positions.
///
/// Chess programs must rely on some type of search in order to play
/// reasonably. Searching involves looking ahead at different move
/// sequences and evaluating the positions after making the
/// moves. Normally, this is done by traversing and min-maxing a
/// tree-like data-structure by some algorithm. To implement your own
/// search algorithm, you must define a type that implements the
/// `SearchExecutor` trait.
///
/// There are two types of searches that should be distinguished:
///
/// * **Depth-first search.**
///
///   Starts at the root and explores as far as possible along each
///   branch before backtracking.
///
/// * **Iterative deepening search.**
///
///   A depth-first search is executed with a depth of one ply, then
///   the depth is incremented and another search is executed. This
///   process is repeated until the search is terminated or the
///   requested search depth is reached. In case of a terminated
///   search, the engine can always fall back to the move selected in
///   the last iteration of the search.
///
///   You can use `stock::Deepening` to turn a depth-first searcher
///   into a deepening searcher.
/// 
/// Here is what the engine does on each move:
///
/// 1. Calls `start_search`.
///
/// 2. Continues calling `wait_report` and `try_recv_report`
///    periodically, until the returned report indicates that the
///    search is done.
///
/// 3. Obtains the principal variation(s) from search reports, or
///    directly from the transposition table.
pub trait SearchExecutor: SetOption {
    /// The type of transposition (hash) table that the implementation
    /// works with.
    type HashTable: HashTable;

    /// The type of search node that the implementation works with.
    type SearchNode: SearchNode;

    /// The type of auxiliary data that search progress reports carry.
    type ReportData;

    /// Creates a new instance.
    fn new(tt: Arc<Self::HashTable>) -> Self;

    /// Starts a new search.
    ///
    /// After calling `start_search`, `wait_report` and
    /// `try_recv_report` will be called periodically until the
    /// returned report indicates that the search is done. A new
    /// search will not be started until the previous search is done.
    ///
    /// **Important note:** The executing search must send periodic
    /// reports, informing about its current progress. Also, the
    /// executing search must continuously update the transposition
    /// table so that, at each moment, it contains the results of the
    /// work done so far.
    fn start_search(&mut self, params: SearchParams<Self::SearchNode>);

    /// Attempts to return a search progress report without blocking.
    fn try_recv_report(&mut self) -> Result<SearchReport<Self::ReportData>, TryRecvError>;

    /// Waits until a search progress report is available, timing out
    /// after a specified duration or earlier.
    fn wait_report(&self, duration: Duration);

    /// Requests the termination of the current search.
    ///
    /// Can be called more than once for the same search. After
    /// calling `terminate_search`, `wait_report` and
    /// `try_recv_report` will continue to be called periodically
    /// until the returned report indicates that the search is done.
    fn terminate_search(&mut self);
}