# frozone
`frozone` is a crate that allows you to 'freeze' structs and enums
recursively to ensure they never get changed, helping enforcing
backwards-compatibility or API stability (arewesemveryet.org ?)
## Use case
Let's say there is a very important data structure for your application:
```rust
#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
struct Frozone {
power: Power,
equipment: Vec<Part>,
super_suit: Suit
}
#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
enum Part {
Sunglasses,
Skates,
//...
}
```
that gets serialized in `~/.config/frozone/state.json`
on each user's machine. You've released v1 and everyone is happy.
However, for v2, you realize that you would prefer `super_suit` to be
included in `equipment` instead. Good, but now, whenever your v2
program runs and tries to load a 'v1' config, your deserializer will
rightfully tell you: `Honey, where's my super_suit ?`
You probably know that the answer to this backward-compatibility issue
is to add a version field, save the old structure tree somewhere,
and create new ones
```rust
struct FrozoneV2 {
version: String,
power: Power,
equipments: Vec<PartV2>
}
impl From<Frozone> for FrozoneV2 {
fn from(value: Frozone) -> FrozoneV2 {
// ..proper migration code
}
}
```
Of course, you'll never forget to check that no similar changes during
the v1->v2 development have affected `Power`: a deeply-nested struct,
with enough optional fields to make coverage testing a full-on PhD thesis,
spanning multiple modules/crates/developer's responsibilities.
_OF COURSE, RIGHT ?_
`frozone` enforces your 'object tree' semantically never changes, ensuring
serialization and API stability.
## Usage
```rust
use frozone::Freezable;
#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Freezable)]
struct Frozone {
power: Power,
equipment: Vec<Part>,
super_suit: Suit
}
#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Freezable)]
struct Power {
// ...
}
// ...
fn main() {
/// call the associated method `::freeze()` on your structure, and
/// compare it to the fixed value it evaluated to
assert_eq!(Frozone::freeze(), 12298013273002774775); // frozone hash from v1 release
/// .. okay, `Frozone` has not changed since v1
}
```
## What's frozen and what's not
```rust
#[derive(Freezable)]
pub struct StructName { // visibility qualifier, struct name: NOT FROZEN
field_name: FieldType, // field names, fields types: FROZEN
#[assume_frozen] // assume_frozen'd field name: FROZEN
assumed_frozen_field_name: ExternalFieldType // assume_frozen'd field type: NOT FROZEN
}
// note: the order of the fields is "not frozen"
#[derive(Freezable)]
enum FieldType { // enum name: NOT FROZEN
UnitVariant, // variant name: FROZEN
Variant1 = 1, // discriminant value: FROZEN
StructVariant(Type1, Type2, Type3), // inner types (and their order): FROZEN
#[assume_frozen] // assume_frozen'd field name: FROZEN
AssumedFrozenVariant(Type4, Type5), // assume_frozen'd inner types: NOT FROZEN
}
// note: the order of the variants is "not frozen"
```
## Roadmap
- [x] structs support
- [x] enums support
- [x] core/alloc/std types support
- [x] assume_frozen attribute for external types (incl. Freezable generics support)
- [ ] configurable inclusion of the type names themselves
- [ ] compile-time check (probably requires const trait = nightly Rust)
- [ ] better errors
- [ ] consider #[repr(..)] changes inclusion in hash
- [ ] consideration for non-exhaustive enums
- [ ] common crates shims (uuid, url ...)
- [ ] pub-only fields feature?