Struct Automaton 

pub struct Automaton<F>
where
    F: Family + ?Sized,
{ /* private fields */ }

Represents a state machine over a set of Modes within the same Family.

The Automaton contains a single, active Mode that represents the current state of the state machine. The current Mode is accessible via borrow_mode() and borrow_mode_mut() functions, which return an F::Base reference, or via Deref coercion. The Automaton provides a next() function that should be called regularly in order to allow the current state to swap in another Mode as active, if desired.

See Automaton::next() for more details.

Usage

use mode::*;
 
// Use with_mode() to create the Automaton with an initial state.
// NOTE: We could alternatively use SomeFamily::automaton_with_mode() here to shorten this.
let mut automaton = Automaton::<SomeFamily>::with_mode(Box::new(SomeMode));
 
// Functions can be called on the inner Mode through an Automaton reference via the Deref and DerefMut traits
automaton.some_fn();
automaton.some_mut_fn();
 
// If you want to be more explicit, use borrow_mode() or borrow_mode_mut();
automaton.borrow_mode().some_fn();
automaton.borrow_mode_mut().some_mut_fn();
 
// next() can be used to transition the Automaton to a different Mode, or, as in this case, to allow the current
// Mode to transition itself when ready.
Automaton::next(&mut automaton, |current_mode| current_mode.some_transition_fn());

The F parameter

One important thing to note about the F generic parameter it that it is not the base Mode type that will be stored in the Automaton, itself. Rather, it is a separate, user-defined struct that implements the Family trait, representing the group of all Mode types that are compatible with the Automaton. For example, an Automaton<SomeFamily> will only be able to switch between states that implement Mode<Family = SomeFamily>.

F::Mode, F::Base, and pointer types

Another important thing to understand is that the actual type stored in the Automaton will be F::Mode, not F::Base. This has to be the case because, while F::Base can be an unsized type, e.g. a dyn Trait, F::Mode is required to be a Sized type, e.g. a struct or a pointer type like Box. Since F::Mode is required to implement Mode, there are several blanket impls defined for various pointer types, e.g. Box<T : Mode>, so that these types can be used to store the Mode in the Automaton by pointer, as opposed to in-place.

One advantage of having F::Mode be a pointer type is that the inner Mode can be a very large object that would otherwise be slow to move into and out of Automaton::next() by value. Since the convention for keeping the Automaton in the same state is to return the same Mode from Automaton::next(), moving the Mode into and out of the function by value would result in needless and potentially expensive copy operations. (See example below.)

use mode::*;
 
struct ReallyBigFamily;
impl Family for ReallyBigFamily {
    type Base = ReallyBigMode;
    type Mode = ReallyBigMode;
}
 
const DATA_SIZE : usize = 1024; // 1 KiB
 
struct ReallyBigMode {
    data : [u8; DATA_SIZE],
}
 
impl Default for ReallyBigMode {
    fn default() -> Self { Self { data : [0; DATA_SIZE] } }
}
 
impl Mode for ReallyBigMode {
    type Family = ReallyBigFamily;
}
 
fn main() {
    let mut automaton = ReallyBigFamily::automaton();
 
    // This copies all 1 MiB of current_mode into the callback, and then right back out. Not very efficient.
    Automaton::next(&mut automaton, |current_mode| current_mode);
}

Having F::Mode be a pointer type allows the pointer itself to be moved in and out of the swap() function, while still allowing the responsibility of swapping states to be delegated to the stored type itself, if desired. (See example below.)

use mode::*;
 
struct ReallyBigFamily;
impl Family for ReallyBigFamily {
    type Base = ReallyBigMode;
    type Mode = Box<ReallyBigMode>;
}
 
const DATA_SIZE : usize = 1024; // 1 KiB
 
struct ReallyBigMode {
    data : [u8; DATA_SIZE],
}
 
impl Default for ReallyBigMode {
    fn default() -> Self { Self { data : [0; DATA_SIZE] } }
}
 
impl Mode for ReallyBigMode {
    type Family = ReallyBigFamily;
}
 
fn main() {
    let mut automaton = ReallyBigFamily::automaton();
 
    // This moves the Box back out of the function, not the ReallyBigMode object itself, which is *much* cheaper!
    Automaton::next(&mut automaton, |current_mode| current_mode);
}

For more on the Base and Mode parameters, see Family.

Implementations

impl<F> Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized,

pub fn with_mode(mode: F::Mode) -> Self

Creates a new Automaton with the specified mode, which will be the initial active Mode for the Automaton that is returned.

NOTE: If F::Base is a type that implements Default, new() can be used instead.

Since the F parameter cannot be determined automatically, using this function usually requires the use of the turbofish, e.g. Automaton::<SomeFamily>::with_mode(). To avoid that, Family provides an automaton_with_mode() associated function that can be used instead. See Family::automaton_with_mode() for more details.

Usage

use mode::*;
 
struct SomeFamily;
impl Family for SomeFamily {
    type Base = SomeMode;
    type Mode = SomeMode;
}
 
enum SomeMode { A, B, C };
impl Mode for SomeMode {
    type Family = SomeFamily;
}
 
// Create an Automaton with A as the initial Mode.
// NOTE: We could alternatively use SomeFamily::automaton_with_mode() here to shorten this.
let mut automaton = Automaton::<SomeFamily>::with_mode(SomeMode::A);

pub fn next<T>(automaton: &mut Self, transition_fn: T)

where T: FnOnce(F::Mode) -> F::Mode,

Calls transition_fn on the current Mode to determine whether it should transition out, swapping in whatever Mode it returns as a result. Calling this function may change the current Mode, but not necessarily.

Usage

use mode::*;
 
struct SomeFamily;
impl Family for SomeFamily {
    type Base = State;
    type Mode = State;
}
 
#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
enum State { A, B, C }
impl Mode for State { type Family = SomeFamily; }
impl State {
    fn next(self) -> Self {
        match self {
            State::A => State::B,
            State::B => State::C,
            State::C => State::C, // Don't transition.
        }
    }
}
 
fn main() {
    let mut automaton = SomeFamily::automaton_with_mode(State::A);
    while *automaton != State::C {
        Automaton::next(&mut automaton, |current_mode| current_mode.next());
        println!("Now in state {:?}.", *automaton);
    }
}

Examples found in repository

examples/enum.rs (line 75)

fn main() {
    let mut person = ActivityFamily::automaton_with_mode(Activity::Working { hours_worked: 0 });
    
    for _age in 18..100 {
        // Update the current Mode and swap other Modes in, as needed.
        Automaton::next(&mut person, |current_mode| current_mode.update());
    }
}

examples/activity.rs (line 112)

fn main() {
    let mut person = ActivityFamily::automaton_with_mode(Box::new(Working { hours_worked: 0 }));
    
    for _age in 18..100 {
        // Update the current Mode and/or transition to another Mode, when the current Mode requests it.
        Automaton::next(&mut person, |current_mode| current_mode.update());
    }
}

pub fn next_with_result<T, R>(automaton: &mut Self, transition_fn: T) -> R

where T: FnOnce(F::Mode) -> (F::Mode, R),

Calls transition_fn on the current Mode to determine whether it should transition out, swapping in whatever Mode it returns as a result. Calling this function may change the current Mode, but not necessarily.

Unlike next(), the transition_fn returns a tuple containing the new Mode to transition in as well as a return value in the second parameter. The second parameter will be returned from this function after the new Mode is transitioned in. This is useful for things like error handling and allowing the calling code to sense transitions between states.

Usage

use mode::*;
 
struct SomeFamily;
impl Family for SomeFamily {
    type Base = State;
    type Mode = State;
}
 
#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
enum State { A, B, C }
impl Mode for State { type Family = SomeFamily; }
impl State {
    fn next(self) -> (Self, Self) {
        match self {
            State::A => (State::B, self),
            State::B => (State::C, self),
            State::C => (State::C, self), // Don't transition.
        }
    }
}
 
fn main() {
    let mut automaton = SomeFamily::automaton_with_mode(State::A);
    while *automaton != State::C {
        let previous = Automaton::next_with_result(&mut automaton, |current_mode| current_mode.next());
        if previous != *automaton {
            println!("Switched from state {:?} to state {:?}.", previous, *automaton);
        }
        println!("Now in state {:?}.", *automaton);
    }
}

Examples found in repository

examples/turing.rs (line 86)

fn main() {
    let mut tape : u16 = 0b111 << HEAD;
    let mut automaton = StateFamily::automaton_with_mode(State::A);

    // NOTE: We can do this because step() returns false in the "result" parameter if the machine has halted.
    while Automaton::next_with_result(&mut automaton, |current_state| step(current_state, &mut tape)) { }
}

impl<F> Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Borrow<F::Base>,

pub fn borrow_mode(&self) -> &F::Base

Returns an immutable reference to the current Mode as an &F::Base, allowing immutable functions to be called on the inner Mode.

NOTE: Automaton also implements Deref<Target = F::Base>, allowing all Base members to be accessed via a reference to the Automaton. Hence, you can usually leave the borrow_mode() out and simply treat the Automaton as if it were an object of type Base.

impl<F> Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: BorrowMut<F::Base>,

pub fn borrow_mode_mut(&mut self) -> &mut F::Base

Returns a mutable reference to the current Mode as a &mut F::Base, allowing mutable functions to be called on the inner Mode.

NOTE: Automaton also implements DerefMut<Target = Base>, allowing all Base members to be accessed via a reference to the Automaton. Hence, you can usually leave the borrow_mode_mut() out and simply treat the Automaton as if it were an object of type Base.

impl<F> Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Default,

pub fn new() -> Self

Creates a new Automaton with a default Mode instance as the active Mode.

NOTE: This only applies if F::Base is a concrete type that implements Default. If F::Base is a trait type, or you need to specify the initial mode of the created Automaton, use with_mode() instead.

Since the F parameter cannot be determined automatically, using this function usually requires the use of the turbofish, e.g. Automaton::<SomeFamily>::new(). To avoid that, Family provides an automaton() associated function that can be used instead. See Family::automaton() for more details.

Usage

use mode::*;
 
struct ModeWithDefault { count : u32 };
 
impl ModeWithDefault {
    fn update(mut self) -> Self {
        // TODO: Logic for transitioning between states goes here.
        self.count += 1;
        self
    }
}
 
impl Mode for ModeWithDefault {
    type Family = SomeFamily;
}
 
impl Default for ModeWithDefault {
    fn default() -> Self {
        ModeWithDefault { count: 0 }
    }
}
 
// Create an Automaton with a default Mode.
// NOTE: We could alternatively use SomeFamily::automaton() here to shorten this.
let mut automaton = Automaton::<SomeFamily>::new();
 
// NOTE: Deref coercion allows us to access the CounterMode's count variable through an Automaton reference.
assert!(automaton.count == 0);
 
// Keep transitioning the current Mode out until we reach the target state
// (i.e. a count of 10).
while automaton.count < 10 {
    Automaton::next(&mut automaton, |current_mode| current_mode.update());
}

Trait Implementations

impl<F> AsMut<<F as Family>::Base> for Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: BorrowMut<F::Base>,

fn as_mut(&mut self) -> &mut <F as Family>::Base

Returns a mutable reference to the current Mode as a &mut F::Base, allowing functions to be called on the inner Mode.

impl<F> AsRef<<F as Family>::Base> for Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Borrow<F::Base>,

fn as_ref(&self) -> &F::Base

Returns an immutable reference to the current Mode as a &F::Base, allowing functions to be called on the inner Mode.

impl<F> Debug for Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Borrow<F::Base>, F::Base: Debug,

If Base implements std::fmt::Debug, Automaton also implements Debug, and will print its current mode.

Usage

use mode::*;
use std::fmt::Debug;
 
struct MyFamily;
impl Family for MyFamily {
    type Base = dyn MyBase;
    type Mode = Box<dyn MyBase>;
}
 
trait MyBase : Mode<Family = MyFamily> + Debug { } // TODO: Add common interface.
 
#[derive(Debug)]
struct MyMode {
    pub foo : i32,
    pub bar : &'static str,
}
 
impl MyBase for MyMode { } // TODO: Implement common interface.
 
impl Mode for MyMode {
    type Family = MyFamily;
}
 
let automaton = MyFamily::automaton_with_mode(Box::new(MyMode { foo: 3, bar: "Hello, World!" }));
dbg!(automaton);

fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result

Formats the value using the given formatter.

impl<F> Default for Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Default,

fn default() -> Self

Creates a new Automaton with the default Mode active. This is equivalent to calling Automaton::new().

See note on new() for more on when this function can be used.

impl<F> Deref for Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Borrow<F::Base>,

fn deref(&self) -> &F::Base

Returns an immutable reference to the current Mode as a &F::Base, allowing functions to be called on the inner Mode.

type Target = <F as Family>::Base

The resulting type after dereferencing.

impl<F> DerefMut for Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Borrow<F::Base> + BorrowMut<F::Base>,

fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut F::Base

Returns a mutable reference to the current Mode as a &mut F::Base, allowing functions to be called on the inner Mode.

impl<F> Display for Automaton<F>

where F: Family + ?Sized, F::Mode: Borrow<F::Base>, F::Base: Display,

If Base implements std::fmt::Display, Automaton also implements Display, and will print its current mode.

Usage

use mode::*;
use std::fmt::{Display, Formatter, Result};
 
struct MyFamily;
impl Family for MyFamily {
    type Base = dyn MyBase;
    type Mode = Box<dyn MyBase>;
}
 
trait MyBase : Mode<Family = MyFamily> + Display { } // TODO: Add common interface.
 
struct MyMode {
    pub foo : i32,
    pub bar : &'static str,
}
 
impl Display for MyMode {
    fn fmt(&self, f : &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result {
        write!(f, "Foo is {}, and bar is \"{}\".", self.foo, self.bar)
    }
}
 
impl MyBase for MyMode { } // TODO: Implement common interface.
 
impl Mode for MyMode {
    type Family = MyFamily;
}
 
let automaton = MyFamily::automaton_with_mode(Box::new(MyMode { foo: 3, bar: "Hello, World!" }));
println!("{}", automaton);

fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result

Formats the value using the given formatter.