Packages

trait Importer extends AnyRef

This trait provides support for importers, a facility to migrate reflection artifacts between universes. Note: this trait should typically be used only rarely.

Reflection artifacts, such as Symbols and Types, are contained in Universes. Typically all processing happens within a single Universe (e.g. a compile-time macro Universe or a runtime reflection Universe), but sometimes there is a need to migrate artifacts from one Universe to another. For example, runtime compilation works by importing runtime reflection trees into a runtime compiler universe, compiling the importees and exporting the result back.

Reflection artifacts are firmly grounded in their Universes, which is reflected by the fact that types of artifacts from different universes are not compatible. By using Importers, however, they be imported from one universe into another. For example, to import foo.bar.Baz from the source Universe to the target Universe, an importer will first check whether the entire owner chain exists in the target Universe. If it does, then nothing else will be done. Otherwise, the importer will recreate the entire owner chain and will import the corresponding type signatures into the target Universe.

Since importers match Symbol tables of the source and the target Universes using plain string names, it is programmer's responsibility to make sure that imports don't distort semantics, e.g., that foo.bar.Baz in the source Universe means the same that foo.bar.Baz does in the target Universe.

Example

Here's how one might implement a macro that performs compile-time evaluation of its argument by using a runtime compiler to compile and evaluate a tree that belongs to a compile-time compiler:

def staticEval[T](x: T) = macro staticEval[T]

def staticEval[T](c: scala.reflect.macros.blackbox.Context)(x: c.Expr[T]) = {
  // creates a runtime reflection universe to host runtime compilation
  import scala.reflect.runtime.{universe => ru}
  val mirror = ru.runtimeMirror(c.libraryClassLoader)
  import scala.tools.reflect.ToolBox
  val toolBox = mirror.mkToolBox()

  // runtime reflection universe and compile-time macro universe are different
  // therefore an importer is needed to bridge them
  // currently mkImporter requires a cast to correctly assign the path-dependent types
  val importer0 = ru.internal.mkImporter(c.universe)
  val importer = importer0.asInstanceOf[ru.internal.Importer { val from: c.universe.type }]

  // the created importer is used to turn a compiler tree into a runtime compiler tree
  // both compilers use the same classpath, so semantics remains intact
  val imported = importer.importTree(tree)

  // after the tree is imported, it can be evaluated as usual
  val tree = toolBox.untypecheck(imported.duplicate)
  val valueOfX = toolBox.eval(imported).asInstanceOf[T]
  ...
}
Source
Internals.scala
Linear Supertypes
AnyRef, Any
Type Hierarchy
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Inherited
  1. Importer
  2. AnyRef
  3. Any
Implicitly
  1. by any2stringadd
  2. by StringFormat
  3. by Ensuring
  4. by ArrowAssoc
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Visibility
  1. Public
  2. Protected

Abstract Value Members

  1. abstract val from: Universe

    The source universe of reflection artifacts that will be processed.

    The source universe of reflection artifacts that will be processed. The target universe is universe that created this importer with mkImporter.

  2. abstract def importPosition(pos: Universe.Position): Universe.Position

    In the current universe, creates a position that corresponds to the provided position in the source universe.

  3. abstract def importSymbol(sym: Universe.Symbol): Universe.Symbol

    In the current universe, locates or creates a symbol that corresponds to the provided symbol in the source universe.

    In the current universe, locates or creates a symbol that corresponds to the provided symbol in the source universe. If necessary imports the owner chain, companions, type signature, annotations and attachments.

  4. abstract def importTree(tree: Universe.Tree): Universe.Tree

    In the current universe, creates a tree that corresponds to the provided tree in the source universe.

    In the current universe, creates a tree that corresponds to the provided tree in the source universe. If necessary imports the underlying symbols, types and attachments.

  5. abstract def importType(tpe: Universe.Type): Universe.Type

    In the current universe, locates or creates a type that corresponds to the provided type in the source universe.

    In the current universe, locates or creates a type that corresponds to the provided type in the source universe. If necessary imports the underlying symbols, annotations, scopes and trees.

  6. abstract val reverse: Universe.Importer { val from: Internals.this.type }

    An importer that works in reverse direction, namely: imports reflection artifacts from the current universe to the universe specified in from.

Concrete Value Members

  1. final def !=(arg0: Any): Boolean
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef → Any
  2. final def ##(): Int
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef → Any
  3. def +(other: String): String
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toany2stringadd[Universe.Importer] performed by method any2stringadd in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    any2stringadd
  4. def ->[B](y: B): (Universe.Importer, B)
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toArrowAssoc[Universe.Importer] performed by method ArrowAssoc in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    ArrowAssoc
    Annotations
    @inline()
  5. final def ==(arg0: Any): Boolean
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef → Any
  6. final def asInstanceOf[T0]: T0
    Definition Classes
    Any
  7. def clone(): AnyRef
    Attributes
    protected[lang]
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
    Annotations
    @throws(classOf[java.lang.CloneNotSupportedException]) @native()
  8. def ensuring(cond: (Universe.Importer) => Boolean, msg: => Any): Universe.Importer
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toEnsuring[Universe.Importer] performed by method Ensuring in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    Ensuring
  9. def ensuring(cond: (Universe.Importer) => Boolean): Universe.Importer
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toEnsuring[Universe.Importer] performed by method Ensuring in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    Ensuring
  10. def ensuring(cond: Boolean, msg: => Any): Universe.Importer
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toEnsuring[Universe.Importer] performed by method Ensuring in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    Ensuring
  11. def ensuring(cond: Boolean): Universe.Importer
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toEnsuring[Universe.Importer] performed by method Ensuring in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    Ensuring
  12. final def eq(arg0: AnyRef): Boolean
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
  13. def equals(arg0: AnyRef): Boolean
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef → Any
  14. def finalize(): Unit
    Attributes
    protected[lang]
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
    Annotations
    @throws(classOf[java.lang.Throwable])
  15. def formatted(fmtstr: String): String
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toStringFormat[Universe.Importer] performed by method StringFormat in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    StringFormat
    Annotations
    @inline()
  16. final def getClass(): Class[_ <: AnyRef]
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef → Any
    Annotations
    @native()
  17. def hashCode(): Int
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef → Any
    Annotations
    @native()
  18. final def isInstanceOf[T0]: Boolean
    Definition Classes
    Any
  19. final def ne(arg0: AnyRef): Boolean
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
  20. final def notify(): Unit
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
    Annotations
    @native()
  21. final def notifyAll(): Unit
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
    Annotations
    @native()
  22. final def synchronized[T0](arg0: => T0): T0
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
  23. def toString(): String
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef → Any
  24. final def wait(): Unit
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
    Annotations
    @throws(classOf[java.lang.InterruptedException])
  25. final def wait(arg0: Long, arg1: Int): Unit
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
    Annotations
    @throws(classOf[java.lang.InterruptedException])
  26. final def wait(arg0: Long): Unit
    Definition Classes
    AnyRef
    Annotations
    @throws(classOf[java.lang.InterruptedException]) @native()

Deprecated Value Members

  1. def [B](y: B): (Universe.Importer, B)
    Implicit
    This member is added by an implicit conversion from Universe.Importer toArrowAssoc[Universe.Importer] performed by method ArrowAssoc in scala.Predef.
    Definition Classes
    ArrowAssoc
    Annotations
    @deprecated
    Deprecated

    (Since version 2.13.0) Use -> instead. If you still wish to display it as one character, consider using a font with programming ligatures such as Fira Code.

Inherited from AnyRef

Inherited from Any

Inherited by implicit conversion any2stringadd fromUniverse.Importer to any2stringadd[Universe.Importer]

Inherited by implicit conversion StringFormat fromUniverse.Importer to StringFormat[Universe.Importer]

Inherited by implicit conversion Ensuring fromUniverse.Importer to Ensuring[Universe.Importer]

Inherited by implicit conversion ArrowAssoc fromUniverse.Importer to ArrowAssoc[Universe.Importer]

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