scala.reflect.api.Constants

# Constant

#### abstract type Constant >: Null <: Universe.ConstantApi

This "virtual" case class represents the reflection interface for literal expressions which can not be further broken down or evaluated, such as "true", "0", "classOf[List]". Such values become parts of the Scala abstract syntax tree representing the program. The constants correspond to section 6.24 "Constant Expressions" of the Scala language specification.

Such constants are used to represent literals in abstract syntax trees (the scala.reflect.api.Trees#Literal node) and literal arguments for Java class file annotations (the scala.reflect.api.Annotations#LiteralArgument class).

Constants can be matched against and can be constructed directly, as if they were case classes:

    assert(Constant(true).value == true)
    Constant(true) match {
      case Constant(s: String) =>  println("A string: " + s)
      case Constant(b: Boolean) => println("A boolean value: " + b)
      case Constant(x) =>          println("Something else: " + x)
    }

`Constant` instances can wrap certain kinds of these expressions:

1. Literals of primitive value classes (`Byte`, `Short`, `Int`, `Long`, `Float`, `Double`, `Char`, `Boolean` and `Unit`) - represented directly as the corresponding type
2. String literals - represented as instances of the `String`.
3. References to classes, typically constructed with scala.Predef#classOf - represented as types.
4. References to enumeration values - represented as symbols.

Class references are represented as instances of scala.reflect.api.Types#Type (because when the Scala compiler processes a class reference, the underlying runtime class might not yet have been compiled). To convert such a reference to a runtime class, one should use the `runtimeClass` method of a mirror such as `RuntimeMirror` (the simplest way to get such a mirror is using `scala.reflect.runtime.currentMirror`).

Enumeration value references are represented as instances of scala.reflect.api.Symbols#Symbol, which on JVM point to methods that return underlying enum values. To inspect an underlying enumeration or to get runtime value of a reference to an enum, one should use a scala.reflect.api.Mirrors#RuntimeMirror (the simplest way to get such a mirror is again scala.reflect.runtime.package#currentMirror).

Usage example:

    enum JavaSimpleEnumeration { FOO, BAR }

    import java.lang.annotation.*;
    @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
    @Target({ElementType.TYPE})
    public @interface JavaSimpleAnnotation {
      Class<?> classRef();
      JavaSimpleEnumeration enumRef();
    }

    @JavaSimpleAnnotation(
      classRef = JavaAnnottee.class,
      enumRef = JavaSimpleEnumeration.BAR
    )
    public class JavaAnnottee {}

    import scala.reflect.runtime.universe._
    import scala.reflect.runtime.{currentMirror => cm}

    object Test extends App {
      val jann = typeOf[JavaAnnottee].typeSymbol.annotations(0).javaArgs
      def jarg(name: String) = jann(newTermName(name)) match {
        // Constant is always wrapped into a Literal or LiteralArgument tree node
        case LiteralArgument(ct: Constant) => value
        case _ => sys.error("Not a constant")
      }

      val classRef = jarg("classRef").value.asInstanceOf[Type]
                                             // ideally one should match instead of casting
      println(showRaw(classRef))             // TypeRef(ThisType(), JavaAnnottee, List())
      println(cm.runtimeClass(classRef))     // class JavaAnnottee

      val enumRef = jarg("enumRef").value.asInstanceOf[Symbol]
                                             // ideally one should match instead of casting
      println(enumRef)                       // value BAR

      val siblings = enumRef.owner.info.decls
      val enumValues = siblings.filter(sym => sym.isVal && sym.isPublic)
      println(enumValues)                    // Scope{
                                             //   final val FOO: JavaSimpleEnumeration;
                                             //   final val BAR: JavaSimpleEnumeration
                                             // }

      // doesn't work because of https://issues.scala-lang.org/browse/SI-6459
      // val enumValue = mirror.reflectField(enumRef.asTerm).get
      val enumClass = cm.runtimeClass(enumRef.owner.asClass)
      val enumValue = enumClass.getDeclaredField(enumRef.name.toString).get(null)
      println(enumValue)                     // BAR
    }

Linear Supertypes
Universe.ConstantApi, AnyRef, Any
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2. ConstantApi
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### Abstract Value Members

1. #### abstract def tpe: Universe.Type

   Scala type that describes the constant.

   Scala type that describes the constant. It is generated automatically based on the type of the value.

   Definition Classes
     ConstantApi

2. #### abstract val value: Any

   Payload of the constant, that can be accessed directly or pattern matched against.

   Payload of the constant, that can be accessed directly or pattern matched against.

   Definition Classes
     ConstantApi

### Concrete Value Members

1. #### final def !=(arg0: Any): Boolean

   Definition Classes
     AnyRef → Any

2. #### final def ##(): Int

   Definition Classes
     AnyRef → Any

3. #### final def ==(arg0: Any): Boolean

   Definition Classes
     AnyRef → Any

4. #### final def asInstanceOf[T0]: T0

   Definition Classes
     Any

5. #### def clone(): AnyRef

   Attributes
     protected[java.lang]
   Definition Classes
     AnyRef
   Annotations
     @throws( ... )

6. #### final def eq(arg0: AnyRef): Boolean

   Definition Classes
     AnyRef

7. #### def equals(arg0: Any): Boolean

   Definition Classes
     AnyRef → Any

8. #### def finalize(): Unit

   Attributes
     protected[java.lang]
   Definition Classes
     AnyRef
   Annotations
     @throws( classOf[java.lang.Throwable] )

9. #### final def getClass(): Class[_]

   Definition Classes
     AnyRef → Any

10. #### def hashCode(): Int

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef → Any

11. #### final def isInstanceOf[T0]: Boolean

    Definition Classes
      Any

12. #### final def ne(arg0: AnyRef): Boolean

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef

13. #### final def notify(): Unit

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef

14. #### final def notifyAll(): Unit

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef

15. #### final def synchronized[T0](arg0: ⇒ T0): T0

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef

16. #### def toString(): String

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef → Any

17. #### final def wait(): Unit

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef
    Annotations
      @throws( ... )

18. #### final def wait(arg0: Long, arg1: Int): Unit

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef
    Annotations
      @throws( ... )

19. #### final def wait(arg0: Long): Unit

    Definition Classes
      AnyRef
    Annotations
      @throws( ... )

### Inherited from Universe.ConstantApi

### Inherited from AnyRef

### Inherited from Any

### Ungrouped