ToString representation of some basic types are not mentioned

[Nadeeshan96]

Description:

In the spec in section https://ballerina.io/spec/lang/master/#ToString information about the ToString representation of some of the basic types are not mentioned. Following the section https://ballerina.io/spec/lang/master/#section_5.1.4, ToString representation of function, future, typedesc, handle, stream basic behavioural types are missing. If the information on tuple and record types are the same as array and map types respectively, that can be also mentioned, if necessary.

Suggested Labels:

Code sample that shows issue:

public function main() {
    string funcStr = func.toString();
}

isolated function func(boolean|float firstarg, string secondarg="default", int... thirdarg) returns string {
    return "val";
}

Related Issues:

#499

[jclark]

The table should say list and mapping rather than array and map.

[jclark]

toString used to say

- if `v` is any other behavioral type, then the identifier for the behavioral type
#   (`function`, `future`, `service` or `handle`)
#   followed by some implementation-dependent string

but that got lost in b59a88e

Is that what jBallerina currently does?

[Nadeeshan96]

Is that what jBallerina currently does?

For the function, future, typedesc, stream types - yes.
For handle type, it gives the java object.toString() value without having the prefix handle.

[HindujaB]

In addition, the spec does not mention the string representation of a typedesc value.
As per the spec,

• if v is any other behavioral type, then the identifier for the behavioral type
  (function, future, service or handle)
  followed by some implementation-dependent string

IINM, it is expected to be typedesc with some implementation-dependent string representing its describing type. In that case, do we need the spec to mention the ToString for types?
For example,

readonly & record {|int a;|} b = {a: 4};
io:println(typeof b);

Since the typedesc describes a singleton structured value, should it be the shape of value b or the ToString of the map value?
related issue ballerina-platform/ballerina-lang#35092

[jclark]

it is expected to be typedesc with some implementation-dependent string representing its describing type

Yes.

In that case, do we need the spec to mention the ToString for types?

Hard to do in general, and will probably change in jBallerina when it implements semantic subtyping. So best just to leave as implementation-dependent for now.

[HindujaB]

it is expected to be typedesc with some implementation-dependent string representing its describing type

Yes.

In that case, do we need the spec to mention the ToString for types?

Hard to do in general, and will probably change in jBallerina when it implements semantic subtyping. So best just to leave as implementation-dependent for now.

Ack. Thanks.