2019R2 tracking

[jclark]

This issue is to keep track of discussions related to 2019R2 milestone.

[jclark]

This is the list of issues that I have tagged as needing discussion:

https://github.com/ballerina-platform/ballerina-spec/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+milestone%3A2019R2+label%3Astatus%2Fdiscuss

[jclark]

I suggest we start with a group of issues related to core language semantics:

• Mechanism to avoid making parameter name part of module API #120 named parameters
• __init() of objects can be explicitly called by users #100 object init
• Specify semantics of field access and indexed access  #85 E[E] E.x operators
• Nil lifting for method calls #133 nil lifting for methods
• Should object method param names be equal in declaration and definition? #124 outside method definitions

[hasithaa]

Shall we add the following issue as well?

• Built-in annotations #17 built-in annotations

[jclark]

There's a group of issues related to versioning:

• Built-in annotations #17 built-in annotations (Syntax to refer explicitly to the current module #96 also relates to this)
• Policy for lang.* modules of Preview level basic types #160 lang.* preview modules
• Versioning of lang.* modules #142 lang.* versioning
• Version management of standard library #115 standard library versioning
• Deprecation design #18 deprecation design

There's an important related meta-issue here, of where stuff that doesn't belong in the language spec gets written down and who is going to write it.

[jclark]

There's a group of issues related to XML:

• Add lang.xml module #138 lang.xml built-in functions (see my first cut here https://github.com/ballerina-platform/ballerina-spec/blob/master/langlib/xml.bal)
• XML item types should be proper types #176 fixing up the type system as regards XML (which More precise typing of XML elements #177 will build on)
• Describe how XML namespace support works #166 Fleshing out how XML namespace support works
• XML text chunking #161 XML text chunking

There's a meta issue here of how we deal with XML for jBallerina 1.0; in the current spec XML is not preview.

[jclark]

There are also a couple of issues related to langlib we could usefully discuss now:

• Name and semantics of value:convertTo/setType #136 convertTo/setType
• Function in lang.map to remove all entries #141 removeAll/clear

[jclark]

I suggest two groups of issue today:

1. Let's deal with Specify semantics of field access and indexed access  #85 and figure out which parts we need to do for R2. At least Specify semantics of LHS of assignment #201, Use lax static typing for json type and "." operator #196, Specify semantics of field-access-expr #202, Specify semantics of index-expr #203. But also maybe Add value:mergeJson function #199, Make E[n] work in expressions for strings #209, Add get function to lang.map #210.

2. Cloning and freezing. UnfrozenClone operation is incoherent #208, Name and semantics of value:convertTo/setType #136, Replace "freeze" by "construct as immutable" #186 (with a view to Better control over immutability #189 in the future).

[jclark]

Things to discuss tomorrow:

1. Program startup semantics Program startup/shutdown #44 (I have commented with the problems I see)
2. It's not going to work well for the spec to use the word read-only instead of immutable. Do we still want to stick with ReadOnly as the word we expose to the user?
3. string indexing Make E[n] work in expressions for strings #209, Provide string:charAt? #211
4. Which issues from member access to we want to do for R2? Current list is Specify semantics of LHS of assignment #201, Use lax static typing for json type and "." operator #196, Specify semantics of index-expr #203, Specify semantics of field-access-expr #202, Make E[n] work in expressions for strings #209, Add get function to lang.map #210, Add value:mergeJson function #199, Add E?.x expression #212
5. Name and semantics of value:jsonMerge function Add value:mergeJson function #199
6. Feels weird that we are not using single quote for anything How to make use of single quotes? #193
7. Compile-time enforcement of filler values for arrays Compile-time requirement on filler values for variable length arrays #216
8. Is there anything else that needs designing for R2?