Enumerator and iteratee: Difference between revisions
(automaton) |
mNo edit summary |
||
(9 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
An enumerator is something that knows how to generate a list and an iteratee is something that does one step in processing another piece of the big list. E.g. to sum up all elements of a list, we do | An enumerator is something that knows how to generate a list and an iteratee is something that does one step in processing another piece of the big list. E.g. to sum up all elements of a list, we do | ||
< | <haskell> | ||
foldl (+) 0 xs | foldl (+) 0 xs | ||
</ | </haskell> | ||
Then < | Then <hask>foldl</hask> is the enumerator and <hask>((+),0)</hask> is the iteratee. | ||
Clearly the function that sums the current element with the accumulator, < | Clearly the function that sums the current element with the accumulator, <hask>(+)</hask>, doesn't know or care from which collection the elements are coming from. The initial seed, <hask>0</hask>, is again unaware of the collection. That achieves the | ||
[[separation of concerns]]: fold (aka, enumerator) has the intimate knowledge | [[separation of concerns]]: fold (aka, enumerator) has the intimate knowledge | ||
of the collection and how to get to the next element; iteratee knows | of the collection and how to get to the next element; iteratee knows | ||
Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
== Definition == | == Definition == | ||
Do not rely on the < | Do not rely on the <hask>foldl</hask> analogy too firmly, it is misleading. <hask>((+),0)</hask> is an [[F-algebra]] and <hask>foldl (+) 0</hask> is a [[catamorphism]]. But iteratee is different, it is an [[automaton]]. From this point of view, the enumerator sends elements of a list sequentially, from head to tail, as input messages to the iteratee. If the iteratee finishes, it outputs an accumulator. If the iteratee continues, it outputs nothing (i.e., <hask>()</hask>). | ||
So, a set of states of iteratee is divided into subsets "Done" and "Next". Done-state means that automaton finished consuming a list, i.e. automaton is dead. Next-state means that you can give an input message and obtain the same automaton in a '''new''' state. | So, a set of states of iteratee is divided into subsets "Done" and "Next". Done-state means that automaton finished consuming a list, i.e., the automaton is dead. Next-state means that you can give an input message and obtain the same automaton in a '''new''' state. | ||
< | <haskell> | ||
data Iteratee i o | data Iteratee i o | ||
= Done o | = Done o | ||
| Next (i -> Iteratee i o) | | Next (i -> Iteratee i o) | ||
</ | </haskell> | ||
< | <hask>i</hask> is the type of the iteratee's input messages (or list elements) and <hask>o</hask> is a type of the output message (an accumulator). Precisely speaking, <hask>Iteratee</hask> stores not an automaton, but an automaton in some state, an automaton with distinguished state. As you see, if an <hask>Iteratee</hask> is in the <hask>Next</hask> state, then we have a function that takes an input message and returns a new <hask>Iteratee</hask>. | ||
The distinct feature of iteratee is that it can say after which list element an iteratee finishes. An iteratee says this by sending "Done" to an enumerator. | The distinct feature of iteratee is that it can say after which list element an iteratee finishes. An iteratee says this by sending "Done" to an enumerator. Then the enumerator can, for example, close a file or a socket (a stream) where a list of characters is read from. [[Lazy IO|Lazy I/O]], which uses lazy lists, closes a stream only when the stream is exhausted. | ||
The drawback is that enumerator can not tell iteratee that | The drawback is that an enumerator can not tell an iteratee that an input is exhausted — an <hask>Iteratee</hask> consumes only infinite lists. You can remedy this by assuming | ||
< | <haskell> | ||
i == Maybe i' | i == Maybe i' | ||
</ | </haskell> | ||
where < | where <hask>i'</hask> is a type of list elements. <hask>Nothing</hask> given to iteratee signals that the list is exhausted. | ||
Here is a sample enumerator that takes input messages from a file: | Here is a sample enumerator that takes input messages from a file: | ||
< | <haskell> | ||
enumerator :: FilePath -> Iteratee (Maybe Char) o -> IO o | enumerator :: FilePath -> Iteratee (Maybe Char) o -> IO o | ||
enumerator file it = withFile file ReadMode | enumerator file it = withFile file ReadMode | ||
Line 45: | Line 45: | ||
True -> rc (f Nothing) | True -> rc (f Nothing) | ||
) it | ) it | ||
</ | </haskell> | ||
== Functions == | == Functions == | ||
You can compose iteratees sequentially in time. This is done by < | You can compose iteratees sequentially in time. This is done by <hask>(>>)</hask>. <hask>it0 >> it1</hask> means that when <hask>it0</hask> finishes, <hask>it1</hask> starts. Generally speaking, <hask>Iteratee i</hask> is a <hask>Monad</hask>, and it works exactly like a [[monadic parser]]. | ||
< | <haskell> | ||
{- s = state -} | {- s = state -} | ||
instance Functor (Iteratee input) where | instance Functor (Iteratee input) where | ||
Line 62: | Line 62: | ||
Next g -> Next (rc . g) | Next g -> Next (rc . g) | ||
) it0 | ) it0 | ||
</ | </haskell> | ||
You can compose iteratees sequentially in space. < | You can also compose iteratees sequentially in space. <hask>it0</hask>'s output messages become <hask>it1</hask>'s input messages, so <hask>it0</hask> and <hask>it1</hask> work in parallel. Their composition is denoted <hask>it1 . it0</hask>. If <hask>it0</hask> finishes, it is resurrected to its original state. If <hask>it1</hask> finishes, <hask>it1 . it0</hask> finishes — The main feature here is that <hask>it0</hask> is restarted, as this is used for repetitive parsing. | ||
< | <haskell> | ||
arr0 f = Next $ \i -> Done (f i) | arr0 f = Next $ \i -> Done (f i) | ||
instance Category Iteratee where | instance Category Iteratee where | ||
Line 76: | Line 76: | ||
) it0 | ) it0 | ||
) it1 | ) it1 | ||
</ | </haskell> | ||
== Generalization == | == Generalization == | ||
You may note that < | You may note that <hask>Iteratee</hask> is a [[final coalgebra]]. Other kinds of automata can be described with other [[F-coalgebra]]s. In practice such automata can handle network protocols or interactive user input. See for example [http://www.cs.ru.nl/~bart/PAPERS/index.html papers] by Bart Jacobs for theoretical discussion. | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
* Oleg Kiselyov: "[http://okmij.org/ftp/Haskell/Iteratee/ | * Oleg Kiselyov: "[http://okmij.org/ftp/Haskell/Iteratee/describe.pdf Iteratees]" - FLOPS 2012 paper | ||
* [http://www.mew.org/~kazu/proj/enumerator/ A tutorial on the enumerator library] | |||
* Haskell-Cafe on [http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2008-December/052181.html understanding enumerator/iteratee] | * Haskell-Cafe on [http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2008-December/052181.html understanding enumerator/iteratee] | ||
* Haskell-Cafe on [http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2009-February/056816.html Left fold enumerator - a real pearl overlooked?] | * Haskell-Cafe on [http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2009-February/056816.html Left fold enumerator - a real pearl overlooked?] | ||
* John Lato's cabalized [http://inmachina.net/~jwlato/haskell/iteratee/ package] of Oleg's code | * John Lato's cabalized [http://inmachina.net/~jwlato/haskell/iteratee/ package] of Oleg's code | ||
* [[Iteratee I/O]] | * [[Iteratee I/O]] | ||
* The Yesod book's [http://www.yesodweb.com/book/enumerator appendix on the Enumerator package] | |||
[[Category:Idioms]] | [[Category:Idioms]] |
Latest revision as of 12:02, 19 April 2024
An enumerator is something that knows how to generate a list and an iteratee is something that does one step in processing another piece of the big list. E.g. to sum up all elements of a list, we do
foldl (+) 0 xs
Then foldl
is the enumerator and ((+),0)
is the iteratee.
Clearly the function that sums the current element with the accumulator, (+)
, doesn't know or care from which collection the elements are coming from. The initial seed, 0
, is again unaware of the collection. That achieves the
separation of concerns: fold (aka, enumerator) has the intimate knowledge
of the collection and how to get to the next element; iteratee knows
what to do with the current element.
Definition
Do not rely on the foldl
analogy too firmly, it is misleading. ((+),0)
is an F-algebra and foldl (+) 0
is a catamorphism. But iteratee is different, it is an automaton. From this point of view, the enumerator sends elements of a list sequentially, from head to tail, as input messages to the iteratee. If the iteratee finishes, it outputs an accumulator. If the iteratee continues, it outputs nothing (i.e., ()
).
So, a set of states of iteratee is divided into subsets "Done" and "Next". Done-state means that automaton finished consuming a list, i.e., the automaton is dead. Next-state means that you can give an input message and obtain the same automaton in a new state.
data Iteratee i o
= Done o
| Next (i -> Iteratee i o)
i
is the type of the iteratee's input messages (or list elements) and o
is a type of the output message (an accumulator). Precisely speaking, Iteratee
stores not an automaton, but an automaton in some state, an automaton with distinguished state. As you see, if an Iteratee
is in the Next
state, then we have a function that takes an input message and returns a new Iteratee
.
The distinct feature of iteratee is that it can say after which list element an iteratee finishes. An iteratee says this by sending "Done" to an enumerator. Then the enumerator can, for example, close a file or a socket (a stream) where a list of characters is read from. Lazy I/O, which uses lazy lists, closes a stream only when the stream is exhausted.
The drawback is that an enumerator can not tell an iteratee that an input is exhausted — an Iteratee
consumes only infinite lists. You can remedy this by assuming
i == Maybe i'
where i'
is a type of list elements. Nothing
given to iteratee signals that the list is exhausted.
Here is a sample enumerator that takes input messages from a file:
enumerator :: FilePath -> Iteratee (Maybe Char) o -> IO o
enumerator file it = withFile file ReadMode
$ \h -> fix (\rc it -> case it of
Done o -> return o
Next f -> do
eof <- hIsEOF h
case eof of
False -> do
c <- hGetChar h
rc (f (Just c))
True -> rc (f Nothing)
) it
Functions
You can compose iteratees sequentially in time. This is done by (>>)
. it0 >> it1
means that when it0
finishes, it1
starts. Generally speaking, Iteratee i
is a Monad
, and it works exactly like a monadic parser.
{- s = state -}
instance Functor (Iteratee input) where
fmap f = fix $ \rc s -> case s of
Done o -> Done (f o)
Next g -> Next (rc . g)
instance Monad (Iteratee input) where
return = Done
it0 >>= it1 = fix (\rc s -> case s of
Done o -> it1 o
Next g -> Next (rc . g)
) it0
You can also compose iteratees sequentially in space. it0
's output messages become it1
's input messages, so it0
and it1
work in parallel. Their composition is denoted it1 . it0
. If it0
finishes, it is resurrected to its original state. If it1
finishes, it1 . it0
finishes — The main feature here is that it0
is restarted, as this is used for repetitive parsing.
arr0 f = Next $ \i -> Done (f i)
instance Category Iteratee where
id = arr0 id
it1 . it0 = fix (\rc1 it1 -> case it1 of
Done c -> Done c
Next f1 -> fix (\rc0 it0 -> case it0 of
Done b -> rc1 (f1 b)
Next f0 -> Next (rc0 . f0)
) it0
) it1
Generalization
You may note that Iteratee
is a final coalgebra. Other kinds of automata can be described with other F-coalgebras. In practice such automata can handle network protocols or interactive user input. See for example papers by Bart Jacobs for theoretical discussion.
See also
- Oleg Kiselyov: "Iteratees" - FLOPS 2012 paper
- A tutorial on the enumerator library
- Haskell-Cafe on understanding enumerator/iteratee
- Haskell-Cafe on Left fold enumerator - a real pearl overlooked?
- John Lato's cabalized package of Oleg's code
- Iteratee I/O
- The Yesod book's appendix on the Enumerator package