Attribute access

Quick examples:

pair(1,2).fst == 1

parse(str, filename).parseResult.ast.errors

Attributes are accessed from a decorated node (see decorated vs undecorated) using the following syntax:

expression . attribute name

The type of Expr should be decorated. As a short hand, however, Silver will implicitly decorate (with no inherited attributes) if an undecorated expression is provided. This is often useful for data structures, where no inherited attributes are present.

map((.typerep), exprs)

A feature introduced with Silver 0.4 is attribute sections, named after operator sections in Haskell (e.g. (3+).)

Attribute sections are a notation for getting a function that does nothing but retrieve a specific attribute from its argument. The syntax is:

( . attribute name)

i.e. an attribute access without an expression, but enclosed in parentheses.

Currently, attribute sections have a number of limitations:

• The attribute must be synthesized
• The attribute must not be parameterized

Eventually, these restrictions will be lifted.