User-defined types are custom types that allow for the description of custom values, data structures, and behaviors. There are two kinds of user-defined types:

• Enumerations
• Classes

Once defined, these types can be used like other built-in types.

Enumerations are the simplest type definitions, providing only a list of global constant values.

The definition of an enumeration is introduced by the enum keyword followed by a name corresponding to the type name. The definition opens a block of constant definitions.

Example:

enum MyEnum {
}

Constants are defined within the block using a list of symbol names. The = operator can follow the name to set the value of the constant. The value must be a number. If no value is given, a value is automatically set by adding one to the previous value inserted. If no previous value was inserted, 0 is used.

Example:

enum MyEnum {
    first       // gives 0
    second = 5  // gives 5
    third       // gives 6
}

Classes describe a list of member symbols that will be associated with each instance of the class. Each member has a visibility and a value.

A class definition is introduced by the class keyword followed by a name corresponding to the type name. The : operator can optionally be added to introduce a list of base classes. The definition opens a block of member definitions.

Example:

class MyClass {
}

Members visibility modifiers can be added before access modifiers. They change the accessibility of the member depending on the context. By default, each member can be accessed from anywhere.

The following visibility modifiers can be added to any member:

• + (public): The member can be accessed from anywhere. This is the default.
• # (protected): The member can only be accessed from inside the class or from a derived or base class.
• - (private): The member can only be accessed from inside the class.
• ~ (package): The member can only be accessed from the same package.

Example:

class MyClass {
    publicMember
    + otherPublicMember
    + const constPublicMember
    # protectedMember
    - privateMember
    ~ packageMember
    - @privateGlobalMember
}

Each member of a class has a value. The = operator can follow the member name to initialize this value. If no value is given, the none value is used.

Example:

class MyClass {
    member1 = 0
    member2 = 'text'
    member3 = false
}

The member definition block has no context. Therefore, no variable or user-defined type can be used to initialize a member. The null value can then be used as a placeholder before the initialization of the member in the constructor.

Any built-in type can be used as a member value. However, as the member definition block has no context, some special conditions apply to some types:

• The array and hash values can only be empty. Values can be added in the constructor. Members using the iterator type must also be initialized in the constructor.
• Members using the package type must be initialized in the constructor because no package is accessible in the member definition block.
• Members using the function type cannot use the capture parameter list mechanism. If a capture list must be used, the member must be initialized in the constructor. The call parameter list cannot use variables for parameter default value.
• Members using the library type cannot use variables for the library path. Members using the libobject type must be initialized in the constructor because no library is accessible in the member definition block.

Classes can also contain other user-defined types as global members. Those types can use the visibility mechanism and are introduced by the corresponding keyword.

Example:

class MyClass {
    enum MyEnum {
    }

    class MyChildClass {
    }

    - class MyPrivateClass {
    }
}

Members using the function type are called methods. Non-global methods must have at least one parameter. This first parameter will be used to store the object instance.

As a function value can have several associated blocks, the += operator can be used to add a block to a function member.

Example:

class MyClass {
    method = def (self) {}
    method += def (self, value) {}
}

The def keyword can also be placed before the member name to create a method. In this case, the method will be automatically created or extended.

Example:

class MyClass {
    def method(self) {}
    def method(self, value) {}
}

Classes can have two special members: new and delete.

The new member is called the constructor. When a new instance of the class is created, this member is called. The returned value is then used as the new instance.

The call parameter list of the constructor starts with the instance of the object being created. This instance is only initialized with the values associated with the class members. Additional parameters can follow and must then be passed when the class is instantiated.

Example:

class MyClass {
    def new(self, value) {
        self.value = value
        return self
    }

    - value = null
}

The delete member is called the destructor. When an instance is destroyed, this member is called. The returned value is ignored.

The destructor can take only one parameter corresponding to the instance of the object being destroyed. Some final operations can then be processed on the object.

Example:

class MyClass {
    def new(self) {
        if MyClass.user is null {
            MyClass.user = self
            return self
        }
    }

    def delete(self) {
        if MyClass.user is self {
            MyClass.user = null
        }
    }

    - @user = null
}

Some operators can be overloaded by a class. To override the default behavior of an operator, a special member can be added. These members are introduced by the def keyword followed by the name of the operator to overload. They use a call parameter list with an amount of parameters depending on the overloaded operator.

Example:

def MyClass {
    def +(self) {}
    def +(self, value) {}

    def [](self, key) {}
    def []=(self, key, value) {}

    def ()(self, a, b, c) {}
}

After the class name, the : operator can be added to insert a base class list. The base class list contains the names of the classes to extend separated by ,.

Example:

class MyBase {
}

class MyOtherBase {
}

class MyClass : MyBase, MyOtherBase {
}

Each non-global member of the extended classes will then be copied to the newly created class with their values and modifiers, except for members already defined in the class.

Example:

class MyBase {
    member1 = 1
    member2 = 2
}

class MyClass : MyBase {
    member1 = 5  // member1 gives 5
                 // member2 gives 2
}

Members can also be defined with the final or override modifier to change the behavior when a member is redefined in the child class.

A member defined with the final modifier cannot be redefined in child classes.

Example:

class MyBase {
    final member = 1
}

class MyClass : MyBase {
    member = 5  // error: member 'member' overrides a final member of 'MyBase' for class 'MyClass'
}

A member defined with the override modifier must be already defined in at least one base class.

Example:

class MyBase {
    member1 = 1
}

class MyClass : MyBase {
    override member2 = 5  // error: member 'member2' is marked override but does not override a member for class 'MyClass'
}

A method defined with the override modifier also requires that the child class redefine each signature of the base class's member.

Example:

class MyBase {
    def method(self) {}
    def method(self, value) {}
}

class MyClass : MyBase {
    override def method(self) {}
    // error: member 'method' is marked override but is missing signature '()'(2) for class 'MyClass'
}

Base class members' default value is accessible from derived classes. To access a base class member, the base class name is used followed by the . operator and the member name. This behavior allows to use base classes' constructor/destructor, method implementation, and default values.

Example:

class MyBase {
    def new(self) {}
    def method(self) {}

    # member = false
}

class MyOtherBase {
    def new(self) {}
    def method(self) {}

    # member = true
}

class MyClass : MyBase, MyOtherBase {
    def new(self) {
        if self = MyBase.new(self) {
            if self = MyOtherBase.new(self) {
                self.member = MyBase.member
                return self
            }
        }
    }

    def method(self) {
        return MyBase.method(self) + MyOtherBase.method(self)
    }

    - member = false
}

class MyBase {
    # def method(self) {
        return false
    }
}

class MyClass : MyBase {
    def new(self, override) {
        if override {
            self.method = def (self) {
                return true
            }
        }
        return self
    }
}

A user-defined type instance is created with the call operator on the type. The operator gives an object containing a copy of each non-global member of the type initialized by the constructor if any.

The amount of parameters of the operator depends on the constructor, but the first parameter must not be passed. If the type does not have a constructor, the operator takes no parameters.

Example:

class MyClass {
    def new(self, value) {}
}

myObject = MyClass(5)

To access a member of the object, the . operator is used. If the member is a method and the call operator is used on the member, the object will automatically be passed as the first parameter.

Example:

class MyClass {
    def method(self, value) {}
    member = 5
}

myObject = MyClass()
myObject.member    // gives 5
myObject.method(5) // call MyClass.method(myObject, 5)

(myObject.func)() // call the function with no parameters

Global members can be accessed in the same way, but they can also be directly accessed from the class.

Example:

class MyClass {
    @member = 5
}

myObject = MyClass()
myObject.member   // gives 5
MyClass.member    // gives 5

A user-defined type can also be stored in a variable. This allows for the use of types as parameters or to create type aliases. To store the type, the type name can be used without the call operator.

Example:

@TheClass = MyClass      // TheClass is an alias of MyClass
createList(MyClass, 5)   // Call createList with MyClass as the first parameter

If a copy of an object is required, a new instance will be created without member initialization or a call to the constructor. The value of each member will then be copied from the object to the copy instance recursively. This mechanism keeps track of any copied instance created for each value, and the same instance will be used if the same value is used more than once.

If extra operations should be performed during the copy, a special member clone can be declared. If this attribute is added to a class, the standard copy mechanism is disabled, and the method should be called instead. This member will also disable the standard copy mechanism for any class that uses the class using inheritance or composition.

Example:

class MyClass {
    // Count
    @copyCount = 0
    - value = 0

    const def clone(const self) {
        MyClass.instanceCount++
        var other = MyClass()
        other.value = self.value
        return other
    }
}