Use a special type for match aliases

This is a more principled implementation of the situation that
match aliases are not full type aliases because one side cannot
be freely substituted for the other. Match aliases are checked
in some respects like abstract type bounds (in particular,
nested cycles are allowed), but are treated as aliases in others
(in particular, lower and upper "bound" are always guaranteed
to be the same).

Author: odersky

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/TypeApplications.scala

@@ -337,8 +337,8 @@ class TypeApplications(val self: Type) extends AnyVal {
             tl => arg.paramInfos.map(_.subst(arg, tl).bounds),
             tl => arg.resultType.subst(arg, tl)
           )
-        case arg @ TypeAlias(alias) =>
-          arg.derivedTypeAlias(adaptArg(alias))
+        case arg: AliasingBounds =>
+          arg.derivedAlias(adaptArg(arg.alias))
         case arg @ TypeBounds(lo, hi) =>
           arg.derivedTypeBounds(adaptArg(lo), adaptArg(hi))
         case _ =>
@@ -401,8 +401,8 @@ class TypeApplications(val self: Type) extends AnyVal {
         dealiased.derivedAndType(dealiased.tp1.appliedTo(args), dealiased.tp2.appliedTo(args))
       case dealiased: OrType =>
         dealiased.derivedOrType(dealiased.tp1.appliedTo(args), dealiased.tp2.appliedTo(args))
-      case dealiased: TypeAlias =>
-        dealiased.derivedTypeAlias(dealiased.alias.appliedTo(args))
+      case dealiased: AliasingBounds =>
+        dealiased.derivedAlias(dealiased.alias.appliedTo(args))
       case dealiased: TypeBounds =>
         dealiased.derivedTypeBounds(dealiased.lo.appliedTo(args), dealiased.hi.appliedTo(args))
       case dealiased: LazyRef =>
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ class TypeApplications(val self: Type) extends AnyVal {
    */
   final def toBounds(implicit ctx: Context): TypeBounds = self match {
     case self: TypeBounds => self // this can happen for wildcard args
-    case _ => if (self.isMatch) TypeBounds.upper(self) else TypeAlias(self)
+    case _ => if (self.isMatch) MatchAlias(self) else TypeAlias(self)
   }
 
   /** Translate a type of the form From[T] to To[T], keep other types as they are.

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/TypeComparer.scala

@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ class TypeComparer(initctx: Context) extends ConstraintHandling {
         recur(tp1.underlying, tp2)
       case tp1: WildcardType =>
         def compareWild = tp1.optBounds match {
-          case bounds: TypeBounds => recur(bounds.effectiveLo, tp2)
+          case bounds: TypeBounds => recur(bounds.lo, tp2)
           case _ => true
         }
         compareWild
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ class TypeComparer(initctx: Context) extends ConstraintHandling {
               narrowGADTBounds(tp2, tp1, approx, isUpper = false)) &&
             GADTusage(tp2.symbol)
         }
-        isSubApproxHi(tp1, info2.effectiveLo) || compareGADT || fourthTry
+        isSubApproxHi(tp1, info2.lo) || compareGADT || fourthTry
 
       case _ =>
         val cls2 = tp2.symbol
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ class TypeComparer(initctx: Context) extends ConstraintHandling {
             // So if the constraint is not yet frozen, we do the same comparison again
             // with a frozen constraint, which means that we get a chance to do the
             // widening in `fourthTry` before adding to the constraint.
-            if (frozenConstraint) isSubType(tp1, bounds(tp2).effectiveLo)
+            if (frozenConstraint) isSubType(tp1, bounds(tp2).lo)
             else isSubTypeWhenFrozen(tp1, tp2)
           alwaysTrue || {
             if (canConstrain(tp2) && !approx.low)
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ class TypeComparer(initctx: Context) extends ConstraintHandling {
           if (tyconIsTypeRef) recur(tp1, tp2.superType)
           else isSubApproxHi(tp1, tycon2bounds.lo.applyIfParameterized(args2))
         else
-          fallback(tycon2bounds.effectiveLo)
+          fallback(tycon2bounds.lo)
 
       tycon2 match {
         case param2: TypeParamRef =>

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/TypeOps.scala

@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ trait TypeOps { this: Context => // TODO: Make standalone object.
       }
     case  _: ThisType | _: BoundType =>
       tp
-    case tp: TypeAlias =>
-      tp.derivedTypeAlias(simplify(tp.alias, theMap))
+    case tp: AliasingBounds =>
+      tp.derivedAlias(simplify(tp.alias, theMap))
     case AndType(l, r) if !ctx.mode.is(Mode.Type) =>
       simplify(l, theMap) & simplify(r, theMap)
     case OrType(l, r) if !ctx.mode.is(Mode.Type) =>

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Types.scala

@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ object Types {
                 t.symbol.is(Provisional) ||
                 apply(x, t.prefix) || {
                   t.info match {
-                    case TypeAlias(alias) => apply(x, alias)
+                    case info: AliasingBounds => apply(x, info.alias)
                     case TypeBounds(lo, hi) => apply(apply(x, lo), hi)
                     case _ => false
                   }
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ object Types {
     }
 
     /** Is this an alias TypeBounds? */
-    final def isAlias: Boolean = this.isInstanceOf[TypeAlias]
+    final def isTypeAlias: Boolean = this.isInstanceOf[TypeAlias]
 
     /** Is this a MethodType which is from Java */
     def isJavaMethod: Boolean = false
@@ -628,8 +628,8 @@ object Types {
         val rinfo = tp.refinedInfo
         if (name.isTypeName && !pinfo.isInstanceOf[ClassInfo]) { // simplified case that runs more efficiently
           val jointInfo =
-            if (rinfo.isAlias) rinfo
-            else if (pinfo.isAlias) pinfo
+            if (rinfo.isTypeAlias) rinfo
+            else if (pinfo.isTypeAlias) pinfo
             else if (ctx.base.pendingMemberSearches.contains(name)) pinfo safe_& rinfo
             else pinfo recoverable_& rinfo
           pdenot.asSingleDenotation.derivedSingleDenotation(pdenot.symbol, jointInfo)
@@ -1238,7 +1238,7 @@ object Types {
      */
     @tailrec final def normalizedPrefix(implicit ctx: Context): Type = this match {
       case tp: NamedType =>
-        if (tp.symbol.info.isAlias) tp.info.normalizedPrefix else tp.prefix
+        if (tp.symbol.info.isTypeAlias) tp.info.normalizedPrefix else tp.prefix
       case tp: ClassInfo =>
         tp.prefix
       case tp: TypeProxy =>
@@ -3085,8 +3085,8 @@ object Types {
 
     def derivedLambdaAbstraction(paramNames: List[TypeName], paramInfos: List[TypeBounds], resType: Type)(implicit ctx: Context): Type =
       resType match {
-        case resType @ TypeAlias(alias) =>
-          resType.derivedTypeAlias(newLikeThis(paramNames, paramInfos, alias))
+        case resType: AliasingBounds =>
+          resType.derivedAlias(newLikeThis(paramNames, paramInfos, resType.alias))
         case resType @ TypeBounds(lo, hi) =>
           resType.derivedTypeBounds(
             if (lo.isRef(defn.NothingClass)) lo else newLikeThis(paramNames, paramInfos, lo),
@@ -3187,8 +3187,8 @@ object Types {
     override def fromParams[PI <: ParamInfo.Of[TypeName]](params: List[PI], resultType: Type)(implicit ctx: Context): Type = {
       def expand(tp: Type) = super.fromParams(params, tp)
       resultType match {
-        case rt: TypeAlias =>
-          rt.derivedTypeAlias(expand(rt.alias))
+        case rt: AliasingBounds =>
+          rt.derivedAlias(expand(rt.alias))
         case rt @ TypeBounds(lo, hi) =>
           rt.derivedTypeBounds(
             if (lo.isRef(defn.NothingClass)) lo else expand(lo), expand(hi))
@@ -3526,6 +3526,14 @@ object Types {
 
   // ------ MatchType ---------------------------------------------------------------
 
+  /**    scrutinee match { case_1 ... case_n }
+   *
+   *  where
+   *
+   *     case_i  =   [X1, ..., Xn] patternType => resultType
+   *
+   *  and `X_1,...X_n` are the type variables bound in `patternType`
+   */
   abstract case class MatchType(scrutinee: Type, cases: List[Type]) extends CachedProxyType with TermType {
     override def computeHash(bs: Binders) = doHash(bs, scrutinee, cases)
 
@@ -3781,51 +3789,64 @@ object Types {
       case _ => super.| (that)
     }
 
-    def effectiveLo(implicit ctx: Context) =
-      if (hi.isMatch) hi else lo
-
     override def computeHash(bs: Binders) = doHash(bs, lo, hi)
     override def stableHash = lo.stableHash && hi.stableHash
 
     override def equals(that: Any): Boolean = equals(that, null)
 
     override def iso(that: Any, bs: BinderPairs): Boolean = that match {
-      case that: TypeAlias => false
+      case that: AliasingBounds => false
       case that: TypeBounds => lo.equals(that.lo, bs) && hi.equals(that.hi, bs)
       case _ => false
     }
 
     override def eql(that: Type) = that match {
-      case that: TypeAlias => false
+      case that: AliasingBounds => false
       case that: TypeBounds => lo.eq(that.lo) && hi.eq(that.hi)
       case _ => false
     }
   }
 
   class RealTypeBounds(lo: Type, hi: Type) extends TypeBounds(lo, hi)
 
-  abstract class TypeAlias(val alias: Type) extends TypeBounds(alias, alias) {
+  /** Common supertype of `TypeAlias` and `MatchAlias` */
+  abstract class AliasingBounds(val alias: Type) extends TypeBounds(alias, alias) {
 
-    /** pre: this is a type alias */
-    def derivedTypeAlias(alias: Type)(implicit ctx: Context) =
-      if (alias eq this.alias) this else TypeAlias(alias)
+    def derivedAlias(alias: Type)(implicit ctx: Context): AliasingBounds
 
     override def computeHash(bs: Binders) = doHash(bs, alias)
     override def stableHash = alias.stableHash
 
     override def iso(that: Any, bs: BinderPairs): Boolean = that match {
-      case that: TypeAlias => alias.equals(that.alias, bs)
+      case that: AliasingBounds => this.isTypeAlias == that.isTypeAlias && alias.equals(that.alias, bs)
       case _ => false
     }
     // equals comes from case class; no matching override is needed
 
     override def eql(that: Type): Boolean = that match {
-      case that: TypeAlias => alias.eq(that.alias)
+      case that: AliasingBounds => this.isTypeAlias == that.isTypeAlias && alias.eq(that.alias)
       case _ => false
     }
   }
 
-  class CachedTypeAlias(alias: Type) extends TypeAlias(alias)
+  /**    = T
+   */
+  class TypeAlias(alias: Type) extends AliasingBounds(alias) {
+    def derivedAlias(alias: Type)(implicit ctx: Context) =
+      if (alias eq this.alias) this else TypeAlias(alias)
+  }
+
+  /**    = T     where `T` is a `MatchType`
+   *
+   *  Match aliases are treated differently from type aliases. Their sides are mutually
+   *  subtypes of each other but one side is not generally substitutable for the other.
+   *  If we assumed full substitutivity, we would have to reject all recursive match
+   *  aliases (or else take the jump and allow full recursive types).
+   */
+  class MatchAlias(alias: Type) extends AliasingBounds(alias) {
+    def derivedAlias(alias: Type)(implicit ctx: Context) =
+      if (alias eq this.alias) this else MatchAlias(alias)
+  }
 
   object TypeBounds {
     def apply(lo: Type, hi: Type)(implicit ctx: Context): TypeBounds =
@@ -3836,11 +3857,15 @@ object Types {
   }
 
   object TypeAlias {
-    def apply(alias: Type)(implicit ctx: Context) =
-      unique(new CachedTypeAlias(alias))
+    def apply(alias: Type)(implicit ctx: Context) = unique(new TypeAlias(alias))
     def unapply(tp: TypeAlias): Option[Type] = Some(tp.alias)
   }
 
+  object MatchAlias {
+    def apply(alias: Type)(implicit ctx: Context) = unique(new MatchAlias(alias))
+    def unapply(tp: MatchAlias): Option[Type] = Some(tp.alias)
+  }
+
   // ----- Annotated and Import types -----------------------------------------------
 
   /** An annotated type tpe @ annot */
@@ -4042,8 +4067,8 @@ object Types {
                 def apply(tp: Type): Type = tp match {
                   case tp: TypeRef if tp.symbol.is(ClassTypeParam) && tp.symbol.owner == cls =>
                     tp.info match {
-                      case TypeAlias(alias) =>
-                        mapOver(alias)
+                      case info: AliasingBounds =>
+                        mapOver(info.alias)
                       case TypeBounds(lo, hi) =>
                         range(atVariance(-variance)(apply(lo)), apply(hi))
                        case _ =>
@@ -4099,8 +4124,8 @@ object Types {
       tp.derivedRefinedType(parent, tp.refinedName, info)
     protected def derivedRecType(tp: RecType, parent: Type): Type =
       tp.rebind(parent)
-    protected def derivedTypeAlias(tp: TypeAlias, alias: Type): Type =
-      tp.derivedTypeAlias(alias)
+    protected def derivedAlias(tp: AliasingBounds, alias: Type): Type =
+      tp.derivedAlias(alias)
     protected def derivedTypeBounds(tp: TypeBounds, lo: Type, hi: Type): Type =
       tp.derivedTypeBounds(lo, hi)
     protected def derivedSuperType(tp: SuperType, thistp: Type, supertp: Type): Type =
@@ -4167,8 +4192,8 @@ object Types {
         case tp: RefinedType =>
           derivedRefinedType(tp, this(tp.parent), this(tp.refinedInfo))
 
-        case tp: TypeAlias =>
-          derivedTypeAlias(tp, atVariance(0)(this(tp.alias)))
+        case tp: AliasingBounds =>
+          derivedAlias(tp, atVariance(0)(this(tp.alias)))
 
         case tp: TypeBounds =>
           variance = -variance
@@ -4387,7 +4412,7 @@ object Types {
           else info match {
             case Range(infoLo: TypeBounds, infoHi: TypeBounds) =>
               assert(variance == 0)
-              if (!infoLo.isAlias && !infoHi.isAlias) propagate(infoLo, infoHi)
+              if (!infoLo.isTypeAlias && !infoHi.isTypeAlias) propagate(infoLo, infoHi)
               else range(defn.NothingType, tp.parent)
             case Range(infoLo, infoHi) =>
               propagate(infoLo, infoHi)
@@ -4403,13 +4428,13 @@ object Types {
         case _ => tp.rebind(parent)
       }
 
-    override protected def derivedTypeAlias(tp: TypeAlias, alias: Type) =
+    override protected def derivedAlias(tp: AliasingBounds, alias: Type) =
       if (alias eq tp.alias) tp
       else alias match {
         case Range(lo, hi) =>
           if (variance > 0) TypeBounds(lo, hi)
-          else range(TypeAlias(lo), TypeAlias(hi))
-        case _ => tp.derivedTypeAlias(alias)
+          else range(tp.derivedAlias(lo), tp.derivedAlias(hi))
+        case _ => tp.derivedAlias(alias)
       }
 
     override protected def derivedTypeBounds(tp: TypeBounds, lo: Type, hi: Type) =

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala

@@ -325,7 +325,10 @@ class TreeUnpickler(reader: TastyReader,
             case APPLIEDtype =>
               readType().appliedTo(until(end)(readType()))
             case TYPEBOUNDS =>
-              TypeBounds(readType(), readType())
+              val lo = readType()
+              val hi = readType()
+              if (lo.isMatch && (lo `eq` hi)) MatchAlias(lo)
+              else TypeBounds(lo, hi)
             case ANNOTATEDtype =>
               AnnotatedType(readType(), Annotation(readTerm()))
             case ANDtype =>

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/printing/PlainPrinter.scala

@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ class PlainPrinter(_ctx: Context) extends Printer {
           val bounds =
             if (constr.contains(tp)) constr.fullBounds(tp.origin)(ctx.addMode(Mode.Printing))
             else TypeBounds.empty
-          if (bounds.isAlias) toText(bounds.lo) ~ (Str("^") provided ctx.settings.YprintDebug.value)
+          if (bounds.isTypeAlias) toText(bounds.lo) ~ (Str("^") provided ctx.settings.YprintDebug.value)
           else if (ctx.settings.YshowVarBounds.value) "(" ~ toText(tp.origin) ~ "?" ~ toText(bounds) ~ ")"
           else toText(tp.origin)
         }
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ class PlainPrinter(_ctx: Context) extends Printer {
   /** String representation of a definition's type following its name */
   protected def toTextRHS(tp: Type): Text = controlled {
     homogenize(tp) match {
-      case tp: TypeAlias =>
+      case tp: AliasingBounds =>
         " = " ~ toText(tp.alias)
       case tp @ TypeBounds(lo, hi) =>
         (if (lo isRef defn.NothingClass) Text() else " >: " ~ toText(lo)) ~

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/printing/ReplPrinter.scala

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class ReplPrinter(_ctx: Context) extends DecompilerPrinter(_ctx) {
   override def dclText(sym: Symbol): Text = {
     toText(sym) ~ {
       if (sym.is(Method)) toText(sym.info)
-      else if (sym.isType && sym.info.isInstanceOf[TypeAlias]) toText(sym.info)
+      else if (sym.isType && sym.info.isTypeAlias) toText(sym.info)
       else if (sym.isType || sym.isClass) ""
       else ":" ~~ toText(sym.info)
     }

compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Applications.scala

@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ trait Applications extends Compatibility { self: Typer with Dynamic =>
           val ttree =
             typedType(untpd.rename(tree, tree.name.toTypeName))(nestedCtx)
           ttree.tpe match {
-            case alias: TypeRef if alias.info.isAlias && !nestedCtx.reporter.hasErrors =>
+            case alias: TypeRef if alias.info.isTypeAlias && !nestedCtx.reporter.hasErrors =>
               companionRef(alias) match {
                 case companion: TermRef => return untpd.ref(companion) withPos tree.pos
                 case _ =>