Callables

Tolk supports first-class functions. Function values have callable types of the form (...ArgsT) -> ReturnT.

First-class functions

Pass a function as a callback:

fun invokeMath(fn: (int, int) -> int) {
    return fn(10, 20);
}

fun myPlus(a: int, b: int) {
    return a + b;
}

fun demo() {
    invokeMath(myPlus);   // 30
}

A function myPlus has the type (int, int) -> int. A function demo, for example, has the type () -> void.

Functions can be assigned to variables:

fun demo() {
    val callback = myPlus;
    callback(5, 5);   // 10

    // or, with explicit type:
    val fn: (int, int) -> int = myPlus;
}

Lambda functions

Tolk supports lambda functions:

fun demo() {
    invokeMath(fun(a, b) {
        return a * b
    });    // 200
}

Lambda parameter types may be omitted when they can be inferred. In the example above, both a and b are inferred as int from the invokeMath declaration. When parameter types cannot be inferred, they must be specified:

// error: param's type cannot be inferred here:
val doubleFn = fun(param) { return param * 2 };

// correct is:
val doubleFn = fun(param: int) { return param * 2 };

As first-class functions, lambdas can also be returned:

fun createFinalizer() {
    return fun(b: builder) {
        b.storeUint(0xFFFFFFFF, 32);
        return b.toSlice();
    }
}

fun demo() {
    val f = createFinalizer();    // (builder) -> slice
    f(beginCell());               // slice with 32 bits
}

Lambdas are primarily used in general-purpose tooling. They can be combined with generic types and used as nested expressions without restrictions.

struct HasCallback<TResult> {
    arg: int
    fn: (int -> TResult)?
}

fun HasCallback<TResult>.invoke(self): TResult {
    assert (self.fn != null) throw ERR_CALLBACK_UNSET;
    return self.fn(self.arg)
}

Closures (lambdas with captures)

Lambdas capture outer variables, becoming first-class closures:

fun makeAdder(delta: int): int -> int {
    return fun(value) {
        return value + delta;
    };
}

fun demo() {
    val add3 = makeAdder(3);
    return add3(10);   // 13
}

There is no special use or [&] syntax — capturing happens automatically. Variables are captured by value at the point where the lambda is created, so later mutations of the outer variable do not propagate into the closure:

fun demo() {
    var x = 10;

    val cb = fun() {
        return x + 1;
    };

    x = 20;
    return cb();   // 11, not 21
}

Closures combine with generics, nesting, and smart casts: a lambda captures the narrowed type of a variable as of the point where it was created.

Low-level TVM continuations

Continuations are executable cells representing TVM bitcode. A callable is a typed continuation.

Tolk provides the low-level type continuation. For example, the TVM register c3 contains the smart contract code. Some functions are available in the standard library:

import "@stdlib/tvm-lowlevel"

Stack layout and serialization

A callable is backed by the TVM CONT. Callable values cannot be serialized.