Parameterized types used in varargs, how to define function value with such parameters?

Question
#1

Hi,

The arguments of the following functions use varargs that its type is parameterized types:

def f[A, AF](a: (A*) => AF) = ???
def f[A, AF]: (A*) => AF = ???

The above codes cannot be compiled by Scala 3.3.0

How to solve it?

Thanks for your help.

Guofeng

#2

Varargs are just syntactic sugar for a Seq parameter, i.e. a function taking A* and returning AF would have the type Seq[A] => AF. Specifying the type as varargs is not supported. This means you can’t call a lambda function with variable arguments, but instead of a(arg1, arg2, arg3) you’ll have to write a(Seq(arg1, arg2, arg3)) inside your method f.

You can pass a varargs method when a function taking a Seq is expected, the following is valid:

def f[A, AF](a: Seq[A] => AF) = ???

def varargMethod(ints: Int*): String = ???

f(varargMethod)
1 Like
#3

The message is clearer in Scala 2.

Welcome to Scala 2.13.11 (OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM, Java 20.0.1).
Type in expressions for evaluation. Or try :help.

scala> def f[A, AF](a: (A*) => AF) = ???
                          ^
       error: repeated parameters are only allowed in method signatures; use Seq instead

compare

Welcome to Scala 3.3.0 (20.0.1, Java OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM).
Type in expressions for evaluation. Or try :help.

scala> def f[A, AF](a: (A*) => AF) = ???
-- [E040] Syntax Error: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 |def f[A, AF](a: (A*) => AF) = ???
  |                  ^
  |                  ')' expected, but identifier found

I’d like a worksheet or REPL that shows me results from both compilers.

Edit:

The issue for eta-expansion of method taking varargs was this ticket. The lengthy discussions about what ought to be supported or disallowed make for interesting archaeology, a long answer to the OP. It is ten years since -Yeta-expand-keeps-star (in 2.10) was deprecated for 2.11.

The paulpism from a related ticket that is worth preserving, to capture the expectation that discussing a point must lead to clarity:

spontaneous disambiguation

adriaanm’s coinage for the OP example:

repeat offenders