Partial function in VB6?

[dee-u]

I wonder if partial function is possible with VB6 or not. The following code is the C# version, I've already created a working Python and C++ version but I would want to do it in VB6 also if it is possible.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;

class PartialFunctionApplication
{
    static Func<T1, TResult> PartiallyApply<T1, T2, TResult>(Func<T1, T2, TResult> function, T2 argument2)
    {
        return argument1 => function(argument1, argument2);
    }

    static void Main()
    {
        var fs = (Func<IEnumerable<int>, Func<int, int>, IEnumerable<int>>)Enumerable.Select;
        var f1 = (Func<int, int>)(n => n * 2);
        var f2 = (Func<int, int>)(n => n * n);
        var fsf1 = PartiallyApply(fs, f1);
        var fsf2 = PartiallyApply(fs, f2);

        var s = new[] { 0, 1, 2, 3 };
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", fsf1(s)));
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", fsf2(s)));

        s = new[] { 2, 4, 6, 8 };
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", fsf1(s)));
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", fsf2(s)));
    }
}

[jmcilhinney]

You had me very confused at first as I was thinking "partial methods" and thought that this had nothing to do with that. It does indeed have nothing to do with that, because you're talking about something else entirely. Order restored.

[techgnome]

That looks like generics to me... not partial... which is a completely different thing. Also I don't think you can have partial functions/methods - in any language - partial classes, sure. Methods, no. It wouldn't make sense. Generics though... sure that makes sense. Whether VB6 can do it or not... shrug. I honestly don't know. Never thought about it.

-tg

[dee-u]

That looks like generics to me... not partial... which is a completely different thing. Also I don't think you can have partial functions/methods - in any language - partial classes, sure. Methods, no. It wouldn't make sense. Generics though... sure that makes sense. Whether VB6 can do it or not... shrug. I honestly don't know. Never thought about it.

-tg

Here's an article about partial functions in python:

https://www.udacity.com/blog/2020/12...in-python.html

[jmcilhinney]

That looks like generics to me... not partial... which is a completely different thing. Also I don't think you can have partial functions/methods - in any language - partial classes, sure. Methods, no. It wouldn't make sense. Generics though... sure that makes sense. Whether VB6 can do it or not... shrug. I honestly don't know. Never thought about it.

-tg

I think that you made the same misinterpretation that I did initially. This is nothing to do with partial classes and partial methods. This is a functional programming concept.

[ahenry]

Even getting VB to call a function pointer at all takes some hacks, let alone using it generically.
The closest you could get would be doing everything totally late-bound, with CallByName.

[Schmidt]

Here's an article about partial functions in python:

https://www.udacity.com/blog/2020/12...in-python.html

Here's the python-example expressed in VB6/VBA-code:
Function-def of the "large function" (Pythonstyle)

Function multiply(x, y)
         multiply = x * y: End Function

Function-def of a "manually derived" partial-function (using named parameters, to rule-out mistakes):

Function times_12(y)
         times_12 = multiply(x:=12, y:=y): End Function

TestCode:

Sub Main()
  Debug.Print multiply(6, 7) '42
  Debug.Print times_12(2)    '24
End Sub

HTH

Olaf

[Arnoutdv]

I must be missing something fundamental, because I don't see a new paradigm in this..

[jmcilhinney]

I must be missing something fundamental, because I don't see a new paradigm in this..

I'm no expert so I might be missing something but I suspect that that's because it's an attempt to implement a functional programming concept in other than a functional programming language, so it requires stuff we already use and recognise to do something we don't usually try to do. I suspect that what's going on would be clearer in F#.

[Schmidt]

I must be missing something fundamental, because I don't see a new paradigm in this..

That's probably, because there is none...

Olaf

[wqweto]

To understand currying you have to have first-class functions in the language i.e. being able to assign functions to variables like Dim a As Variant : a = MyFunction is not available in VB6.

[dilettante]

I'm picturing tons of bad code out there that falls apart under maintenance. It uses such "features" by stumble-bum accident and cargo-culting and it works... until later when the house of cards comes down.

It feels like the sort of trash only a script kiddie could love. If it has any value then a distict "assign function pointer" operator should be required.

Algol-60's "call by name" seems far more useful and less problematic and even that used to trip people up a lot. At least a lot of compilers had the option to flag its use in order to help debug misbehaving code.

[Schmidt]

To understand currying you have to have first-class functions in the language i.e. being able to assign functions to variables like Dim a As Variant : a = MyFunction is not available in VB6.

If one really wants to go there, then "doing it the VBScript-way" is certainly feasible:
...by defining a Class with a single default-method in it...

E.g. a Sum(Func)-Definition in a Class, named Sum:

Public Function Ret(ParamArray Args()) '<- set the Default-Attribute on this method
  Ret = Args(0) + Args(1)
End Function

TestCode:

Sub Main()
  Dim Sum As New Sum
  Debug.Print Sum(1, 2), Sum(2, 3)
End Sub

A simple "Currying-demo" then requires only an additional Class, named SumCurried:

Private f As New Sum, m

Public Function Ret(Arg) '<- set the Default-Attribute on this method
  If IsEmpty(m) Then
     Set Ret = Me
     m = Arg
  Else
     Ret = f(m, Arg)
     m = Empty
  End If
End Function

TestCode:

Sub Main()
  Dim Sum As New Sum
  Debug.Print Sum(1, 2), Sum(2, 3)

  Dim CurriedSum As New SumCurried
  Debug.Print CurriedSum(1)(2), CurriedSum(2)(3)
End Sub

Olaf

[mmarkgilbert]

Partial methods enable developers to insert custom logic into code. Typically, the code is part of a designer-generated class. Partial methods are defined in a partial class that is created by a code generator, and they are commonly used to provide notification that something has been changed. They enable the developer to specify custom behavior in response to the change.

[wqweto]

Partial methods enable developers to insert custom logic into code. Typically, the code is part of a designer-generated class. Partial methods are defined in a partial class that is created by a code generator, and they are commonly used to provide notification that something has been changed. They enable the developer to specify custom behavior in response to the change.

True but OP is not about partial *methods* per se. Did you read the thread?

cheers,
</wqw>

[OptionBase1]

True but OP is not about partial *methods* per se. Did you read the thread?

cheers,
</wqw>

Don't bother with this user. If you look at all of their most recent posts, they are straight copy/paste jobs of content from other websites, so I would assume this is some sort of bot.