General Usage

parse_transform compile directive

You can force the erlang compiler to execute a parse_transform by either including a -compile({parse_transform, mymodule}) attribute in your module or by using the +"{parse_transform, mymodule}" flag with erlc.

-module(foo).
-compile({parse_transform, custom_guards}).

--or--

erlc -o ebin +"{parse_transform, custom_guards}" foo.erl

custom_guards.erl

USAGE

adding a parse_transform compile directive to your module for custom_guards makes the following guards available:

is_member(Key, Values)
Key = term()
Values = [term()]

is_required(Terms)
is_required(Terms, Opts)
Terms = [any()] %% a list of variables to check
Opts = [ %% a proplist of options
	{mode, active | passive}
	{reject, [undefined]}
]

Modes

active: This is the default. Active mode will throw an error if a required field does not have a value. Errors are of the format: {error, {field_cannot_be_undefined, FieldName::atom()}}
passive: Passive mode adds guards to the function clause to ensure that execution will not enter that function if one of the required fields does not have a value.

Reject

The reject list specifies values to be considered equivalent to the 'undefined' atom. For instance, passing in a reject option of {reject, ["", undefined, 0]} will cause input parameters with values of "" or 0, as well as undefined, to be considered not populated. The default reject list is [undefined].

EXAMPLE

-module(test).
-compile(export_all).

-compile({parse_transform, custom_guards}). %% <-- like so

-record(bar, {baz}).

foo1(A,B,C,D) when is_integer(D), is_required([A,B,C]) ->
    ok.

foo2(Bar) when is_required([Bar#bar.baz]) ->
    ok.

foo3(#bar{baz=Baz}) when is_required([Baz]) ->
    ok.

foo4(A) when is_member(A, [a,b,c]) ->
	ok;
foo4(_) ->
	nok.

TEST OUTPUT

1> test:foo1(1,2,3,4).
ok
2> test:foo1(1,undefined,3,4).
** exception exit: {error,{field_cannot_be_undefined,'B'}}
     in function  test:foo1/4
3> test:foo2({bar, 55}).
ok
4> test:foo2({bar, undefined}).
** exception exit: {error,{field_cannot_be_undefined,baz}}
     in function  test:foo2/1
5> test:foo3({bar, 55}).       
ok
6> test:foo3({bar, undefined}).
** exception exit: {error,{field_cannot_be_undefined,'Baz'}}
     in function  test:foo3/1
7> test:foo4(a).
ok
8> test:foo4(e).
nok