Proposal to make specifying nodes less redundant

[AjaiKN]

The problem

Currently, you have to use a different string for each node. For each side of a connection (and for each floor that a set of stairs connects) you have to use a different string. Here's a simple example.

const hallwayConnections = [
  ["hallway1_to_hallway2", "hallway2_to_hallway1"],
  ["hallway1_to_hallway3", "hallway3_to_hallway1"],
]

const hallways = [
  // hallway 1
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(BACK, "hallway1_to_hallway3", "the third hallway"),
    new Room("a"),
    new Fork(RIGHT, "hallway1_to_hallway2", "the second hallway"),
  ]),

  // hallway 2
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(FRONT, "hallway2_to_hallway1", "the first hallway"),
  ]),

  // hallway 3
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(LEFT, "hallway3_to_hallway1", "the first hallway"),
  ])
]

new Building(hallways, hallwayConnections)

It fells redundant that we should need to provide hallwayConnections, since it seems obvious that hallway1_to_hallway2 is connected to hallway2_to_hallway1.

Even worse in TypeScript

The example above isn't type safe in TypeScript. We can make it more type safe by using enums (like we're doing in walnut.direct) and adding a generic parameter to Building (like I was planning in #31):

enum ConnectionNode {
  HALLWAY1_TO_HALLWAY3,
  HALLWAY3_TO_HALLWAY1,
  HALLWAY1_TO_HALLWAY2,
  HALLWAY2_TO_HALLWAY1,
}

const hallwayConnections = [
  [ConnectionNode.HALLWAY1_TO_HALLWAY2, ConnectionNode.HALLWAY2_TO_HALLWAY1],
  [ConnectionNode.HALLWAY1_TO_HALLWAY3, ConnectionNode.HALLWAY3_TO_HALLWAY1],
]

const hallways = [
  // hallway 1
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(BACK, ConnectionNode.HALLWAY1_TO_HALLWAY3, "the third hallway"),
    new Room("a"),
    new Fork(RIGHT, ConnectionNode.HALLWAY1_TO_HALLWAY2, "the second hallway"),
  ]),

  // hallway 2
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(FRONT, ConnectionNode.HALLWAY2_TO_HALLWAY1, "the first hallway"),
  ]),

  // hallway 3
  new Hallway([
    new Fork (LEFT, ConnectionNode.HALLWAY3_TO_HALLWAY1, "the first hallway"),
  ])
]

new Building<ConnectionNode>(hallways, hallwayConnections)

Now, it's better typed, but it's even more redundant and confusing. And including stairs makes everything even more redundant.

Proposed solution

Fork example

Instead of using a different string for reverse connections, let's just provide a function called reverseConnection. Then, we don't even need to provide the hallwayConnections, since room-finder will be able to figure out what all the connections are.

const hallways = [
  // hallway 1
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(BACK, "hallway1_to_hallway3", "the third hallway"),
    new Room("a"),
    new Fork(RIGHT, "hallway1_to_hallway2", "the second hallway"),
  ]),

  // hallway 2
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(FRONT, reverseConnection("hallway1_to_hallway2"), "the first hallway"),
  ]),

  // hallway 3
  new Hallway([
    new Fork(LEFT, reverseConnection("hallway1_to_hallway3"), "the first hallway"),
  ])
]

new Building(hallways)

TypeScript example

When using TypeScript, you can just can use a string union as a type parameter to make things more type safe. (You could also use an enum.)

const hallways = /*... same as above ... */

type MyConnections = "hallway1_to_hallway2" | "hallway1_to_hallway3"

new Building<MyConnections>(hallways)

Stairs example

For dealing with stairs, we could provide a function called onFloor.

const hallways = [
  // hallway 1 (on 1st floor)
  new Hallway([
    new Stairs(LEFT, onFloor("stair-a", 1)),
    new Room("a"),
  ]),

  // hallway 4 (on 2nd floor)
  new Hallway([
    new Stairs(LEFT, onFloor("stair-a", 2)), 
  ])
]

new Building(hallways)

Mentions

@presssssure @bholmbertelsen @tghuman Since you all have used room-finder at least a little, what do you think about this? I want to do this before implementing the accessibility API (#30), since it'll have an effect on what the accessibility API looks like.