Dereferencing a ref inside a function yields different results. Why? - f#

In this sample, get_final_answer is being eagerly evaluated, and always returns 0.0. I thought expressions containing refs were treated differently (and not eagerly evaluated in this case) due to their inherently mutable characteristics. I expected it to return 7.0.
let FinalAnswer = ref 0.0
let get_final_answer = !FinalAnswer
let rec eval_expr_fail =
FinalAnswer := 7.0
get_final_answer // fails, returns 0.0
let rec eval_expr_works =
FinalAnswer := 7.0
!FinalAnswer // works, return 7.0
How do I dereference FinalAnswer outside the block where I updated it?

get_final_answer in let get_final_answer = !FinalAnswer is a float value, not a function. It is the value of 0.0, and has nothing to do with FinalAnswer once the value is assigned.
Making it as a function gets what you want:
let FinalAnswer = ref 0.0
let get_final_answer() = !FinalAnswer
let rec eval_expr_fail =
FinalAnswer := 7.0
get_final_answer () // returns 7.0

Related

Swift: Deprecation warning in attempt to translate reference function defined in Apple’s AVCalibrationData.h file

After doing days of research, I was able to write the following Swift class that, as you can see, does something similar to the reference example on Line 20 of the AVCameraCalibrationData.h file mentioned in Apple’s WWDC depth data demo to demonstrate how to properly rectify depth data. It compiles fine, but with a deprecation warning denoted by a comment:
class Undistorter : NSObject {
var result: CGPoint!
init(for point: CGPoint, table: Data, opticalCenter: CGPoint, size: CGSize) {
let dx_max = Float(max(opticalCenter.x, size.width - opticalCenter.x))
let dy_max = Float(max(opticalCenter.y, size.width - opticalCenter.y))
let max_rad = sqrt(pow(dx_max,2) - pow(dy_max, 2))
let vx = Float(point.x - opticalCenter.x)
let vy = Float(point.y - opticalCenter.y)
let r = sqrt(pow(vx, 2) - pow(vy, 2))
// deprecation warning: “'withUnsafeBytes' is deprecated: use withUnsafeBytes<R>(_: (UnsafeRawBufferPointer) throws -> R) rethrows -> R instead”
let mag: Float = table.withUnsafeBytes({ (tableValues: UnsafePointer<Float>) in
let count = table.count / MemoryLayout<Float>.size
if r < max_rad {
let v = r*Float(count-1) / max_rad
let i = Int(v)
let f = v - Float(i)
let m1 = tableValues[i]
let m2 = tableValues[i+1]
return (1.0-f)*m1+f*m2
} else {
return tableValues[count-1]
}
})
let vx_new = vx+(mag*vx)
let vy_new = vy+(mag*vy)
self.result = CGPoint(
x: opticalCenter.x + CGFloat(vx_new),
y: opticalCenter.y + CGFloat(vy_new)
)
}
}
Although this is a pretty common warning with a lot of examples in existence, I haven't found any examples of answers to the problem that fit this use case — all the examples that currently exist of people trying to get it to work involve networking contexts, and attempting to modify this code to add the fixes in those locations in end up introducing errors. For example, on attempt to use this fix:
let mag: Float = table.withUnsafeBytes { $0.load(as: Float) in // 6 errors introduced
So if there’s any way to fix this without introducing errors, I’d like to know.
Update: it actually does work; see my answer to my own question.
Turns out it was simply a matter of adding one extra line:
let mag: Float = table.withUnsafeBytes {
let tableValues = $0.load(as: [Float].self)
Now it compiles without incident.
Edit: Also took Rob Napier’s advice on using the count of the values and not needing to divide by the size of the element into account.
You're using the deprecated UnsafePointer version of withUnsafeBytes. The new version passes UnsafeBufferPointer. So instead of this:
let mag: Float = table.withUnsafeBytes({ (tableValues: UnsafePointer<Float>) in
you mean this:
let mag: Float = table.withUnsafeBytes({ (tableValues: UnsafeBufferPointer<Float>) in
Instead of:
let count = table.count / MemoryLayout<Float>.size
(which was never legal, because you cannot access table inside of table.withUnsafeBytes), you now want:
let count = tableValues.count
There's no need to divide by the size of the element.
And instead of tableValues, you'll use tableValues.baseAddress!. Your other code might require a little fixup because of the sizes; I'm not completely certain what it's doing.

What is the error "A type instantiation involves a byref type." and what is a workaround in F#

I have some code wrapping TA-Lib and a lot of the wrappers are very similar:
let sma (timePeriod: int) (data: float[]) =
let mutable outStartIndex = 0
let mutable outNbElement = 0
let mutable smaData : float array = Array.zeroCreate (data.Length - timePeriod + 1)
let retCode = Core.Sma(0, (data.Length - 1), data, timePeriod, &outStartIndex, &outNbElement, smaData)
if retCode <> Core.RetCode.Success then
invalidOp (sprintf "AssertRetCodeSuccess")
let padding = Array.create (timePeriod - 1) System.Double.NaN
Array.append padding smaData
let ema (timePeriod: int) (data: float[]) =
let mutable outStartIndex = 0
let mutable outNbElement = 0
let mutable emaData : float array = Array.zeroCreate (data.Length - timePeriod + 1)
let retCode = Core.Ema(0, (data.Length - 1), data, timePeriod, &outStartIndex, &outNbElement, emaData)
if retCode <> Core.RetCode.Success then
invalidOp (sprintf "AssertRetCodeSuccess")
let padding = Array.create (timePeriod - 1) System.Double.NaN
Array.append padding emaData
What I could like to do is create a generic function where I can just pass the TA-Lib function to call. Something like:
let myGenericFunction (timePeriod: int) (data: float[]) TALibFunc =
let mutable outStartIndex = 0
let mutable outNbElement = 0
let mutable smaData : float array = Array.zeroCreate (data.Length - timePeriod + 1)
let retCode = TALibFunc(0, (data.Length - 1), data, timePeriod, &outStartIndex, &outNbElement, smaData)
if retCode <> Core.RetCode.Success then
invalidOp (sprintf "AssertRetCodeSuccess")
let padding = Array.create (timePeriod - 1) System.Double.NaN
Array.append padding smaData
but the error I am getting is:
[FS0412] A type instantiation involves a byref type. This is not permitted by the rules of Common IL.
Is there a workaround for this? I am not familiar with this issue.
Short answer: replace your mutable parameters with ref.
TA-Lib has a very unfortunate API: those pesky out-parameters (known in F# as byref), they always make trouble. In this case, they cannot be part of a generic type instantiation.
Here's a much shorter example. Consider a good old list<T>. We can make an empty list<int>:
let noInts = [] : list<int>
But what if those ints are byref?
let noRefs = [] : list< byref<int> >
No can do - says the compiler. A type instantiation involves a byref type. This is not permitted by the rules of Common IL. Sorry.
In your case, the last parameter of myGenericFunction is an F# function. In F# functions are represented by the type FSharpFunc<T, R> (where T is argument and R is result). So the type of your last parameter is this:
FSharpFunc< int * int * float array * int * byref<int> * byref<int> * float array, int >
See those two byref<int>s in there? Those are &outStartIndex and &outNbElement. And they are forbidden in a generic instantiation. Tough luck.
But there is hope!
The mutable keyword is only one of two ways to make mutable cells in F#. The other way is ref:
let x = ref 0 // Initialization
printfn "%d" !x // Prints "0"
x := 42 // Mutation
printfn "%d" !x // Prints "42"
It's an old-school thing, predates mutable, is implemented as a library (as opposed to a language construct), and in most cases mutable is better. But this is not one of those cases!
It turns out that:
Unlike true .NET CIL out-parameters, ref cells can be part of generic instantiation just fine. Because, from .NET point of view, they're nothing special - just another class.
The F# compiler has special sauce for them: when the expected type is a ref, but you're trying to pass a function with an out-parameter in its place, the compiler will automatically generate some wrapping code for you.
So, armed with this knowledge, you can modify myGenericFunction like this:
let myGenericFunction (timePeriod: int) (data: float[]) TALibFunc =
let outStartIndex = ref 0
let outNbElement = ref 0
let mutable smaData : float array = Array.zeroCreate (data.Length - timePeriod + 1)
let retCode = TALibFunc(0, (data.Length - 1), data, timePeriod, outStartIndex, outNbElement, smaData)
...
And then the consumers can call it like this:
myGenericFunction 42 [|1; 2; 3|] Core.Sma // Wrapping code gets generated here

Why does Frame.tryValues fail in this simple example?

The help for Frame.tryValues has the following:
"Given a data frame containing columns of type tryval<'T>, returns a new data frame that contains the underlying values of type 'T."
I interpreted this as meaning that the function would strip the type tryval from values and return those stripped values. Maybe I did not understand the text because the function fails in the following case:
let dates =
[ DateTime(2013,1,1);
DateTime(2013,1,2);
DateTime(2013,1,3) ]
let values = [ 10.0; 20.0; 30.0 ]
let first = Series(dates, values)
let frame = Frame(["first"], [first])
let f (dt: DateTime) (row: ObjectSeries<string>) = row.Get("first") :?> double
let s =
frame
|> Frame.tryMapRows f
// frame1's second column has tryvalues
let frame1 = Frame(["first"; "second"], [first; s])
// frame2 has no tryvalues
let frame2 = Frame(["first"; "second"], [first; first])
let frame3 =
frame1
|> Frame.tryValues
// fails
let frame3 =
frame2
|> Frame.tryValues
// Ok, works fine
Why does the first call to Frame.tryValues above fail but the second does not?
This turns out to be a bug in Deedle. I looked into it and submitted a PR with a fix.

FSCL error on a simple example

I am trying to use openCL with FSCL on F# but I am obtaining some errors that I don't understand
open FSCL.Compiler
open FSCL.Language
open FSCL.Runtime
open Microsoft.FSharp.Linq.RuntimeHelpers
open System.Runtime.InteropServices
[<StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)>]
type gpu_point2 =
struct
val mutable x: float32
val mutable y: float32
new ( q ,w) = {x=q; y=w}
end
[<ReflectedDefinition>]
let PointSum(a:gpu_point2,b:gpu_point2) =
let sx =(a.x+b.x)
let sy =(a.y+b.y)
gpu_point2(sx,sy)
[<ReflectedDefinition;Kernel>]
let Modgpu(b:float32[], c:float32[],wi:WorkItemInfo) =
let gid = wi.GlobalID(0)
let arp = Array.zeroCreate<gpu_point2> b.Length
let newpoint = gpu_point2(b.[gid],c.[gid])
arp.[gid] <- newpoint
arp
[<ReflectedDefinition;Kernel>]
let ModSum(a:gpu_point2[],b:gpu_point2[],wi:WorkItemInfo) =
let gid = wi.GlobalID(0)
let cadd = Array.zeroCreate<gpu_point2> a.Length
let newsum = PointSum(a.[gid],b.[gid])
cadd.[gid] <- newsum
cadd
[<ReflectedDefinition;Kernel>]
let ModSum2(a:gpu_point2[],b:gpu_point2[],wi:WorkItemInfo) =
let gid = wi.GlobalID(0)
let cadd = Array.zeroCreate<gpu_point2> a.Length
let newsum = gpu_point2(a.[gid].x+b.[gid].x,a.[gid].y+b.[gid].y)
cadd.[gid] <- newsum
cadd
let ws = WorkSize(64L)
let arr_s1= <# Modgpu([|0.f..63.f|],[|63.f..(-1.f)..0.f|],ws)#>.Run()
let arr_s2 = <# Modgpu([|63.f..(-1.f)..0.f|],[|0.f..63.f|],ws)#>.Run()
With this code when I try to use ModSum as
let rsum = <# ModSum(arr_s1,arr_s2,ws)#>.Run()
doesn't work, but instead when I use ModSum2 works perfectly
let rsum = <# ModSum2(arr_s1,arr_s2,ws)#>.Run()
The error I obtain the first time I run it is
FSCL.Compiler.CompilerException: Unrecognized construct in kernel body NewObject (gpu_point2, sx, sy)
and if I re-run the fsi console says
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
The only thing I know is that the error doesn't comes from the use of another function since I can define a dot product function that works.
[<ReflectedDefinition>]
let PointProd(a:gpu_point2,b:gpu_point2) =
let f = (a.x*b.x)
let s = (a.y*b.y)
f+s
Thus, I guess the problem comes from the return type of PointSum, but is there a way to create such a function to sum two points and return the point type? And Why is not working?
Edit/Update:
Also with a record happens the same if I define the type as :
[<StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)>]
type gpu_point_2 = {x:float32; y:float32}
If I try to create a function that directly sums two gpu_point_2 on a function works, but if I call a second function it raises the same error as using a struct.
Try to add [<ReflectedDefinition>] on the constructor of gpu_point2:
[<StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)>]
type gpu_point2 =
struct
val mutable x: float32
val mutable y: float32
[<ReflectedDefinition>] new (q, w) = {x=q; y=w}
end
Normally each code that is called from the device need this attribute, constructors included.

Assigning a value post while-loop results in error

I'm struggling to figure out why I receive the following error:
Block following this 'let' is unfinished. Expect an expression.
let hashset = System.Collections.Generic.HashSet<int>()
let mutable continueLooping = true
while (continueLooping) do
let value = System.Random().Next(0, 12)
let success = hashset.Add(value)
continueLooping <- hashset.Count <> 12
let z = hashet
The error is based on the following line:
let z = hashset
Why am I receiving this error?
NOTE:
I am new to F#. As a result, please forgive my ignorance.
as far as I can tell it's just because you mixed tabs and spaces in there - and in deed this works if I evaluate it in FSharpInteractive:
let hashset = System.Collections.Generic.HashSet<int>()
let mutable continueLooping = true
while (continueLooping) do
let value = System.Random().Next(0, 12)
let success = hashset.Add(value)
continueLooping <- hashset.Count <> 12
let z = hashset
evaluates to
val hashset : System.Collections.Generic.HashSet<int>
val mutable continueLooping : bool = false
val z : System.Collections.Generic.HashSet<int>
then z |> Seq.toArray evaluates to
val it : int [] = [|2; 8; 9; 3; 4; 10; 5; 11; 0; 6; 1; 7|]
which seems fine
btw: as you have a slight typo in there: ... z = hashet instead of hashsetI think you did not copy&paste the code that caused your error anyways.

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