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Actors acting as Lambdas

The Untyped Lambda Calculus encoded as actors (F#'s MailboxProcessors)

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// Useful type aliases
type Actor = MailboxProcessor<obj>
type Ident = string
type Cond = Actor
type Env = Actor
 
 
let (<!>) (actor : Actor) (msg : 'T) = actor.Post msg
 
// run forever - template
let start<'T> (work : 'T -> unit) : Actor =
    MailboxProcessor<obj>.Start(fun mb ->
        let rec loop () =
            async {
                let! msg = mb.Receive()
                match msg with
                | :? 'T as msg' -> work msg'
                | _ -> () // oops... undefined behaviour
                return! loop ()
            }
        loop () )
 
// Helper print expression
let printExp = start<obj>(fun value -> printfn "Print: %A" value)
 
// Enviroment encoding functions
let emptyEnv =
    start<Cond * Ident>(fun _ -> ()(*oops... undefined behaviour*))
let buildEnv ident value env =
    start<Cond * Ident>(fun (cond, ident') -> if ident = ident' then cond <!> value else env <!> (cond, ident'))
 
// Closures are also actors
let closure ident body env =
    start<Cond * obj>(fun (cond, arg) -> let env' = buildEnv ident arg env in body <!> (cond, env'))
 
// Lambda Calculus expressions
let constExp value = start<Cond * Env>(fun (cond, _) -> cond <!> value)
let identExp ident = start<Cond * Env>(fun (cond, env) -> env <!> (cond, ident))
 
let lambdaExp ident body =
    start<Cond * Env>(fun (cond, env) -> cond <!> closure ident body env)
 
let appExp exp argExp =
    start<Cond * Env>(fun (cond, env) ->
        let closureCond =
            start<Cond>(fun closure ->
                let argCond = start<obj>(fun value -> closure <!> (cond, value))
                argExp <!> (argCond, env))
        exp <!> (closureCond, env))
 
// Examples
 
let idExp = lambdaExp "x" (identExp "x")
let example = appExp idExp (constExp 42)
 
example <!> (printExp, emptyEnv) // Print: 42
 
let selfAppExp = lambdaExp "x" (appExp (identExp "x") (identExp "x"))
let omega = appExp selfAppExp selfAppExp
omega <!> (printExp, emptyEnv) // run forever
Multiple items
type MailboxProcessor<'Msg> =
  interface IDisposable
  new : body:(MailboxProcessor<'Msg> -> Async<unit>) * ?cancellationToken:CancellationToken -> MailboxProcessor<'Msg>
  member Post : message:'Msg -> unit
  member PostAndAsyncReply : buildMessage:(AsyncReplyChannel<'Reply> -> 'Msg) * ?timeout:int -> Async<'Reply>
  member PostAndReply : buildMessage:(AsyncReplyChannel<'Reply> -> 'Msg) * ?timeout:int -> 'Reply
  member PostAndTryAsyncReply : buildMessage:(AsyncReplyChannel<'Reply> -> 'Msg) * ?timeout:int -> Async<'Reply option>
  member Receive : ?timeout:int -> Async<'Msg>
  member Scan : scanner:('Msg -> Async<'T> option) * ?timeout:int -> Async<'T>
  member Start : unit -> unit
  member TryPostAndReply : buildMessage:(AsyncReplyChannel<'Reply> -> 'Msg) * ?timeout:int -> 'Reply option
  ...

Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Control.MailboxProcessor<_>

--------------------
new : body:(MailboxProcessor<'Msg> -> Async<unit>) * ?cancellationToken:System.Threading.CancellationToken -> MailboxProcessor<'Msg>
type obj = System.Object

Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.obj
type Ident = string

Full name: Script.Ident
Multiple items
val string : value:'T -> string

Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.string

--------------------
type string = System.String

Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.string
type Cond = Actor

Full name: Script.Cond
type Actor = MailboxProcessor<obj>

Full name: Script.Actor
type Env = Actor

Full name: Script.Env
val actor : Actor
val msg : 'T
member MailboxProcessor.Post : message:'Msg -> unit
val start : work:('T -> unit) -> Actor

Full name: Script.start
val work : ('T -> unit)
type unit = Unit

Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.unit
val mb : MailboxProcessor<obj>
val loop : (unit -> Async<'a>)
val async : AsyncBuilder

Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.ExtraTopLevelOperators.async
val msg : obj
member MailboxProcessor.Receive : ?timeout:int -> Async<'Msg>
val msg' : 'T
val printExp : Actor

Full name: Script.printExp
val value : obj
val printfn : format:Printf.TextWriterFormat<'T> -> 'T

Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.ExtraTopLevelOperators.printfn
val emptyEnv : Actor

Full name: Script.emptyEnv
val buildEnv : ident:Ident -> value:'a -> env:Actor -> Actor

Full name: Script.buildEnv
val ident : Ident
val value : 'a
val env : Actor
val cond : Cond
val ident' : Ident
val closure : ident:Ident -> body:Actor -> env:Actor -> Actor

Full name: Script.closure
val body : Actor
val arg : obj
val env' : Actor
val constExp : value:'a -> Actor

Full name: Script.constExp
val identExp : ident:'a -> Actor

Full name: Script.identExp
val ident : 'a
val env : Env
val lambdaExp : ident:Ident -> body:Actor -> Actor

Full name: Script.lambdaExp
val appExp : exp:Actor -> argExp:Actor -> Actor

Full name: Script.appExp
val exp : Actor
val argExp : Actor
val closureCond : Actor
val closure : Cond
val argCond : Actor
val idExp : Actor

Full name: Script.idExp
val example : Actor

Full name: Script.example
val selfAppExp : Actor

Full name: Script.selfAppExp
val omega : Actor

Full name: Script.omega
Raw view Test code New version

More information

Link:http://fssnip.net/4m
Posted:13 years ago
Author:Nick Palladinos
Tags: actors , lambda calculus , mailboxprocessor