Q: How can we get rid of maplist overhead—like SWI's apply_macros—in SICStus Prolog?
A: Goal expansion.
First, we define the auxiliary predicates we'll need. In the following we use SICStus Prolog 4.5.0.
:- module(maplist_macros, [maplist/2, maplist/3, maplist/4, maplist/5, maplist/6, maplist/7, maplist/8, maplist/9]).
:- meta_predicate maplist(1,?), maplist(2,?,?), maplist(3,?,?,?), maplist(4,?,?,?,?), maplist(5,?,?,?,?,?), maplist(6,?,?,?,?,?,?), maplist(7,?,?,?,?,?,?,?), maplist(8,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?).
:- use_module(library(lists), [append/2, same_length/2]).
:- use_module(library(ordsets)).
callable_arglists_appended(C0, New, C1) :-
C0 =.. Parts0,
append([Parts0|New], Parts1),
C1 =.. Parts1.
:- dynamic expand_goal_aux/1.
my_expand_goal(Goal, Expanded) :-
asserta((expand_goal_aux(Goal) :- Goal)),
retract((expand_goal_aux(Goal) :- Expanded0)),
strip_module(Expanded0, _, Expanded).
strip_module(MGoal_0, Module, Goal_0) :-
aux_strip_module(MGoal_0, Goal_0, lambda, Module). % lambda?!
aux_strip_module(MG_0,G_0, M0,M) :-
( nonvar(MG_0),
MG_0 = (M1:MG1_0)
-> aux_strip_module(MG1_0,G_0, M1,M)
; MG_0 = G_0,
M0 = M
).
:- dynamic maplist_aux_count/1.
maplist_aux_count(0).
Now on to the goal expansion:
% generate specialized `maplist/N'
goal_expansion(Goal0, _Layout0, FromModule, FromModule:Goal, []) :-
Goal0 =.. [maplist, Rel0 | Args],
callable(Rel0),
Args = [_|_],
!,
% get count # of aux preds generated so far and increment it
retract(maplist_aux_count(C)),
C1 is C+1,
asserta(maplist_aux_count(C1)),
% build predicate functor `AuxPred'
number_chars(C, C_chars),
atom_chars(C_atom, C_chars),
atom_concat(maplist_aux_, C_atom, AuxPred), % e.g., maplist_aux_3
% enforce all relevant lists have the same length
lists:maplist(same_length(Args), [Vars_E,Nils]),
lists:maplist(lists:cons, Vars_E, Vars_Es, Vars_E_Es),
lists:maplist(=([]), Nils),
% expand the goal in the right module (`FromModule')
strip_module(Rel0, _, Rel1),
callable_arglists_appended(Rel1, [Vars_E], Rel2),
my_expand_goal(FromModule:Rel2, Rel),
% find out which variables need to be threaded through
term_variables(Rel, Vars_Schema),
list_to_ord_set(Vars_Schema, VSet_Schema),
list_to_ord_set(Vars_E, VSet_E),
ord_subtract(VSet_Schema, VSet_E, VSet_Actual),
% build call of new predicate with proper arguments
callable_arglists_appended(AuxPred, [Args,VSet_Actual], Goal),
% callee clauses (new predicate)
callable_arglists_appended(AuxPred, [Nils, VSet_Actual], Head0), % fact
callable_arglists_appended(AuxPred, [Vars_E_Es,VSet_Actual], Head1), % rule
callable_arglists_appended(AuxPred, [Vars_Es, VSet_Actual], Rec1), %
% dump generated clauses to a file
atom_concat('/tmp/x', C_atom, FileName), % TODO: get actual tmpfilnam
open(FileName, write, S),
portray_clause(S, (Head0 :- true)),
portray_clause(S, (Head1 :- Rel, Rec1)),
close(S),
% compile temporary file in proper module
compile(FromModule:FileName).
So far so good;) So here's the problem...
How can I ensure that the goal-expanded variant is exactly like the predicates it replaces?
(I have a hunch that it is not, but I can't quite put my finger on it...)
Simple sample use case #1
allequal(Xs) :- maplist(=(_), Xs).
becomes
allequal(A) :- maplist_aux_0(A, _).
maplist_aux_0([], _).
maplist_aux_0([A|B], C) :- C=A, maplist_aux_0(B, C).
The easiest solution is perhaps to expand to
do/2, similar to whatlibrary(lists)in SICStus uses for implementingmaplist/n.Example
Using
consult/1andlisting/1shows what happens:Beware. I have not tested this more than a few minutes.