Scala's lazy arguments: How do they work?
- by python dude
In the file Parsers.scala (Scala 2.9.1) from the parser combinators library I seem to have come across a lesser known Scala feature called "lazy arguments". Here's an example:
def ~ [U](q: => Parser[U]): Parser[~[T, U]] = { lazy val p = q // lazy argument
(for(a <- this; b <- p) yield new ~(a,b)).named("~")
}
Apparently, there's something going on here with the assignment of the call-by-name argument q to the lazy val p.
So far I have not been able to work out what this does and why it's useful. Can anyone help?
