Fix out parameters as return for TypeKind other of Direct about gir

[gkoz]

I think I might be fine with postponing all kinds of clever processing, but it's still difficult to settle on a uniform solution.

Simply using &mut T (Option<&mut T> for optional ones) doesn't work well for returning objects and boxed types (nothing to initialize the variable with at the call site). We could use &mut Option<T> and Option<&mut Option<T>> for that at a cost to ergonomics and wait for &out to become available. This is something that will work in all cases (we'll still have to add temporary variables when conversions are needed).

We could just put the actual return type and all the outparams in a tuple and return that but what about the optional outparams?

[EPashkin]

It might be solution.
Only it is not clear whether or not to restrict the typekinds of return values.

[EPashkin]

There functions with mixed outparams (optional and not)?
Any way to detect when parameters optional (besides #119) ?

[gkoz]

By optional I mean optional="1", you are allowed to pass NULL to ignore the value. Sometimes this has performance impact -- the function will take extra time to produce the value, but only if you actually want it. Can't find an example right now.

BTW optional seems to be the majority.

I don't know if there are combinations of optional and non-optional.

[EPashkin]

In Gtk-3.0.gir no elements by XPath //parameter[@direction="out" and @optional="0"]
and many by //parameter[@direction="out" and not(@optional)]
Ex. gtk_accel_label_get_accel, gtk_box_query_child_packing, gtk_button_get_alignment.
Main problem IMHO how to determine whether the client needs these values, or we can not ask them.

[gkoz]

At this point I could even settle for treating all of them as non-optional, to be fixed/optimized later. This will allow returning a tuple; if the function isn't void, making the return value the first element.

[gkoz]

Need to look out for nullability. Much the same as with actual return values, they aren't tagged as nullable reliably.

[EPashkin]

Agree.
As for not (bool and ()) returning functions, I found 7 (by XPath //method[return-value[type[@name!="gboolean" and @name !="none"]] and parameters/parameter[@direction="out"]]):
gtk_cell_area_get_cell_at_position -> CellRenderer,
gtk_icon_info_load_symbolic -> GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf,
gtk_icon_info_load_symbolic_finish -> GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf,
gtk_icon_info_load_symbolic_for_context -> GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf,
gtk_icon_info_load_symbolic_for_context_finish -> GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf,
gtk_icon_info_load_symbolic_for_style -> GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf,
gtk_tree_selection_get_selected_rows -> GLib.List

All this functions return objects, so it can be converted by XXX::From_glib_none.

[EPashkin]

As result we have next "types" functions with out parameters by returning type:

• () => (current mode) converted to (outs),
• bool => converted to Option<(outs)>,
• others => converted to (ret, outs)

[EPashkin]

IMHO this is different issue (it main focus function return type, not types of outs). I try to add it tomorrow with list of functions, and then start to fix it.
Or we can use current №119 and add new for other return types.

[gkoz]

bool => converted to Option(outs),

I have a feeling this will be wrong for some functions.

---

We could turn this one into an outparams meta-issue.

[gkoz]

() => (current mode) converted to (outs),
bool => converted to Option(outs),
others => converted to (ret, outs)

This looks good, we can weed out the exceptions later or just manually.

Oh, except if the function has an error outparam, in which case it's Result<(outs)>.

If the tuple has only one element it [the tuple] better be elided. ;)

[EPashkin]

Returning errors can be mixed with out parameters (//method[@throws="1" and parameters/parameter[@direction="out"]] => 7 cases, //method[@throws="1" and not(parameters/parameter[@direction="out"])] => 42) and make 4th case which fully non covered.
For 7 cases:
gtk_builder_value_from_string and gtk_builder_value_from_string_type returns bool with out GValue,
5 returns GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf (#117 (comment)),
and last gtk_icon_info_load_symbolic_for_style also return GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf and deprecated in 3.0.
IMHO better first comment all functions with throw and on next stage focus on non out throws.

[EPashkin]

As for elide tupple: it already done https://github.com/gkoz/gir/blob/master/src/codegen/function_body.rs#L80

[gkoz]

Yes, throws is a separate topic but just in case

returns bool

If the function throws we should treat the bool return type as if it's void.

As for elide tupple: it already done

Cool :)

[EPashkin]

@gkoz, I plan add new Issue about "Object returning functions with outs" same as I do in №130 and close this issue.