Equal
The Equal module provides a simple and convenient way to define and check for equality between two values in TypeScript.
Here are some key reasons why Effect exports an Equal module:
-
Value-Based Equality: JavaScript’s native equality operators (
===
and==
) check for equality by reference, meaning they compare objects based on their memory addresses rather than their content. This behavior can be problematic when you want to compare objects with the same values but different references. The Equal module offers a solution by allowing developers to define custom equality checks based on the values of objects. -
Custom Equality: The Equal module enables developers to implement custom equality checks for their data types and classes. This is crucial when you have specific requirements for determining when two objects should be considered equal. By implementing the
Equal
interface, developers can define their own equality logic. -
Data Integrity: In some applications, maintaining data integrity is crucial. The ability to perform value-based equality checks ensures that identical data is not duplicated within collections like sets or maps. This can lead to more efficient memory usage and more predictable behavior.
-
Predictable Behavior: The Equal module promotes more predictable behavior when comparing objects. By explicitly defining equality criteria, developers can avoid unexpected results that may occur with JavaScript’s default reference-based equality checks.
In Effect it’s advisable to stop using JavaScript’s ===
and ==
operators and instead rely on the Equal.equals
function.
This function can work with any data type that implements the Equal
interface.
Some examples of such data types include Option, Either, HashSet, and HashMap.
When you use Equal.equals
and your objects do not implement the Equal
interface, it defaults to using the ===
operator for object comparison:
Example (Using Equal.equals
with Default Comparison)
In this example, a
and b
are two separate objects with the same contents. However, ===
considers them different because they occupy different memory locations. This behavior can lead to unexpected results when you want to compare values based on their content.
However, you can configure your models to ensure that Equal.equals
behaves consistently with your custom equality checks. There are two alternative approaches:
-
Implementing the
Equal
Interface: This method is useful when you need to define your custom equality check. -
Using the Data Module: For simple value equality, the Data module provides a more straightforward solution by automatically generating default implementations for
Equal
.
Let’s explore both.
To create custom equality behavior, you can implement the Equal
interface in your models. This interface extends the Hash
interface from the Hash module.
Example (Implementing Equal
and Hash
for a Custom Class)
In the above code, we define a custom equality function [Equal.symbol]
and a hash function [Hash.symbol]
for the Person
class. The Hash
interface optimizes equality checks by comparing hash values instead of the objects themselves. When you use the Equal.equals
function to compare two objects, it first checks if their hash values are equal. If not, it quickly determines that the objects are not equal, avoiding the need for a detailed property-by-property comparison.
Once you’ve implemented the Equal
interface, you can utilize the Equal.equals
function to check for equality using your custom logic.
Example (Comparing Person
Instances)
In this code, the equality check returns true
when comparing alice
to a new Person
object with identical property values and false
when comparing alice
to bob
due to their differing property values.
Implementing both Equal
and Hash
can become cumbersome when all you need is straightforward value equality checks. Luckily, the Data module provides a simpler solution. It offers APIs that automatically generate default implementations for both Equal
and Hash
.
Example (Using Data.struct
for Equality Checks)
In this example, we use the Data.struct function to create structured data objects and check their equality using Equal.equals
. The Data module simplifies the process by providing a default implementation for both Equal
and Hash
, allowing you to focus on comparing values without the need for explicit implementations.
The Data module isn’t limited to just structs. It can handle various data types, including tuples, arrays, and records. If you’re curious about how to leverage its full range of features, you can explore the Data module documentation.
JavaScript’s built-in Set
and Map
can be a bit tricky when it comes to checking equality:
Example (Native Set
with Reference-Based Equality)
Even though the two elements in the set have the same values, the set contains two elements. Why? JavaScript’s Set
checks for equality by reference, not by values.
To perform value-based equality checks, you’ll need to use the Hash*
collection types available in the effect
package. These collection types, such as HashSet and HashMap, provide support for the Equal
interface.
When you use the HashSet
, it correctly handles value-based equality checks. In the following example, even though you’re adding two objects with the same values, the HashSet
treats them as a single element.
Example (Using HashSet
for Value-Based Equality)
Note: It’s crucial to use elements that implement the Equal
interface, either by implementing custom equality checks or by using the Data module. This ensures proper functionality when working with HashSet
. Without this, you’ll encounter the same behavior as the native Set
data type:
Example (Reference-Based Equality in HashSet
)
In this case, without using the Data module alongside HashSet
, you’ll experience the same behavior as the native Set
data type. The set contains two elements because it checks for equality by reference, not by values.
When working with the HashMap
, you have the advantage of comparing keys by their values instead of their references. This is particularly helpful in scenarios where you want to associate values with keys based on their content.
Example (Value-Based Key Comparisons with HashMap
)
In this code snippet, HashMap
is used to create a map where the keys are objects constructed with Data.struct
. These objects contain identical values, which would usually create separate entries in a regular JavaScript Map
because the default comparison is reference-based.
HashMap
, however, uses value-based comparison, meaning the two objects with identical content are treated as the same key. Thus, when we add both objects, the second key-value pair overrides the first, resulting in a single entry in the map.