Transparent Caching Idiom

I've made good use of this idiom recently, and wanted to share it.

Once this code is active, any method named with a "_c" suffix is
automatically cached. The method is assumed to follow a simple
contract: It performs no side-effects / mutations, and it's arguments
properly implement "Object.hash".

This is specifically useful for expensive but functional calculations.
Enjoy!

--Ben (b@gimpert.com)

# <code>
class Class

    alias old_new new
    def new(*args, &block)
        Class.defc_wrap(old_new(*args, &block))
    end

    def Class.defc_wrap(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        defc_methods = obj.methods.select { |n| n =~ /_c$/ }
        defc_methods.each do |name|
            meth = obj.method(name)
            wrapped_name = Class.defc_next_name(klass)
            cache = klass.class_eval("@#{wrapped_name} = {}")
            wrapper = Proc.new do |*args_a|
                arg_hash = args_a.hash
                if cache.has_key?(arg_hash)
                    cache[arg_hash]
                else
                    cache[arg_hash] = meth.call(*args_a)
                end
            end
            klass.send(:alias_method, wrapped_name, name)
            klass.send(:define_method, name, wrapper)
        end
        obj
    end

    def Class.defc_next_name(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        i = 1
        i += 1 while obj.respond_to?("_defc_#{i}") ||
obj.instance_variables.member?("@_defc_#{i}")
        "_defc_#{i}"
    end

end
</code>

beng wrote:

I've made good use of this idiom recently, and wanted to share it.

Once this code is active, any method named with a "_c" suffix is
automatically cached. The method is assumed to follow a simple
contract: It performs no side-effects / mutations, and it's arguments
properly implement "Object.hash".

This is specifically useful for expensive but functional calculations.
Enjoy!

--Ben (b@gimpert.com)

# <code>
class Class

    alias old_new new
    def new(*args, &block)
        Class.defc_wrap(old_new(*args, &block))
    end

    def Class.defc_wrap(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        defc_methods = obj.methods.select { |n| n =~ /_c$/ }
        defc_methods.each do |name|
            meth = obj.method(name)
            wrapped_name = Class.defc_next_name(klass)
            cache = klass.class_eval("@#{wrapped_name} = {}")
            wrapper = Proc.new do |*args_a|
                arg_hash = args_a.hash
                if cache.has_key?(arg_hash)
                    cache[arg_hash]
                else
                    cache[arg_hash] = meth.call(*args_a)
                end
            end
            klass.send(:alias_method, wrapped_name, name)
            klass.send(:define_method, name, wrapper)
        end
        obj
    end

    def Class.defc_next_name(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        i = 1
        i += 1 while obj.respond_to?("_defc_#{i}") ||
obj.instance_variables.member?("@_defc_#{i}")
        "_defc_#{i}"
    end

end
</code>

Neat. Though it would be cool if the methods that were to be cached were chosen through a class method rather than a method name suffix.

   class Klass
     def foo; end
     def bar; end
     cached_method :foo, :bar
   end

Cheers,
Daniel

beng wrote:

I've made good use of this idiom recently, and wanted to share it.

Once this code is active, any method named with a "_c" suffix is
automatically cached. The method is assumed to follow a simple
contract: It performs no side-effects / mutations, and it's arguments
properly implement "Object.hash".

This is specifically useful for expensive but functional calculations.
Enjoy!

--Ben (b@gimpert.com)

# <code>
class Class

    alias old_new new
    def new(*args, &block)
        Class.defc_wrap(old_new(*args, &block))
    end

    def Class.defc_wrap(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        defc_methods = obj.methods.select { |n| n =~ /_c$/ }
        defc_methods.each do |name|
            meth = obj.method(name)
            wrapped_name = Class.defc_next_name(klass)
            cache = klass.class_eval("@#{wrapped_name} = {}")
            wrapper = Proc.new do |*args_a|
                arg_hash = args_a.hash
                if cache.has_key?(arg_hash)
                    cache[arg_hash]
                else
                    cache[arg_hash] = meth.call(*args_a)
                end
            end
            klass.send(:alias_method, wrapped_name, name)
            klass.send(:define_method, name, wrapper)
        end
        obj
    end

    def Class.defc_next_name(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        i = 1
        i += 1 while obj.respond_to?("_defc_#{i}") ||
obj.instance_variables.member?("@_defc_#{i}")
        "_defc_#{i}"
    end

end
</code>

This is a touched-up version of your code.

class Class
   alias_method :__new__, :new

   def cached_method(*methods)
     @cached_methods ||=
     @cached_methods += methods
     @cached_methods.uniq!
   end

   def new(*args, &block)
     obj = __new__(*args, &block)
     klass = obj.class
     @cached_methods ||=
     @cached_methods.each do |name|
       meth = obj.method(name)
       i = 1
       while klass.instance_variables.member?("@_defc_#{i}")
         i += 1
       end
       wrapped_name = "_defc_#{i}"
       cache = klass.class_eval("@#{wrapped_name} = {}")
       wrapper = Proc.new do |*args_a|
         arg_hash = args_a.hash
         if cache.has_key?(arg_hash)
           cache[arg_hash]
         else
           cache[arg_hash] = meth.call(*args_a)
         end
       end
       klass.send(:alias_method, wrapped_name, name)
       klass.send(:define_method, name, wrapper)
     end

     return obj
   end
end

class Klass
   def foo; end
   def bar; end
   cached_method :foo, :bar
end

Daniel Schierbeck wrote:

beng wrote:
> I've made good use of this idiom recently, and wanted to share it.
>
> Once this code is active, any method named with a "_c" suffix is
> automatically cached. The method is assumed to follow a simple
> contract: It performs no side-effects / mutations, and it's arguments
> properly implement "Object.hash".
>
> This is specifically useful for expensive but functional calculations.
> Enjoy!
>
> --Ben (b@gimpert.com)
>
> # <code>
> class Class
>
> alias old_new new
> def new(*args, &block)
> Class.defc_wrap(old_new(*args, &block))
> end
>
> def Class.defc_wrap(obj)
> klass = obj.class
> defc_methods = obj.methods.select { |n| n =~ /_c$/ }
> defc_methods.each do |name|
> meth = obj.method(name)
> wrapped_name = Class.defc_next_name(klass)
> cache = klass.class_eval("@#{wrapped_name} = {}")
> wrapper = Proc.new do |*args_a|
> arg_hash = args_a.hash
> if cache.has_key?(arg_hash)
> cache[arg_hash]
> else
> cache[arg_hash] = meth.call(*args_a)
> end
> end
> klass.send(:alias_method, wrapped_name, name)
> klass.send(:define_method, name, wrapper)
> end
> obj
> end
>
> def Class.defc_next_name(obj)
> klass = obj.class
> i = 1
> i += 1 while obj.respond_to?("_defc_#{i}") ||
> obj.instance_variables.member?("@_defc_#{i}")
> "_defc_#{i}"
> end
>
> end
> </code>
>

Neat. Though it would be cool if the methods that were to be cached were
chosen through a class method rather than a method name suffix.

   class Klass
     def foo; end
     def bar; end
     cached_method :foo, :bar
   end

Cheers,
Daniel

I got this bookmarked, When i get time, i'll have to compare to prior
thread on memozing
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/155159
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/155170

Gene Tani wrote:

Daniel Schierbeck wrote:

beng wrote:

I've made good use of this idiom recently, and wanted to share it.

Once this code is active, any method named with a "_c" suffix is
automatically cached. The method is assumed to follow a simple
contract: It performs no side-effects / mutations, and it's
arguments properly implement "Object.hash".

This is specifically useful for expensive but functional
calculations. Enjoy!

--Ben (b@gimpert.com)

# <code>
class Class

    alias old_new new
    def new(*args, &block)
        Class.defc_wrap(old_new(*args, &block))
    end

    def Class.defc_wrap(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        defc_methods = obj.methods.select { |n| n =~ /_c$/ }
        defc_methods.each do |name|
            meth = obj.method(name)
            wrapped_name = Class.defc_next_name(klass)
            cache = klass.class_eval("@#{wrapped_name} = {}")
            wrapper = Proc.new do |*args_a|
                arg_hash = args_a.hash
                if cache.has_key?(arg_hash)
                    cache[arg_hash]
                else
                    cache[arg_hash] = meth.call(*args_a)
                end
            end
            klass.send(:alias_method, wrapped_name, name)
            klass.send(:define_method, name, wrapper)
        end
        obj
    end

    def Class.defc_next_name(obj)
        klass = obj.class
        i = 1
        i += 1 while obj.respond_to?("_defc_#{i}") ||
obj.instance_variables.member?("@_defc_#{i}")
        "_defc_#{i}"
    end

end
</code>

Neat. Though it would be cool if the methods that were to be cached
were chosen through a class method rather than a method name suffix.

   class Klass
     def foo; end
     def bar; end
     cached_method :foo, :bar
   end

Cheers,
Daniel

I got this bookmarked, When i get time, i'll have to compare to prior
thread on memozing
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/155159
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/155170

See also:
http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/memoize/

Kind regards

    robert