NonEmptyList

NonEmptyList is a data type used in Λrrow to model ordered lists that have at least one value. NonEmptyList is available in the arrow-core-data module under the import arrow.core.NonEmptyList

// gradle
compile "io.arrow-kt:arrow-core-data:$arrow_version"

// namespace
import arrow.core.*

of

A NonEmptyList guarantees the list always has at least 1 element.

NonEmptyList.of(1, 2, 3, 4, 5) // NonEmptyList<Int>
NonEmptyList.of(1, 2) // NonEmptyList<Int>
//NonEmptyList.of() // does not compile

head

Unlike List#[0], NonEmptyList#head is a safe operation that guarantees no exception throwing.

NonEmptyList.of(1, 2, 3, 4, 5).head

foldLeft

When we fold over a NonEmptyList, we turn a NonEmptyList< A > into B by providing a seed value and a function that carries the state on each iteration over the elements of the list. The first argument is a function that addresses the seed value, this can be any object of any type which will then become the resulting typed value. The second argument is a function that takes the current state and element in the iteration and returns the new state after transformations have been applied.

fun sumNel(nel: NonEmptyList<Int>): Int =
  nel.foldLeft(0) { acc, n -> acc + n }

sumNel(NonEmptyList.of(1, 1, 1, 1))
// 4

map

map allows us to transform A into B in NonEmptyList< A >

NonEmptyList.of(1, 1, 1, 1).map { it + 1 }
// NonEmptyList(2, 2, 2, 2)

flatMap

flatMap allows us to compute over the contents of multiple NonEmptyList< * > values

val nelOne: NonEmptyList<Int> = NonEmptyList.of(1)
val nelTwo: NonEmptyList<Int> = NonEmptyList.of(2)

nelOne.flatMap { one ->
  nelTwo.map { two ->
    one + two
  }
}
// NonEmptyList(3)

Monad binding

Λrrow allows imperative style comprehensions to make computing over NonEmptyList values easy.

import arrow.typeclasses.*
import arrow.core.extensions.*

val nelOne: NonEmptyList<Int> = NonEmptyList.of(1)
val nelTwo: NonEmptyList<Int> = NonEmptyList.of(2)
val nelThree: NonEmptyList<Int> = NonEmptyList.of(3)

NonEmptyList.fx {
  val (one) = nelOne
  val (two) = nelTwo
  val (three) = nelThree
  one + two + three
}
// NonEmptyList(6)

Monad binding in NonEmptyList and other collection related data type can be used as generators

NonEmptyList.fx {
  val (x) = NonEmptyList.of(1, 2, 3)
  val (y) = NonEmptyList.of(1, 2, 3)
  x + y
}
// NonEmptyList(2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6)

Applicative Builder

Λrrow contains methods that allow you to preserve type information when computing over different NonEmptyList typed values.

import arrow.core.*
import java.util.*

data class Person(val id: UUID, val name: String, val year: Int)

// Note each NonEmptyList is of a different type
val nelId: NonEmptyList<UUID> = NonEmptyList.of(UUID.randomUUID(), UUID.randomUUID())
val nelName: NonEmptyList<String> = NonEmptyList.of("William Alvin Howard", "Haskell Curry")
val nelYear: NonEmptyList<Int> = NonEmptyList.of(1926, 1900)

nelId.zip(nelName, nelYear) { id, name, year ->
  Person(id, name, year)
}
// NonEmptyList(Person(id=fce79552-d0d0-43f3-9a9c-4f77f610e6f6, name=William Alvin Howard, year=1926), Person(id=6be5a026-71ae-4679-8065-829728e39370, name=Haskell Curry, year=1900))

Summary

• NonEmptyList is used to model lists that guarantee at least one element
• We can easily construct values of NonEmptyList with NonEmptyList.of
• foldLeft, map, flatMap, and others are used to compute over the internal contents of a NonEmptyList value.
• fx { ... } comprehensions can be used to imperatively compute over multiple NonEmptyList values in sequence.
• NonEmptyList.applicative().map { ... } can be used to compute over multiple NonEmptyList values preserving type information and abstracting over arity with map