Slice

An array's length is part of its type, so a function taking an int32[5] accepts arrays of exactly five — no more, no fewer. A slice, written int32[..], removes that limit. It is a view into an array: where the elements start and how many there are, with no elements of its own. One function taking a slice serves arrays of every size, and making a view copies nothing.

A view, not a copy

A slice is two numbers — a position and a length — pointing into an array that already exists:

flowchart LR
    subgraph numbers["numbers: int32[5]"]
        direction LR
        n0["10"] --- n1["20"] --- n2["30"] --- n3["40"] --- n4["50"]
    end
    middle["middle = numbers[1..4]<br/>starts at 20, length 3"] -.-> n1

The .. in int32[..] reads as "some number of": the element type is fixed, the count is not.

One function for every length

An array passed where a slice is wanted becomes a view of all of itself:

func Total(values: int32[..]) -> int32 {
    var sum: int32 = 0;
    for value in values {
        sum += value;
    }
    return sum;
}

PrintLine("numbers        {}", Total(numbers));
PrintLine("more           {}", Total(more));

numbers has five elements and more has three, yet both calls reach the same function. Inside it, values has a length, can be indexed and can be walked with for, just like an array.

Part of an array

Indexing with a range gives a view of part of the array. As everywhere else, .. stops before its upper bound and ..= includes it, and either end may be left out:

A slice can be sliced again. Its indices count from the start of the view, not the array:

let inner = middle[1..];

middle starts at 20, so middle[1..] starts at 30, and inner[0] is 30.

Strings are slices

A string literal has been a slice all along: char8[..], a view of UTF-8 bytes. That is why .length counts bytes:

let greeting: char8[..] = "hello";

Read-only by default

A plain slice can look at the elements but never change them — Total cannot write into values. Writing through a view is the subject of the next lesson, Writable slice.

The program

The whole lesson is one package in the Examples repository. Its comments explain every step.

// An array's length is part of its type, so a function taking an `int32[5]` accepts arrays of
// exactly five. A slice, written `int32[..]`, removes that limit. It is a view into an array: a
// position and a length, with no elements of its own. One function taking a slice serves arrays
// of every size, and making a view copies nothing.
import Io::PrintLine;

// Every call below reaches this one function, whatever the length of what it is given.
func Total(values: int32[..]) -> int32 {
    var sum: int32 = 0;
    for value in values {
        sum += value;
    }
    return sum;
}

func Main() -> int {
    let numbers: int32[5] = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50];
    let more: int32[3] = [1, 2, 3];

    // An array passed where a slice is wanted becomes a view of all of itself.
    PrintLine("numbers        {}", Total(numbers));
    PrintLine("more           {}", Total(more));

    // Indexing with a range gives a view of part of the array. As everywhere else, `..` stops
    // before its upper bound, so this is elements 1, 2 and 3; `..=` would include the end.
    let middle = numbers[1..4];
    PrintLine("numbers[1..4]  {} over {} elements", Total(middle), middle.length);
    PrintLine("numbers[1..=4] {}", Total(numbers[1..=4]));

    // Either end may be left out, meaning "from the start" or "to the end".
    PrintLine("numbers[2..]   {}", Total(numbers[2..]));
    PrintLine("numbers[..2]   {}", Total(numbers[..2]));

    // A slice can be sliced again. Its indices count from the start of the view, not the array.
    let inner = middle[1..];
    PrintLine("middle[1..]    {}, starting at {}", Total(inner), inner[0]);

    // A string literal has been a slice all along: `char8[..]`, a view of UTF-8 bytes.
    let greeting: char8[..] = "hello";
    PrintLine("\"{}\" is {} bytes", greeting, greeting.length);
    return 0;
}

Run it

cd Examples/Sequences/Slice
rux run

numbers        150
more           6
numbers[1..4]  90 over 3 elements
numbers[1..=4] 140
numbers[2..]   120
numbers[..2]   30
middle[1..]    70, starting at 30
"hello" is 5 bytes

Common mistakes

Try it yourself

1. Write Largest(values: int32[..]) -> int32 and call it with numbers, more and numbers[1..3].
2. Print Total(numbers[..]) and check that it matches Total(numbers).
3. Write CountAbove(values: int32[..], limit: int32) -> int32 that counts the elements greater than limit, and call it on numbers[1..].
4. Try numbers[3..1] and read the error.

Learn more

• Slices and Arrays as slices in the Rux Reference
• Using ranges — ranges as loop bounds and slice indices
• String literal — more on char8[..]