9999-ifcaseguardcase.md

Simplifying guard case/if case syntax

• Proposal: TBD
• Author: Erica Sadun
• Status: TBD
• Review manager: TBD

Introduction

This proposal re-architects guard case and if case grammar for unwrapping complex enumerations. It drops the case keyword from if and guard, replaces = with ~=, and introduces the := operator that combines declaration with assignment.

Swift-evolution thread: [Pitch] Reimagining guard case/if case

Motivation

Swift's guard case and if case design aligns statement layout with the switch statement:

switch value {
    case let .enumeration(embedded): ...
}

if case let .enumeration(embedded) = value

This grammar unifies the two approaches and offers an overall conceptual "win". However, real-world users do not think about this parallel construction or naturally connect the two layouts.

• guard case and if case look like assignment statements but they are not assignment statements. This violates the principle of least astonishment.
• In switch, a case is followed by a colon, not an assignment operator.
• Swift has a pattern matching operator (~=) that isn't used here.
• case syntax is wordy, including case, =, and optionally let/var assignment.

guard case and if case perform simultaneous pattern matching and conditional binding. These examples demonstrate their use for a simple one-associated-value enumeration:

enum Result<T> { case success(T), error(Error) }

// valid Swift
guard case let .success(value) = result
    else { ... }
guard case .success(let value) = result
    else { ... }
    
// valid Swift
if case .success(let value) = result { ... }
if case let .success(value) = result { ... }

The status quo for the = operator is iteratively built up in this fashion:

• = performs assignment
• let x = performs binding
• if let x = performs conditional binding on optionals
• if case .foo(let x) = and if case let .foo(x) = performs conditional binding on enumerations and applies pattern matching

Using if case/guard case in the absense of conditional binding duplicates basic pattern matching with less obvious meaning. These two statements are functionally identical:

if range ~= myValue { ... } // simpler
if case range = myValue { ... } // confusing

Detailed Design

This proposal replaces the current syntax with a simpler grammar that prioritizes pattern matching but mirrors basic conditional binding. The new syntax drops the case keyword and replaces = with ~=. The results look like this:

guard let .success(value) ~= result else { ... }
guard .success(let value) ~= result else { ... }
if let .success(value) ~= result { ... }
if .success(let value) ~= result { ... }
guard let x? ~= anOptional else { ... }
if let x? ~= anOptional { ... }

The design includes Swift's current let-placement flexibility and let-var mix-and-match placement. Users may choose to use var instead of let to bind to a variable instead of a constant. In this design:

• The case keyword is subsumed into the (existing) pattern matching operator
• The statements adopt the existing if-let/if var and guard-let/guard var syntax, including Optional syntactic sugar.

if let x = anOptional { ... } // current
if case let x? = anOptional { ... } // current, would be removed

if let x? ~= anOptional { ... } // proposed replacement for `if case`

Introducing a further new := "declare and assign" operator eliminates the need for explicit let:

guard .success(value) := result else { ... } // clean and elegant
if .success(value) := result { ... } // clean and elegant
guard x? := anOptional else { ... } // newly legal, although unnecessary

Assignments to variables require the var keyword, and let will be permitted even if it is not required, enabling coders to clarify the distinct roles in mix-and-match pattern matching:

guard .pair(value1, var value2) := result else { ... } // implied let
guard .pair(let value1, var value2) := result else { ... } // explicit let
if .success(var value) := result { ... } // variable assignment
guard var x? := anOptional else { ... } // variable assignment
guard var x := anOptional else { ... } // simpler variable assignment
guard var x = anOptional else { ... } // even simpler (current) variable assignment
guard x := anOptional else { ... } // new constant assignment

Pattern matching without conditional binding simplifies to a standalone Boolean condition clause. On adopting this syntax, the two identical range tests naturally unify to this single version:

if range ~= myValue { ... } // before
if case range = myValue { ... } // before

if range ~= myValue { ... } // after

Excluded from this proposal

This proposal does not address switch case or for case.

Impact on Existing Code

This proposal is breaking and would require migration.

Alternatives Considered

• Leaving the grammar as-is, albeit confusing
• Retaining case and replacing the equal sign with ~= (pattern matching) or : (to match the switch statement).