I have thought about the right semantics (and the issues) of the existential operator.
user.getPlan?().value?.score; The intended semantics of `?` is that, whenever its LHS evaluates to `null` or `undefined`, the evaluation of the whole expression (or subexpression) is interrupted and return immediately `undefined`. In other word, it may be seen as an abrupt completion, as demonstrated by the following expansion: (do { let result = user // user result = result.getPlan // _.getPlan if (result == null) // _? break // abrupt completion result = result.call(user) // _() result = result.value // _.value if (result == null) // _? break // abrupt completion result = result.score // _.score }) Now, it should be determined, whenever such an abrupt completion is encountered during evaluation, in which cases it should propagate, and in which case it should be transformed into a normal completion of value `undefined`. Roughly, property accesses and function calls should propagate it when it is found on their LHS, and in all other cases it should be mutated it to NormalCompletion(undefined). E.g.: (user.getPlan?().value?.score || 0).toFixed(2) // the `||` operator interrupts the abrupt completion propagation Here is a simple strawman that illustrates how that idea could be implemented in the spec. It has some known (and unknown) issues, but I think it gives a good idea of the mechanism. And it resolves quite naturally the non-compositional issue of the original strawman (see the remark at the end of the message). The specification is patched as follows: 6.2.2 The Completion Record Specification Type An additional value is allowed for the [[type]] field, besides normal, break, continue, return, or throw; namely: failsoft. 6.2.3.1 GetValue(V) An additional parameter is added to that abstract operation: GetValue(V, propagateFailsoft = false) If the second argument is absent, it is presumed to be false. An additional step is prepended to the algorithm: 0. If V is an abrupt completion of [[type]] failsoft and if propagateFailsoft is false, a. Let V be NormalCompletion(undefined). 12.3 Left-Hand-Side Expressions The production of MemberExpression is expanded as follows: FailsoftMark: "?" MemberExpression: (...) MemberExpression FailsoftMark The runtime semantics is the following: MemberExpression: MemberExpression FailsoftMark 1. Let ref be the result of evaluating MemberExpression. 2. Let val be GetValue(ref, true). 3. ReturnIfAbrupt(val). 3. If val is null or undefined, a. Return Completion([[type]]: failsoft, [[value]]: undefined, [[target]]: empty). 4. Return val. Here, there is an issue in expressions like `a.b?(c)`, because the correct `this` value of the method call won't be able to be determined. This can be resolved by further suitable refinements. Finally, in the algorithms involving LeftHandSideExpression's (section 12.3), some calls to GetValue(...) are replaced by GetValue(..., true). They are: Property Accessors 12.3.2.. Runtime Semantics: Evaluation MemberExpression : MemberExpression [ Expression ] Step 2. Let baseValue be GetValue(baseReference, true). The new operator 12.3.3.1 Runtime Semantics: Evaluation NewExpression : new NewExpression Step 2. Let constructor be GetValue(ref, true). ibid. MemberExpression : new MemberExpression Arguments Step 2. Let constructor be GetValue(ref, true). Function Calls 12.3.4.2 Runtime Semantics: EvaluateCall Step 1. Let func be GetValue(ref, true). In all other cases, a call to GetValue(...) will intercept a failsoft abrupt completion and return `undefined`. A notable fact of that strawman is that the two following expressions are equivalent: (a?.b).c a?.b.c because evaluating a ParenthesizedExpression does not apply GetValue(...) (Section 12.2.10.4). —Claude _______________________________________________ es-discuss mailing list es-discuss@mozilla.org https://mail.mozilla.org/listinfo/es-discuss