Scala Method Parameters - Combining variable arguments and default parameters

Question

Is it possible to combine variable arguments and default parameters in a Scala method function definition? Specifically, I'm trying to write a patch method with the following signature:

def patch(body: String, contentType: ContentType = ContentType.APPLICATION_JSON, customHeaders: (String, String)*)

I get the error Parameter section with *-parameter cannot have default arguments. So I assume it was a matter of ordering the parameters. However, I'm required to place *-parameters last.

My questions are:

Why does *-parameter have to be last? Is it so the compiler can easily parse the arguments?
Why can't *-parameter come after the default arguments? I imagine the same argument applies where it's easier for the compiler to parse arguments because default arguments and variable arguments are both optional.

Leo C · Accepted Answer · 2018-10-27 20:31:15Z

3

Why does *-parameter have to be last?

Technically, even if the *-parameter isn't restricted to be the last, the compiler should be able to figure it out. This SO link offers some insight (albeit unofficial) into possible rationale.

Why can't *-parameter come after the default arguments?

If *-parameter after a default argument were allowed, there would be ambiguity in which argument variables should be assigned the supplied parameters in some cases. For example:

def foo(a: String = "hi", bs: String*) = a + " " + bs.mkString(" ")

foo("hello", "world")  // Should "hello" go to `a` or be a part of `bs`?

Note that technically this restriction could also be lifted, say, by requiring explicit argument variable assignment in cases when ambiguity arises (e.g. foo(a="hello", "world")).

To circumvent the restriction, you can resort to currying (which allows you to have a *-parameter per argument list):

def bar(s: String, i: Int = 1, ts: (String, String)*) =
  ts.map(t => (t._1 + s*i, t._1 + s*i))
// <console>:23: error: a parameter section with a `*'-parameter is not allowed to have default arguments
//        def bar(s: String, i: Int = 1, ts: (String, String)*) = {

def bar(s: String, i: Int = 1)(ts: (String, String)*) =
  ts.map(t => (t._1 + s*i, t._2 + s*i))

bar("!", 2)(("a", "b"), ("c", "d"))
// res1: Seq[(String, String)] = ArrayBuffer((a!!,b!!), (c!!,d!!))

edited Oct 27, 2018 at 20:31

answered Oct 27, 2018 at 0:43

Leo C

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2 Comments

Jörg W Mittag Over a year ago

"If *-parameter after a default argument were allowed, there would be ambiguity in which argument variables should be assigned the supplied parameters in some cases." – Not really. It is pretty simple to come up with easy-to-understand rules to disambiguate. It is simply a design choice.

Leo C Over a year ago

@Jörg W Mittag, I think you're right. Among other reasons, the design choice could be based on that the decision of "*-parameter must be the last" was made and the fact that default arguments are more practically useful to be placed last. I've added a relevant note in the answer.

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