Type object

From Dyna

nositbono troczelricli A type object (termtype object?) is returned by the type() method of a term. For example, if t is the term foo(3,bar), then t.type() is a type object representing the type foo. The following methods get details about that type.

Also need ways to get the type with a particular Dyna or C++ name without actually constructing a term of that type. Probably just foo::type().

However, to find out whether t has type foo, just do t.is_foo(), or if you insist, t.type().is_foo(). Don't ask whether t.type() equals foo::type(), because it is possible that t is implemented as a subtype of foo rather than as foo directly (unbeknowst to you!).

Questions that we can ask about a base type:

• primitive?
• if not, how many arguments and what are their types?
• item?
  • if so, what is the value type?
  • if so, what is the accumulation operator?
  • if so, is it trainable?
• equal to another type?
• subtype of another type? (if we allow union types as first-class objects)

Maybe also methods for exploring the type hierarchy: get from a union type to an iterator over the base types that make it up, and maybe from a collection of base types to a union type over them.

Finally, maybe methods for asking about a type's pragmas, etc. This is just a matter of exposing the internal interface.