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Run-time Types

Types can be represented at run-time. To create a type value, use the constructor function Type<T>(), which accepts the static type as a type argument.

This is similar to e.g. T.self in Swift, T::class/KClass<T> in Kotlin, and T.class/Class<T> in Java.

For example, to represent the type Int at run-time:


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let intType: Type = Type<Int>()

This works for both built-in and user-defined types. For example, to get the type value for a resource:


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resource Collectible {}
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let collectibleType = Type<@Collectible>()
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// `collectibleType` has type `Type`

Type values are comparable.


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Type<Int>() == Type<Int>()
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Type<Int>() != Type<String>()

The method fun isSubtype(of: Type): Bool can be used to compare the run-time types of values.


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Type<Int>().isSubtype(of: Type<Int>()) // true
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Type<Int>().isSubtype(of: Type<String>()) // false
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Type<Int>().isSubtype(of: Type<Int?>()) // true

To get the run-time type's fully qualified type identifier, use the let identifier: String field:


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let type = Type<Int>()
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type.identifier // is "Int"


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// in account 0x1
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struct Test {}
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let type = Type<Test>()
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type.identifier // is "A.0000000000000001.Test"

Getting the Type from a Value

The method fun getType(): Type can be used to get the runtime type of a value.


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let something = "hello"
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let type: Type = something.getType()
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// `type` is `Type<String>()`

This method returns the concrete run-time type of the object, not the static type.


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// Declare a variable named `something` that has the *static* type `AnyResource`
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// and has a resource of type `Collectible`
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//
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let something: @AnyResource <- create Collectible()
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// The resource's concrete run-time type is `Collectible`
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//
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let type: Type = something.getType()
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// `type` is `Type<@Collectible>()`

Constructing a Run-time Type

Run-time types can also be constructed from type identifier strings using built-in constructor functions.


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fun CompositeType(_ identifier: String): Type?
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fun InterfaceType(_ identifier: String): Type?
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fun RestrictedType(identifier: String?, restrictions: [String]): Type?

Given a type identifier (as well as a list of identifiers for restricting interfaces in the case of RestrictedType), these functions will look up nominal types and produce their run-time equivalents. If the provided identifiers do not correspond to any types, or (in the case of RestrictedType) the provided combination of identifiers would not type-check statically, these functions will produce nil.


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struct Test {}
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struct interface I {}
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let type: Type = CompositeType("A.0000000000000001.Test")
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// `type` is `Type<Test>`
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let type2: Type = RestrictedType(
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identifier: type.identifier,
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restrictions: ["A.0000000000000001.I"]
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)
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// `type2` is `Type<Test{I}>`

Other built-in functions will construct compound types from other run-types.


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fun OptionalType(_ type: Type): Type
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fun VariableSizedArrayType(_ type: Type): Type
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fun ConstantSizedArrayType(type: Type, size: Int): Type
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fun FunctionType(parameters: [Type], return: Type): Type
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// returns `nil` if `key` is not valid dictionary key type
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fun DictionaryType(key: Type, value: Type): Type?
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// returns `nil` if `type` is not a reference type
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fun CapabilityType(_ type: Type): Type?
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fun ReferenceType(authorized: bool, type: Type): Type

Asserting the Type of a Value

The method fun isInstance(_ type: Type): Bool can be used to check if a value has a certain type, using the concrete run-time type, and considering subtyping rules,


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// Declare a variable named `collectible` that has the *static* type `Collectible`
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// and has a resource of type `Collectible`
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//
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let collectible: @Collectible <- create Collectible()
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// The resource is an instance of type `Collectible`,
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// because the concrete run-time type is `Collectible`
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//
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collectible.isInstance(Type<@Collectible>()) // is `true`
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// The resource is an instance of type `AnyResource`,
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// because the concrete run-time type `Collectible` is a subtype of `AnyResource`
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//
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collectible.isInstance(Type<@AnyResource>()) // is `true`
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// The resource is *not* an instance of type `String`,
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// because the concrete run-time type `Collectible` is *not* a subtype of `String`
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//
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collectible.isInstance(Type<String>()) // is `false`

Note that the concrete run-time type of the object is used, not the static type.


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// Declare a variable named `something` that has the *static* type `AnyResource`
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// and has a resource of type `Collectible`
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//
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let something: @AnyResource <- create Collectible()
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// The resource is an instance of type `Collectible`,
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// because the concrete run-time type is `Collectible`
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//
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something.isInstance(Type<@Collectible>()) // is `true`
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// The resource is an instance of type `AnyResource`,
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// because the concrete run-time type `Collectible` is a subtype of `AnyResource`
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//
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something.isInstance(Type<@AnyResource>()) // is `true`
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// The resource is *not* an instance of type `String`,
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// because the concrete run-time type `Collectible` is *not* a subtype of `String`
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//
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something.isInstance(Type<String>()) // is `false`

For example, this allows implementing a marketplace sale resource:


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pub resource SimpleSale {
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/// The resource for sale.
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/// Once the resource is sold, the field becomes `nil`.
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///
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pub var resourceForSale: @AnyResource?
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/// The price that is wanted for the purchase of the resource.
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///
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pub let priceForResource: UFix64
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/// The type of currency that is required for the purchase.
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///
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pub let requiredCurrency: Type
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pub let paymentReceiver: Capability<&{FungibleToken.Receiver}>
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/// `paymentReceiver` is the capability that will be borrowed
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/// once a valid purchase is made.
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/// It is expected to target a resource that allows depositing the paid amount
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/// (a vault which has the type in `requiredCurrency`).
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///
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init(
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resourceForSale: @AnyResource,
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priceForResource: UFix64,
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requiredCurrency: Type,
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paymentReceiver: Capability<&{FungibleToken.Receiver}>
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) {
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self.resourceForSale <- resourceForSale
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self.priceForResource = priceForResource
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self.requiredCurrency = requiredCurrency
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self.paymentReceiver = paymentReceiver
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}
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destroy() {
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// When this sale resource is destroyed,
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// also destroy the resource for sale.
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// Another option could be to transfer it back to the seller.
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destroy self.resourceForSale
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}
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/// buyObject allows purchasing the resource for sale by providing
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/// the required funds.
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/// If the purchase succeeds, the resource for sale is returned.
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/// If the purchase fails, the program aborts.
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///
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pub fun buyObject(with funds: @FungibleToken.Vault): @AnyResource {
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pre {
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// Ensure the resource is still up for sale
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self.resourceForSale != nil: "The resource has already been sold"
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// Ensure the paid funds have the right amount
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funds.balance >= self.priceForResource: "Payment has insufficient amount"
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// Ensure the paid currency is correct
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funds.isInstance(self.requiredCurrency): "Incorrect payment currency"
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}
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// Transfer the paid funds to the payment receiver
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// by borrowing the payment receiver capability of this sale resource
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// and depositing the payment into it
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let receiver = self.paymentReceiver.borrow()
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?? panic("failed to borrow payment receiver capability")
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receiver.deposit(from: <-funds)
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let resourceForSale <- self.resourceForSale <- nil
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return <-resourceForSale
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}
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}