Manual

Basic usage

When a @resumable function is called, it continues where it left during the previous invocation:

@resumable function basic_example()
  @yield "Initial call"
  @yield "Second call"
  "Final call"
end

julia> basic_iterator = basic_example();

julia> basic_iterator()
"Initial call"

julia> basic_iterator()
"Second call"

julia> basic_iterator()
"Final call"

The @yield can also be used without a return argument:

@resumable function basic_example()
  @yield "Initial call"
  @yield
  "Final call"
end

julia> basic_iterator = basic_example();

julia> basic_iterator()
"Initial call"

julia> basic_iterator()

julia> basic_iterator()
"Final call"

The famous fibonacci sequence can easily be generated:

@resumable function fibonacci()
  a = 0
  b = 1
  while true
    @yield a
    a, b = b, a + b
  end
end

julia> fib_iterator = fibonacci();

julia> fib_iterator()
0

julia> fib_iterator()
1

julia> fib_iterator()
1

julia> fib_iterator()
2

julia> fib_iterator()
3

julia> fib_iterator()
5

julia> fib_iterator()
8

The @resumable function can take arguments and the type of the return value can be specified:

@resumable function fibonacci(n) :: Int
  a = 0
  b = 1
  for i in 1:n
    @yield a
    a, b = b, a + b
  end
end

julia> fib_iterator = fibonacci(4);

julia> fib_iterator()
0

julia> fib_iterator()
1

julia> fib_iterator()
1

julia> fib_iterator()
2

julia> fib_iterator()

julia> fib_iterator()
ERROR: @resumable function has stopped!

When the @resumable function returns normally an error will be thrown if called again.

Two-way communication

The caller can transmit a variable to the @resumable function by assigning a @yield statement to a variable:

@resumable function two_way()
  name = @yield "Who are you?"
  "Hello, " * name * "!"
end

julia> hello = two_way();

julia> hello()
"Who are you?"

julia> hello("Ben")
"Hello, Ben!"

When an Exception is passed to the @resumable function, it is thrown at the resume point:

@resumable function mouse()
  try
    @yield "Here I am!"
  catch exc
    return "You got me!"
  end
end

struct Cat <: Exception end

julia> catch_me = mouse();

julia> catch_me()
"Here I am!"

julia> catch_me(Cat())
"You got me!"

Iterator interface

The iterator interface is implemented for a @resumable function:

@resumable function fibonacci(n) :: Int
  a = 0
  b = 1
  for i in 1:n
    @yield a
    a, b = b, a + b
  end
end

julia> for val in fibonacci(10) println(val) end
0
1
1
2
3
5
8
13
21
34

Parametric @resumable functions

Type parameters can be specified with a where clause:

@resumable function fibonacci(a::N, b::N=a+one(N)) :: N where {N<:Number}
  for i in 1:10
    @yield a
    a, b = b, a + b
   end
end

julia> for val in fibonacci(0.0) println(val) end
0.0
1.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
5.0
8.0
13.0
21.0
34.0

Let block

A let block allows a variable not to be saved in between calls to a @resumable function:

@resumable function arrays_of_tuples()
  for u in [[(1,2),(3,4)], [(5,6),(7,8)]]
    for i in 1:2
      let i=i
        val = [a[i] for a in u]
      end
      @yield val
    end
  end
end

julia> for array in arrays_of_tuples() println(array) end
[1, 3]
[2, 4]
[5, 7]
[6, 8]

Caveats

• In a try block only top level @yield statements are allowed.
• In a catch or a finally block a @yield statement is not allowed.
• An anonymous function can not contain a @yield statement.
• If a FiniteStateMachineIterator object is used in more than one for loop, only the state variable is reinitialised. A @resumable function that alters its arguments will use the modified values as initial parameters.