Test plan for "collection literals"

[jcouv]

The feature was renamed to "collection expressions".
Championed issue: dotnet/csharplang#5354
Speclet: https://github.com/dotnet/csharplang/blob/main/proposals/csharp-12.0/collection-expressions.md

Compiler

General Concerns

• Spec - In progress
• Language version (LanguageVersionDiagnostics)
• Documentation
• New BCL APIs for collection creation ([API Proposal]: BCL additions to support C# 12's "Collection Literals" feature. runtime#87569)
• Public APIs [API proposal] Collection literals #68687
  • IOperation
  • GetTypeInfo
  • GetConversion
    • Whole collection expression
    • Elements (splat and expression)
  • GetSymbolInfo (should return nothing)
  • AnalyzeX(Data|Control)Flow should show appropriate reads
    • Splats
    • Expressions
• VB/F# - Nothing to do
• C++/CLI - Nothing to do
• Build VS
• Add to compiler test plan
  • Syntax
  • Implicit conversions

Parsing

• Ambiguity scenarios
  • a?[b] (CollectionExpressionParsingTests.ConditionalAmbiguityX)
  • Attribute/collection literal confusion (CollectionExpressionParsingTests.AttributeOnStartOfLambda, CollectionExpressionParsingTests.TopLevelDotAccess_AttributeAmbiguityX)
  • Cast vs parenthesized expression (CollectionExpressionParsingTests.CastVsIndexAmbiguityX)
    • (a)[b]
    • (a?)[b]
    • (a<b>)[c]
  • Breaking change: _ = x ? y?[0] : z; // syntax error
• As RValue
  • Indexing expression (CollectionExpressionParsingTests.AttemptToImmediatelyIndexInTopLevelStatement)
  • Direct invocation
  • Input to switch expression
  • Empty collection
  • Operators

Semantics

• Definite assignment
• Test in catch filter
  • Particularly with something that might require multiple spill levels, such as interpolated string handler element type
• Usage in async methods
  • When builder type is a ref struct and there are no awaits in the elements
  • When builder type is a ref struct and there are awaits in the elements
    • With fallback ability (List)
    • Without fallback ability
• Best common element type (BestCommonType_03, _04)
• Type Inference:
  • Usage in generic arguments makes inferences from collection literal elements (TypeInference_03, _04)
  • Usage in lambda returns makes inferences from collection literal elements
  • Tuples of collection literals
  • Collection literals of tuples (TypeInference_37)
• Target types:
  • var, object, dynamic
  • T[] (Array_*)
  • T[,] (Array_04)
  • Span<T>, ReadOnlySpan<T> (Span_*)
  • IEnumerable, ICollection, IList (InterfaceType_01)
  • IEnumerable<T>, ICollection<T>, IList<T>, IReadOnlyCollection<T>, IReadOnlyList<T> (InterfaceType_02)
  • collection initializer types: reference type, value type, type parameter (CollectionInitializerType_01, _02, TypeParameter_*)
  • custom construct methods
  • inline arrays
  • Element type has conversion from expression, like interpolated string handlers
• Collection initializer types:
  • 0, 1, >1 Add() method (CollectionInitializerType_03, CollectionInitializerType_12)
  • inaccessible .ctor (CollectionInitializerType_05)
  • .ctor with/without int capacity
  • .ctor with all optional parameters (CollectionInitializerType_ConstructorOptionalParameters)
  • .ctor with single params parameter (CollectionInitializerType_ConstructorParamsArray)
  • .ctor with ref parameters
  • ref struct element type (RefStruct_03)
  • Obsolete methods
  • UnmanagedCallersOnly methods
  • CompilerFeatureRequired methods
  • Nullability mismatches
  • Collection builder type is a PIA
• Spread collection type:
  • IEnumerable only (SpreadElement_10)
  • pattern-based enumerator
    • Without implementing IDisposable
    • With implementing IDisposable
  • ref struct iterator type
  • ref struct type
    • Without Dispose
    • With Dispose
  • with Length or Count property
  • Above marked Obsolete (SpreadElement_LengthObsolete)
  • Above marked UnmanagedCallersOnly
  • Above marked CompilerFeatureRequired
  • Embeds appropriate interop types when enumerator is an pia
• Extension method invocation
  • type inference
    methods)
• cannot be used as constants
• Expression trees (ExpressionTrees)
• Optimizations:
  • emit Array.Empty<T>() for IEnumerable<T> e = []; (ArrayEmpty_01)
  • avoid heap allocation when not observable: foreach (var b in [true, false]) { ... }
• __arglist and ArgIterator usage
• ref safety in elements
  • Element should not escape by value
  • Element should not escape by ref
  • stackalloc element
  • collection expressions targeting ref structs cannot be returned (RefSafety_Return_01)
• Use as LValue
  • Directly assigning
  • Assigning into an indexer
  • Pass by ref (readonly)
  • Pass by in
    • Implicit (TypeInference_20)
    • Explicit (TypeInference_21)
  • ref (readonly) return
  • ref reassignment
• Anonymous type usage
  • Assignment to property
  • Top-level usage
• Direct slicing (1..2)
• Direct indexing (^1)
• Execution order of elements vs collection ctor
• Direct method execution (MemberAccess_01, _02)
• fixed statement immediately taking a pointer
• Direct argument of a using block
• Collection element subjected to a checked user-defined implicit conversion during creation
• ReadOnlySpan<byte[]> x = ["abc"u8]; should behave like byte[] x = "abc"u8;
• Suppression with ! (should produce a diagnostic)
• Nullability analysis

Productivity

• Completion
  • Verify that completion for [return: MyAttribute] and [return: expr] are both possible
• Formatting: List<int> list = [1, 2, 3]; (no extra spaces)
• Incomplete code typing experience
• Find all on builder types/methods
• F1 on the brackets
• Immediate window compilation
• DebuggerDisplay
• Assigning values in the watch window
• EE
• EnC
• Stepping through debugger with [Method1(), Method2()] should behave like array creation and other similar existing constructs

Open Questions

• Syntax ambiguities:
  • (X)[i] cast collection literal or indexing?
  • [a ? [b] : c] conditional [a ? ([b]) : c] or key-value pair [(a ? [b]) : c]?
  • a ? b ? [c] : d nested indexer a ? (b?[c]) : d or nested collection literal a ? (b ? ([c]) : d)?
  • Range[] ranges = [range1, ..e, range2]; spread or range ..e?
• Collection literals at the beginning of an expression statement?

  [1].ToString(); // error CS7014: Attributes are not valid in this context.

• What are the requirements for a spread element type? Is a span spreadable for instance?
• Is evaluation of elements interleaved with Add() calls?
• Any type that implements IEnumerable and has an accessible parameterless constructor is a valid target type for []. Should the requirements for a collection initializer type be stronger than this?
• Should multi-dimensional arrays be supported with nested collection literal syntax?

  int[,] a = [[1, 2], [3, 4]];

• Should better function member prefer some constructible collection types over others?

  F([1, 2, 3]); // ambiguous?
  
  static void F(IEnumerable<int> arg) { }
  static void F(int[] arg) { }

• When generating an intermediate List, should we use the well-known member List<T>.Add(T) rather than relying on lookup?
• Should spread elements support target type?

  string[] a = [..b ? [null] : []];

• Infer from spread element iteration type? See LDM-2023-09-20

  IEnumerable<int> e = [1, 2, 3];
  F([..e]);     // ok?
  F([..[4, 5]); // ok?
  
  static void F<T>(T[] arg) { }

• Infer from lambda return expression? From 11.6.3.7, a lower-bound inference is made from the return type of the lambda expression. (TypeInference_40)

  F(() => [1]);
  F(() => { if (b) return []; return [2]; });
  
  static void F<T>(Func<T[]> arg) { }

• Should IAsyncEnumerable<int> e be supported for [1, 2, await ..e]?