How to pattern match large Scala case classes?

Question

Consider the following Scala case class:

case class WideLoad(a: String, b: Int, c: Float, d: ActorRef, e: Date)

Pattern matching allows me

Answer 1

I don't know if this is appropriate, but you can also build an object just to match that field, or that set of fields (untested code):

object WideLoadActorRef {
  def unapply(wl: WideLoad): Option[ActorRef] = { Some(wl.d) }
}

someVal match {
  case WideLoadActorRef(d) => d ! someMessage
}

or even

object WideLoadBnD {
  def unapplySeq(wl: WideLoad): Option[(Int,ActorRef)] = { Some((wl.b,wl.d)) }
}

someVal match {
  case WideLoadBnD(b, d) => d ! SomeMessage(b)
}

Answer 2

You can always fall back to guards. It's not really nice, but better than normal pattern matching for you monster case classes :-P

case class Foo(a:Int, b:Int, c:String, d:java.util.Date)

def f(foo:Foo) = foo match {
  case fo:Foo if fo.c == "X" => println("found")
  case _ => println("arrgh!")
}

f(Foo(1,2,"C",new java.util.Date())) //--> arrgh!
f(Foo(1,2,"X",new java.util.Date())) //--> found

That said I think you should rethink your design. Probably you can logically group some parameters together using case classes, tuples, lists, sets or maps. Scala does support nested pattern matching:

case class Bar(a: Int, b:String)
case class Baz(c:java.util.Date, d:String)
case class Foo(bar:Bar, baz:Baz)

def f(foo:Foo) = foo match {
   case Foo(Bar(1,_),Baz(_,"X")) => println("found")
   case _ => println("arrgh!")
}

f(Foo(Bar(1,"c"),Baz(new java.util.Date, "X"))) //--> found
f(Foo(Bar(1,"c"),Baz(new java.util.Date, "Y"))) //--> arrgh! 

Answer 3

You can create a new case class which is a summary of your larger case class

case class WideLoad(a: String, b: Int, c: Float, d: ActorRef, e: Date)
case class WideLoadSummary(d: ActorRef, e: Date)

And then pattern match as normal.

val someVal = WideLoadSummary(wideload.d, wideload.e)

someVal match {
    case WideLoadSummary(d, _) => d ! SomeMessage(...)
}

Answer 4

You can just specify the type in the matched pattern:

case class WideLoad(a: String, b: Int, c: Float, d: ActorRef, e: Date)

val someVal = WideLoad(...)

someVal match {
    case w: WideLoad => w.d ! SomeMessage(...)
}