From c7b66aecf595f75a3e049d85860571bfef38c982 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Vyacheslav Egorov <vegorov@roblox.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2021 19:37:20 +0300
Subject: [PATCH] RFC: Default type alias type parameters

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 create mode 100644 rfcs/syntax-default-type-alias-type-parameters.md

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+# Default type alias type parameters
+
+## Summary
+
+Introduce syntax to provide default type values inside the type alias type parameter list.
+
+## Motivation
+
+Luau has support for type parameters for type aliases and functions.
+In languages with similar features like C++ and TypeScript, it is possible to specify default values and users with experience in those languages would like to use that in Luau.
+
+As an example, this feature can be used to define a equality comparator function type that by default accepts a single type argument and assigns the same type to the second argument, but it's still possible to specify both type arguments:
+```lua
+type Eq<T, U = T> = (l: T, r: U) -> boolean
+
+local a: Eq<number> = ...
+local b: Eq<number, string> = ...
+```
+
+While previous examples reference type parameters from the same list, it is also possible to specify concrete types:
+```lua
+type StrArray<T = string> = {arr: {T}, locked: boolean}
+
+local a: StrArray = ...
+local b: StrArray<MyString> = ...
+```
+
+Generic functions in Luau also have a type parameter list, but it's not possible to specify type arguments at the call site and because of that, default type argument values for generic functions are not proposed.
+
+## Design
+
+If a default type argument value is assigned, following type parameters (on the right) must also have default type argument values.
+```lua
+type A<T, U = string, V> = ... -- not allowed
+```
+
+Default type argument values can reference type parameters which were defined earlier (to the left):
+```lua
+type A<T, U = T> = ...-- ok
+
+type A<T, U = V, V = T> = ... -- not allowed
+```
+
+Default type arguments are not allowed for type pack parameters.
+
+---
+
+Syntax for type alias type argument is extended as follows:
+
+```typearg ::= Name [`=' typeannotation]```
+
+Instead of storing a simple array of names in AstStatTypeAlias, we will store an array of structs containing the name and an optional default type value.
+
+When type alias is referenced, missing type parameters are replaced with default type values, if they are available.
+
+If all type parameters have a default type value, it is now possible to reference that without providing a type parameter list:
+```lua
+type All<T = string, U = number> = ...
+
+local a: All -- ok
+local b: All<> -- not allowed
+```
+
+If type is exported from a module, default type parameter values will still be available when module is imported.
+
+## Drawbacks
+
+Previously, it was possible to reference type alias without type arguments inside that alias (recursive types).
+We disallow that now, but if we decide to return that, there will be an ambiguity if all type parameters have a default value.
+
+## Alternatives
+
+We could use `:` instead of `=` to define default type parameter values.