eval
Function
Or “How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot even Easier”
Saving the best for last, there is the ever-dreaded… eval
function!
let x = 10;
fn foo(x) { x += 12; x }
let script =
"
let y = x;
y += foo(y);
x + y
";
let result = eval(script); // <- look, JavaScript, we can also do this!
result == 42;
x == 10; // prints 10 - arguments are passed by value
y == 32; // prints 32 - variables defined in 'eval' persist!
eval("{ let z = y }"); // to keep a variable local, use a statements block
print(z); // <- error: variable 'z' not found
"print(42)".eval(); // <- nope... method-call style doesn't work with 'eval'
Script segments passed to `eval` execute inside the _current_ scope, so they can access and modify
_everything_, including all [variables](variables.md) that are visible at that position in code!
```rust
let script = "x += 32";
let x = 10;
eval(script); // variable 'x' is visible!
print(x); // prints 42
// The above is equivalent to:
let script = "x += 32";
let x = 10;
x += 32;
print(x);
```
`eval` can also be used to define new [variables](variables.md) and do other things normally forbidden inside
a [function](functions.md) call.
```rust
let script = "let x = 42";
eval(script);
print(x); // prints 42
```
Treat it as if the script segments are physically pasted in at the position of the `eval` call.
New [functions](functions.md) cannot be defined within an `eval` call, since [functions](functions.md)
can only be defined at the _global_ level!