syntax sugar for assigning anonymous to name

1 files changed, 37 insertions, 7 deletions

diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/helpers.cpp b/starts/meaning-vm/helpers.cpp
index 8c8618d..dae149f 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/helpers.cpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/helpers.cpp
@@ -9,16 +9,38 @@ ref operator-(ref a, ref b)
 	return ref(a.name() + "-" + b.name());
 }
 
-ref ref::operator=(ref other)
+ref ref::operator=(ref that)
 {
-	// if this is not anonymous, and other is, then we are naming it
-	/*declrefs(anonymous);
-	if (other->linked(anonymous, true) && !ptr->linked(anonymous, true)) {
-		return;
-	}*/
+	// if this is not anonymous, and that is, then we are naming it
+	declrefs(anonymous, name, is);
+	if (that->linked(anonymous, true) && !ptr->linked(anonymous, true)) {
+		// this is assignment of anonymous content to empty named concept
+		bool donealready = false;
+		if (ptr->links.size() != 1) {
+			// if we have links, and that has links we do not have, an error has been made
+			for (auto & link : that->links) {
+				if (ref(link.first) == anonymous) { continue; }
+				if (ref(link.first) == name) { continue; }
+				if (!ptr->linked(ref(link.first), ref(link.second))) {
+					throw std::logic_error(this->name() + " already defined otherwise from " + that->get(is).name());
+				}
+			}
+			donealready = true;
+		}
+		that->unlink(anonymous, true);
+		auto nam = that->get(name);
+		that->unlink(name, nam);
+		dealloc(nam);
+		if (!donealready) {
+			ptr->links.insert(that->links.begin(), that->links.end());
+		}
+		dealloc(that);
+		return *this;
+	}
+
 	// if this is link-type, make new concept [not checked, might want to assume]
 	ref ret = alloc();
-	ret->link(*this, other);
+	ret->link(*this, that);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -81,10 +103,18 @@ ref a(ref what)
 	declrefs(is, anonymous);
 	return ref(what.name() + "-" + std::to_string(gid++))[is = what, anonymous = true];
 }
+ref a(ref what, ref name)
+{
+	return name = a(what);
+}
 ref an(ref what)
 {
 	return a(what);
 }
+ref an(ref what, ref name)
+{
+	return a(what, name);
+}
 
 bool ref::isa(ref what) const
 {