The Roman Gap with Raku

[58] Published 13. February 2020.

This is my response to the Perl Weekly Challenge #47.

Challenge #47.1: Roman Calculator

Write a script that accepts two roman numbers and operation. It should then perform the operation on the given roman numbers and print the result.



For example, perl ch-1.pl V + VI It should print XI

This challenge is similar to Challenge #10.1 («Write a script to encode/decode Roman numbers»). So simliar that I could copy the two procedures «to-roman» and «from-roman» from my solution. See Roman Numbers with Perl Ⅵ for details.

I have chosen to put them in a module «Number::Roman» this time, as I use them several times:

use v6; unit module Number::Roman; our sub to-roman (Int $number is copy) is export(:to) { my $string = ""; while $number >= 1000 { $string ~= "M"; $number -= 1000; } if $number >= 900 { $string ~= "CM"; $number -= 900; } if $number >= 500 { $string ~= "D"; $number -= 500; } if $number >= 400 { $string ~= "CD"; $number -= 400; } while $number >= 100 { $string ~= "C"; $number -= 100; } if $number >= 90 { $string ~= "XC"; $number -= 90; } if $number >= 50 { $string ~= "L"; $number -= 50; } if $number >= 40 { $string ~= "XL"; $number -= 40; } while $number >= 10 { $string ~= "X"; $number -= 10; } if $number >= 9 { $string ~= "IX"; $number -= 9; } if $number >= 5 { $string ~= "V"; $number -= 5; } if $number >= 4 { $string ~= "IV"; $number -= 4; } while $number >= 1 { $string ~= "I"; $number -= 1; } return $string; } my %value = (I => 1, V => 5, X => 10, L => 50, C => 100, D => 500, M => 1000); my Set $valid-roman = %value.keys.Set; my $current-value = Inf; our sub from-roman (Str $roman) is export(:from) { my @digits = $roman.comb; die "Non-Roman digit $_ detected." unless $valid-roman{$_} for @digits; my $number = 0; while @digits { my $current = @digits.shift; if @digits.elems { if %value{@digits[0]} > %value{$current} { $number += %value{@digits.shift} - %value{$current}; next; } } $number += %value{$current}; } return to-roman($number) eq $roman # [1] ?? $number !! die "Not a valid Roman Number: $roman"; }

File: lib/Number/Roman.rakumod

[1] Non-Compliant Roman Values are prevented by a round-trip check. If we just return «$number» without this check things like «IIIII» would be translated to «5». The round-trip check translates «5» back to «V» (and not «IIIII»), so the conversion fails.

The module is not available on CPAN, but I may be open for persuation...

I have chosen the four basic operators only: addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*) and division (/). I have added (pun intended) « x » as an alias for « * », as the latter requires quoting on the command line.

This program uses several «multi MAIN» to choose the right operation:

use lib "lib"; use Number::Roman :to, :from; multi MAIN (Str $first, "+", Str $second) { say to-roman( from-roman($first) + from-roman($second) ); } multi MAIN (Str $first, "-", Str $second) { say to-roman( from-roman($first) - from-roman($second) ); } multi MAIN (Str $first, '*', Str $second) { say to-roman( from-roman($first) * from-roman($second) ); } multi MAIN (Str $first, 'x', Str $second) { say to-roman( from-roman($first) * from-roman($second) ); } multi MAIN (Str $first, "/", Str $second) { say to-roman(Int( from-roman($first) / from-roman($second)) ); # [1] }

File: roman-calculator-multi

[1] We (the Romans) do not support fractional values, which we could get from division. Strip of any fractional part with «Int» to avoid that.

Running it:

$ raku roman-calculator-multi XII + VII # -> XIX $ raku roman-calculator-multi XII - VII # -> V $ raku roman-calculator-multi XII '*' VII # -> LXXXIV $ raku roman-calculator-multi XII x VII # -> LXXXIV

The module code does not support zero or negative values, but returns an empty string. (Feel free to consider this wrong.)

$ raku roman-calculator-multi XII - C # -> '' $ raku roman-calculator-multi XII - XII # -> ''

Non-Compliant Roman Values cause program termination:

$ raku roman-calculator-multi MMCICIMIVI + I Not a valid Roman Number: MMCICIMIVI in sub from-roman at ... $ raku roman-calculator-multi CZ + I Non-Roman digit Z detected. in sub from-roman at ...

We get a shorter program when we use «given/when», Raku's take on «switch». It is easier to read as well.

use lib "lib"; use Number::Roman :to, :from; unit sub MAIN (Str $first, Str $operator, Str $second); my $f = from-roman($first); my $s = from-roman($second); given $operator { when '+' { say to-roman($f + $s) }; when '-' { say to-roman($f - $s) }; when 'x' { say to-roman($f * $s) }; when '*' { say to-roman($f * $s) }; when '/' { say to-roman(Int($f) / Int($s)) }; }

File: roman-calculator-given

The behaviour is the same.

Augmentation

use MONKEY-TYPING; # [1] ... # [2] augment class Int # [3] { method roman # [4] { return to-roman(self); } multi method base ("r") # [5] { return self.roman; } } augment class Str # [6] { method from-roman # [7] { return from-roman(self); } multi method parse-base ("r") # [8] { return self.from-roman; } }

In (my answer to) Challenge #10.1 I showed how to extend the language itself, by adding a «base r» (for Roman) so that we could convert (decimal) numbers to Roman numbers. Let us do that here as well, but both ways (from Roman numbers to (decimal) numbers as well): File: lib/Number/Roman.rakumod (changes only)

[1] This incantation is required to allow augmenting built-in classes.

[2] The original code in module is here.

[3] We start with the «Int» class,

[4] • adding a «roman» method that returns the Int translated to a Roman number.

[5] • adding a new variant of «base» that takes «r» as argument. The «multi» is required, as Raku has other versions of «base» with different signatures (than «r»).

[6] Then we add do the «Str» class,

[7] • adding a «from-roman» method that returns the Roman number translated to an integer.

[8] • As for «base», but the other direction (from Roman number to integer).

Let us see what we can do with it, in REPL:

$ raku To exit type 'exit' or '^D' > use lib "lib"; > use Number::Roman; > "MCM".from-roman 1900 > 1900.roman MCM > "MCM".parse-base('r'); 1900 > 1900.base('r'); MCM

That surely looks awesome. (Not necessarily useful, though.)

Here is a modified version of the program, using the new methods instead of the procedures:

use lib "lib"; use Number::Roman; unit sub MAIN (Str $first, Str $operator, Str $second); my Int $f = $first.from-roman; my Int $s = $second.from-roman; given $operator { when '+' { say ($f + $s).roman }; when '-' { say ($f - $s).roman }; when 'x' { say ($f * $s).roman }; when '*' { say ($f * $s).roman }; when '/' { say (Int($f) / Int($s)).roman }; }

File: roman-calculator-given-turbo

Running it:

$ raku roman-calculator-given-turbo MM - II MCMXCVIII

Roman Objects

use Number::Roman :to, :from; unit class Number::Roman::OO; has Int $.value; multi method new (Str $string) { self.bless(value => from-roman($string)) } multi method new($value) { self.bless(:$value) } method Str { to-roman(self.value) } method Int { self.value } method Real { self.value } [1]

Why not do it with objects? I have chosen to give the class its own namespace («Number::Roman::OO»), and it uses the existing «Number::Roman» module to do the computations. File: lib/Number/Roman/OO.rakumod (partial)

[1] This one isn't needed now, but will be whan we start comparing objects numerically (e.g. with «<») as that uses «Real» coersion behind the scenes.

This is enough to convert between Roman numbers and integers and vice versa:

$ raku To exit type 'exit' or '^D' > use lib "lib" > use Number::Roman::OO > my $a = Number::Roman::OO.new(1900) > say $a.Str; # -> MCM > say $a.Int; # -> 1900 > my $b = Number::Roman::OO.new('MCM') > say $b.Str; # -> MCM > say $b.Int; # -> 1900

But it isn't much fun without the possibility to change the values, which was the purpose of the challenge.

I have added methods thad adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides. They are invoked on a «Number::Roman::OO» object, but the value to apply can either be another object or an integer (and thus set up with «multi method»).

multi method add (Number::Roman::OO:D $obj) { return self.new(self.value + $obj.Int) } multi method add (Int $int) { return self.new(self.value - $int) } multi method sub (Number::Roman::OO:D $obj) { return self.new(self.value + $obj.Int) } multi method sub (Int $int) { return self.new(self.value - $int) } multi method mul (Number::Roman::OO:D $obj) { return self.new(self.value * $obj.Int) } multi method mul (Int $int) { return self.new(self.value * $int) } multi method div (Number::Roman::OO:D $obj) { return self.new(Int(self.value / $obj.Int)) } multi method div (Int $int) { return self.new(Int(self.value / $int)) }

File: lib/Number/Roman/OO.rakumod (partial)

I have chosen to have these methods return a new object, and leave the original one intact. That is how Raku behaves (most of the time), in Functional Programming style.

That makes it possible to do things like this:

my $a = Number::Roman::OO.new(1921); my $b = $a.add(19); my $c = $b.sub($a);

And that is fine, but we can add (overload) the operators as well:

multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Number::Roman::OO:D $b) is export { Number::Roman::OO.new($a.Int + $b.Int); } multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Int:D $b) { Number::Roman::OO.new($a.Int + $b); } multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Number::Roman::OO:D $b) is export { Number::Roman::OO.new($a.Int - $b.Int); } multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Int:D $b) { Number::Roman::OO.new($a.Int - $b); } multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Number::Roman::OO:D $b) is export { Number::Roman::OO.new($a.Int * $b.Int); } multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Int:D $b) { Number::Roman::OO.new($a.Int * $b); } multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Number::Roman::OO:D $b) is export { Number::Roman::OO.new(Int($a.Int / $b.Int)); } multi sub infix: (Number::Roman::OO:D $a, Int:D $b) { Number::Roman::OO.new(Int($a.Int / $b)); }

File: lib/Number/Roman/OO.rakumod (partial)

Now we can do this:

use lib "lib"; use Number::Roman::OO; my $a = Number::Roman::OO.new(12); my $b = Number::Roman::OO.new("MCM"); say "{ $a.Str } => { $a.Int }"; say "{ $b.Str } => { $b.Int }"; my $c = $a.add($b); say "{ $c.Str } => { $c.Int }"; my $d = $c.add(27); say "{ $d.Str } => { $d.Int }"; my $e = $c + $d; say "{ $e.Str } => { $e.Int }"; my $f = $d + 999; say "{ $f.Str } => { $f.Int }"; say "Something" if $a < $b; say $a;

File: oo-test

Running it:

$ raku oo-test XII => 12 MCM => 1900 MCMXII => 1912 MDCCCLXXXV => 1885 MMMDCCXCVII => 3797 MMDCCCLXXXIV => 2884 Something Number::Roman::OO.new(value => 12)

The last line in the program uses the «gist» method to stringify the value. We haven't added one to our class, so the default one is used - and it dumps the object as shown. If you want the Roman number, simply add this line to the module:

method gist { to-roman(self.value) }

Then we get «XII» as the last line of output.

Challenge #47.2: Gapful Number

Write a script to print first 20 Gapful Numbers greater than or equal to 100. Please check out the page for more information about Gapful Numbers.

The page has this definition «Gapful Numbers >= 100: numbers that are divisible by the number formed by their first and last digit. Numbers up to 100 trivially have this property and are excluded.»

This is easy-ish:

my $gapful := gather # [1] { for 100 .. * # [2] { take $_ if is-gapful($_); # [3] } } say "First 20 Gapful numbers: { $gapful[^20].join(',') }."; # [7] sub is-gapful (Int $number) # [4] { my $divisor = $number.substr(0,1) ~ $number.substr(*-1,1); # [5] return $number %% $divisor; # [6] }

File: gapful-gather-sub

[1] I set up a sequence of the Gapful Numbers with «gather».

[2] Iterate over the values from 100 to Infinity,

[3] • return the number (with «take») if it is a Gapful Number.

[4] We start with the number itself,

[5] • calculate the divisor (by takin the first and the last digit in the number),

[6] • and use the «%%» divisibility operator to check if the number is divisible by the divisor.

[7] Print the first 20 values from the sequence.

Running it:

$ raku gapful-gather-sub First 20 Gapful numbers: 100,105,108,110,120,121,130,132,135,140,\ 143,150,154,160,165,170,176,180,187,190.

See docs.raku.org/routine/%% for more information about the «%%» divisibility operator.

We can inline the procedure body in the «take» expression to make it more compact (and less obvious what is going on):

my $gapful := gather { for 100 .. * { take $_ if $_ %% ( .substr(0,1) ~ .substr(*-1,1) ); } } say "First 20 Gapful numbers: { $gapful[^20].join(',') }.";

File: gapful-gather

The output is the same.

We can make it even more compact by replacing «gather/take» and the explicit loop with «grep»:

my $gapful := (100 .. *).grep( { $_ %% ( .substr(0,1) ~ .substr(*-1,1) ) }); say "First 20 Gapful numbers: { $gapful[^20].join(',') }.";

File: gapful-grep

And again, the output is the same.

And finally, as a one-liner:

> say "First 20 Gapful numbers: { (100 .. *).grep( { $_ %% ( .substr(0,1) ~ .substr(*-1,1) ) })[^20].join(',') }."; First 20 Gapful numbers: 100,105,108,110,120,121,130,132,135,140,143,150,154,160,165,170,176,180,187,190.

And that's it.