Question 1

How do I use Runes with Swift's Optional type?

Accepted Answer

Runes provides default implementations for Optional, so you can use operators like <^> to map over optionals directly, as shown in the Optional+Functor example in the README. Import the library and apply the operators to your optional values for concise functional transformations.

Question 2

What's the difference between Runes and Swift's built-in map and flatMap?

Accepted Answer

Runes offers alternative infix operators that are more concise and align with Haskell conventions, but functionally similar. For example, >>- in Runes is equivalent to flatMap, but with a syntax that some find more expressive for monadic composition, reducing boilerplate in functional code.

Question 3

How to install Runes using Swift Package Manager?

Accepted Answer

Runes is compatible with Swift Package Manager; you can add it as a dependency in your Package.swift file. Refer to the installation documentation linked in the README for specific steps, as indicated by the badge in the project header.

Question 4

Can I use Runes with custom data types in Swift?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but you need to implement the operators for your types manually. The library only includes implementations for Optional, Array, and Result, so for custom types, you must define the operator functions yourself, which can be complex without functional programming expertise.

Question 5

Is Runes better than Argo for functional programming in Swift?

Accepted Answer

Runes focuses on providing operators for monadic operations, while Argo is a JSON decoding library. Runes enhances syntax for general functional patterns, whereas Argo solves a specific data parsing problem; they are complementary but serve different purposes in a Swift project.

Question 6

What do the symbols like <|> and empty mean in Runes?

Accepted Answer

<|> is the alternate operator for choice operations, similar to logical OR in functional contexts, and empty represents the identity element for alternatives, as defined in the Alternative section of the README. These enable concise error handling or selection logic in code.

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