What is the meaning of (Any) in Raku - specifically the ()?

Question

Here is an experiment with Raku:

> my $x
(Any)
> my $y=1
1
> my @a=[1, 2]
[1 2]
> my %h=a=>\'b\'
{a => b}
> say \"nil\" unless $x
nil
         


        

Answer 1

There is a very simple answer.

Any is a class. Specifically it is the default base class for every other class.

In Raku you can pass around a class the same way you can pass an instance.

my $a = 1;
my $b = $a.WHAT;

say $b;
# (Int)

The thing is if you try and use the class as if it were an instance, bad things will happen.

say $b + 4;
# ERROR: … must be an object instance of type 'Int', not a type object of type 'Int'.

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When you use the REPL it automatically calls .gist and prints the result.

.gist is meant for humans to be able to understand what the value is.

So then why would it add parenthesis around the name of the class?

It makes sense to me that it does that to tell you it isn't a Str or some other instance.

say 'Str'; # say calls .gist
# Str

say 'abc'.WHAT;
# (Str)

say 'abc'.WHAT.^name;
# Str

say 'abc'.^name;
# Str

All but one of those is an instance of the Str class.
(Guess which one.)

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Basically the parens tell you that it would be an error to try and use it as an instance.