How do I access default parameter values via Scala reflection?

Question

Let\'s say a I have a class:

case class Foo(id: Int, name: String, note: Option[String] = None)

Both the constructor and the apply method i

Answer 1

There are degrees of kludge.

Sample code at this answer, pasted below.

So as I was saying, the form of the name is in the spec at 4.6, 6.6.1. That is not ad-hoc. For every parameter pi , j with a default argument a method named f $default$n is generated which computes the default argument expression.

The lack of structured ability to access and reconstitute these generated names is a known issue (with a current thread on the ML).

import reflect._
import scala.reflect.runtime.{ currentMirror => cm }
import scala.reflect.runtime.universe._

// case class instance with default args

// Persons entering this site must be 18 or older, so assume that
case class Person(name: String, age: Int = 18) {
  require(age >= 18)
}

object Test extends App {

  // Person may have some default args, or not.
  // normally, must Person(name = "Guy")
  // we will Person(null, 18)
  def newCase[A]()(implicit t: ClassTag[A]): A = {
    val claas = cm classSymbol t.runtimeClass
    val modul = claas.companionSymbol.asModule
    val im = cm reflect (cm reflectModule modul).instance
    defaut[A](im, "apply")
  }

  def defaut[A](im: InstanceMirror, name: String): A = {
    val at = newTermName(name)
    val ts = im.symbol.typeSignature
    val method = (ts member at).asMethod

    // either defarg or default val for type of p
    def valueFor(p: Symbol, i: Int): Any = {
      val defarg = ts member newTermName(s"$name$$default$$${i+1}")
      if (defarg != NoSymbol) {
        println(s"default $defarg")
        (im reflectMethod defarg.asMethod)()
      } else {
        println(s"def val for $p")
        p.typeSignature match {
          case t if t =:= typeOf[String] => null
          case t if t =:= typeOf[Int]    => 0
          case x                         => throw new IllegalArgumentException(x.toString)
        }
      }
    }
    val args = (for (ps <- method.paramss; p <- ps) yield p).zipWithIndex map (p => valueFor(p._1,p._2))
    (im reflectMethod method)(args: _*).asInstanceOf[A]
  }

  assert(Person(name = null) == newCase[Person]())
}

Answer 2

For case when you only have Type of Foo:

% scala
Welcome to Scala 2.13.1 (OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM, Java 15-loom).

scala> :paste

import scala.reflect.runtime.currentMirror
import scala.reflect.runtime.universe._
import scala.reflect.runtime.universe.definitions._

def defaults(tpe: Type): Seq[(Int, Any)] = {
  tpe.typeSymbol.asClass.primaryConstructor.asMethod.paramLists.flatten.
    zipWithIndex.flatMap{ case (x, i) =>
    if (x.asTerm.isParamWithDefault) {
      val m = currentMirror
      val im = m.reflect(
        m.reflectModule(tpe.typeSymbol.asClass.companion.asModule).instance
      )
      val method = tpe.companion.decl(
        TermName("apply$default$"+(i+1).toString)
      ).asMethod
      val v = im.reflectMethod(method)()
      Some(i -> v)
    } else None
  }
}

scala> case class Foo(id: Int, name: String, note: Option[String] = None)

scala> defaults(typeOf[Foo])
res0: Seq[(Int, Any)] = List((2,None))

The same way you can call any method on companion object.

Documentation about Mirrors contains example how to invoke method on class.

Answer 3

You can do this without making assumptions about the generated names—by casting to the internal API:

scala> :power
** Power User mode enabled - BEEP WHIR GYVE **
** :phase has been set to 'typer'.          **
** scala.tools.nsc._ has been imported      **
** global._, definitions._ also imported    **
** Try  :help, :vals, power.<tab>           **

scala> case class Foo(id: Int, name: String, note: Option[String] = None)
defined class Foo

scala> val t = typeOf[Foo.type]
t: $r.intp.global.Type = Foo.type

scala> t.declaration(nme.defaultGetterName(nme.CONSTRUCTOR, 3))
res0: $r.intp.global.Symbol = method <init>$default$3

scala> t.declaration(nme.defaultGetterName(newTermName("apply"), 3))
res1: $r.intp.global.Symbol = method apply$default$3

Of course in a way this isn't any nicer, since the name mangling is specified and the internal API isn't, but it may be more convenient.