Subtype restriction on type parameter

Question

Suppose there are two traits

trait LongKeyedRestricted[OwnerType <: LongKeyedRestricted[OwnerType]] {
    self: => OwnerType
}

trait LongKeyed[OwnerType] {
    self: => OwnerType
}

First trait definition is explicit that type parameter must be a subtype of LongKeyedRestricted[OwnerType]. However, given following definition of some User class

class User extends LongKeyed[User]

Am I not saying that User is a subtype of LongKeyed[User]. My question is how extra restriction in first trait definition is useful, I could not find a use case where this can be violated.

Note

Reference Liftweb

trait LongKeyedMapper[OwnerType <: LongKeyedMapper[OwnerType]] extends KeyedMapper[Long, OwnerType] with BaseLongKeyedMapper {
    self: OwnerType =>
}

sarveshseri sarveshseri · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-28T05:52:52

Well... its like LongKeyedRestricted ensures that its type parameter is a Sub-type of LongKeyedRestricted[ OwnerType ] which ensures some properties which may be useful at some point.

To make sense of it all, lets consider following simpler example.

trait IntLike {
  def me: Int
}

trait IntLikeHandle[ IntLike ] {
  def myHandle: IntLike
}

trait IntLikeHandleStrict[ IntLike <: IntLikeHandle[ IntLike ] ] {
  def myHandle: IntLike
}

case class IntLikeHandleConcrete( handle: IntLike )
    extends IntLikeHandle[ IntLike ] {
  def myHandle = handle
}

case class IntLikeHandleConcreteOther( handle: IntLike )
    extends IntLike with IntLikeHandle[ IntLike ] {
  def me = handle.me
  def myHandle = handle
}

 // Note :: ClassQualityDisclaimer : This class achieves nothing
 // at all, and is just for demonstrating the possibilities.
case class IntLikeHandleStrictConcrete( handle: IntLikeHandleConcreteOther )
    extends IntLikeHandleStrict[ IntLike ] {
  def myHandle = handle.myHandle

  // this class allows you to do some cool things which were not
  // possible in class extending trait without restrictions.

  // Note :: MethodQualityDisclaimer : This method achieves nothing
  // at all, and is just for demonstrating the possibilities.
  def me = math.max( handle.me, myHandle.me )


}

Note :: CodeQualityDisclaimer : This code achieves nothing at all, and is just for demonstrating the possibilities.

Subtype restriction on type parameter

Note

1 Answers