Methods in Wolfram Language

In Wolfram Language, we can define structures similar to Go’s structs using Association. Methods can be implemented using pure functions or by defining separate functions that take the structure as an argument.

(* Define a "rect" structure *)
rect[width_, height_] := <|"width" -> width, "height" -> height|>

(* This "area" function calculates the area of a rect *)
area[r_] := r["width"] * r["height"]

(* This "perim" function calculates the perimeter of a rect *)
perim[r_] := 2 * r["width"] + 2 * r["height"]

(* Main function *)
main[] := Module[{r, rp},
  (* Create a rect *)
  r = rect[10, 5];
  
  (* Call the functions defined for our structure *)
  Print["area: ", area[r]];
  Print["perim: ", perim[r]];
  
  (* In Wolfram Language, we don't need to worry about pointers *)
  (* The same functions work regardless *)
  rp = r;
  Print["area: ", area[rp]];
  Print["perim: ", perim[rp]];
]

(* Run the main function *)
main[]

When you run this code, you’ll see the following output:

area: 50
perim: 30
area: 50
perim: 30

In Wolfram Language, we don’t have the concept of methods attached to structures like in some object-oriented languages. Instead, we define functions that take our structures as arguments. This approach is more functional in nature.

We also don’t need to worry about pointers or references in Wolfram Language. The language handles these details for us, so we can use the same functions regardless of whether we’re working with the original structure or a copy.

Wolfram Language doesn’t have a direct equivalent to Go’s interfaces. However, you can achieve similar functionality using pattern matching and function definitions. This allows you to define functions that can work with any structure that has the necessary properties or functions defined for it.

Next, we’ll explore more advanced concepts in Wolfram Language and how they compare to other programming paradigms.