free-trek
A study of Free monads and their applications in testing service orchestration, with a Star Trek theme.
Prerequisites
Running
Run sbt test in the root directory. Note that the test execution may be slow due to a problem with Java on macOS Sierra.
Motivation
The motivation for this exercise is in two observations —
- Service logic in contemporary software systems is often integration or orchestration logic
- Testing such logic is problematic using traditional means, such as mocks
Free monads offer a possible solution to these problems. This study exercises two implementations, one manual encoding using Typelevel Cats and a second encoding using the Freestyle framework.
But, let's dive in to the scenario and see how this works in practise!
The Problem
James T. Kirk has a problem. The USS Enterprise has recently been fitted with a new multitronic computer, and while her subsystems are tried and true, the Captain is concerned whether the new computer will correctly coordinate those systems.
After all, each expedition into space can feature a number of potentially dangerous encounters! Not only that, but the computer needs to keep track of the remaining dilithium and coordinate warp speed accordingly.
We have been given a spec of the Enterprise's systems by Montgomery Scott, found in the trek-domain project. Now, we only need to write a highly testable system that will satisfy the intrepid Captain!
The Plan
Since Functional Programming is clearly the way of the future, and we're already in the 24th century in Star Trek, we'll make use of Free monads. It must be a good choice, since it already sounds like something from the Star Trek universe!
We could use mocks and spies for the testing, but let's face it — the Captain doesn't like spies on his starship. Keeping mocks up-to-date is also tedious and error-prone.
Encoding the logic operations in Free reifies the logic as data. This data can then be conveniently tested against known fixtures.
There are two implementations:
trek-catsA Cats-based manual Free encoding layered under a monadic planning façadetrek-freesFreestyle based implementation with acats-mtlplanning façade
Let's take a look at the manual to see how the Enterprise's systems operate.
USS Enterprise Operating Manual
Note! Before attempting to operate your Constitution-class starship, you must first turn the crank shaft to start the ignition!
Warp Core
The heart of the ship, producing the energy for the other systems.
- Before making warp jumps, you need to convert dilithium crystals equal to the warp speed, or lower the warp factor (to zero if necessary)
- When operating in asteroid fields, you should engage the antimatter reaction assembly
Warp Drive
The warp-capable drives that propel the starship in the vast void of space.
- To perform a warp jump, tune the warp field coil to desired warp speed
- When in empty space, you should take the opportunity to attenuate the plasma conduit
- Trudging through nebulae, it is important to disentangle the electro-plasma system
Phasers
Powerful directed-energy beam weapons that operate on various frequencies.
- When encountering hostile space crabs, focus for high frequency optronics, without forgetting to purge the prefire chamber
- When operating near space-time anomalies (a common occurrence), it is wise to rewire the power cell matrix
Deflector Shields
Highly polarized energetic distortion field emitters that protect the starship.
- When encountering hostile space crabs, go for parallel frequency modulation
- While negotiating asteroid fields, it is prudent to use anti-parallel frequency modulation instead
- Always decompress the graviton emitter when operating near space-time anomalies!