ValueOf

ValueOf[T] provides the unique value of the type T where T is a type which has a single inhabitant. Eligible types are singleton types of the form stablePath.type, Unit and singleton types corresponding to value literals.

The value itself can conveniently be retrieved with Predef#valueOf, which requires a ValueOf to be available in implicit scope.

The compiler provides instances of ValueOf[T] for all eligible types. Typically an instance would be required where a runtime value corresponding to a type level computation is needed.

For example, we might define a type Residue[M <: Int] corresponding to the group of integers modulo M. We could then mandate that residues can be summed only when they are parameterized by the same modulus,

case class Residue[M <: Int](n: Int) extends AnyVal {
 def +(rhs: Residue[M])(implicit m: ValueOf[M]): Residue[M] =
   Residue((this.n + rhs.n) % valueOf[M])
}

val fiveModTen = Residue[10](5)
val nineModTen = Residue[10](9)

fiveModTen + nineModTen    // OK == Residue[10](4)

val fourModEleven = Residue[11](4)

fiveModTen + fourModEleven // compiler error: type mismatch;
                          //   found   : Residue[11]
                          //   required: Residue[10]

Notice that here the modulus is encoded in the type of the values and so does not incur any additional per-value storage cost. When a runtime value of the modulus is required in the implementation of + it is provided at the call site via the implicit argument m of type ValueOf[M].