dingo-developer

name	dingo-developer
description	Generates and reviews Dingo meta-language code with Go boundary handling. Use when the user mentions Dingo, .di files, or Dingo-to-Go transpilation.

Dingo Developer

Overview

Dingo is a meta-language for Go that transpiles .dingo files to idiomatic .go files. It provides modern language features — Result/Option types, sum types (enums), pattern matching, error propagation, safe navigation, null coalescing, lambdas, generics, and tuples — while maintaining 100% Go ecosystem compatibility.

Repository: https://github.com/MadAppGang/dingo

Key philosophy: Dingo is syntax sugar over Go, not a new type system. The transpiled Go code is clean and idiomatic. All Go syntax remains valid in .dingo files.

When to use Dingo:

• You want concise error handling with the ? operator
• You need sum types (enums) and pattern matching
• You prefer functional patterns with lambdas
• You want Option[T] and Result[T, E] types
• You need safe navigation (?.) and null coalescing (??)

CLI commands:

dingo build          # Transpile + compile binary
dingo run main.dingo # Transpile + run directly
dingo go             # Generate .go files only (CI/CD)

---

Error Handling

The ? Operator — Three Variants

Decision tree — pick the first that applies:

1. Just propagate the error unchanged → plain ?
2. Add lightweight string context → ? "message"
3. Build a custom error type or capture variables → ? |e| expr
4. Need side effects or multi-statement logic → guard (see below)
5. Absence is expected, not an error → use Option[T] + guard

---

Variant 1: Plain Propagation

// BEFORE (Go)
user, err := getUser(id)
if err != nil {
    return nil, err
}

// AFTER (Dingo)
user := getUser(id)?

---

Variant 2: String Context

Generates fmt.Errorf("message: %w", err).

// BEFORE (Go)
config, err := loadConfig(path)
if err != nil {
    return nil, fmt.Errorf("load config: %w", err)
}

// AFTER (Dingo)
config := loadConfig(path) ? "load config"

---

Variant 3: Lambda Transform

Captures local variables and builds custom error types. Both Rust-style (|e|) and TypeScript-style (e =>) are valid.

// BEFORE (Go)
resp, err := httpClient.Get(url)
if err != nil {
    return nil, &NetworkError{URL: url, Err: err}
}

// AFTER — Rust-style
resp := httpClient.Get(url) ? |e| &NetworkError{URL: url, Err: e}

// AFTER — TypeScript-style (identical semantics)
resp := httpClient.Get(url) ? e => &NetworkError{URL: url, Err: e}

---

Function Signature Compatibility

Return type	? works?	Notes
(T, error)	YES	Most common
(T1, T2, error)	YES	Extracts last value
Result[T, E]	YES	Unwraps to T
error only (void success)	YES	Propagates error directly
(T, bool)	NO	Use Option[T] + guard
T only (no error)	NO	Nothing to propagate

? in void functions is a compile error. If you need to propagate from a void-returning call, acknowledge explicitly:

// WRONG — compile error when function returns void
validateInput(data)?

// CORRECT
_ = validateInput(data)?

---

guard Statement

guard provides early-return logic for Result[T, E] and Option[T] values. It is the idiomatic way to flatten a "pyramid of doom" into a sequential happy path.

CRITICAL CONSTRAINT: guard ONLY works with Result[T, E] or Option[T] return types. It does NOT work on plain booleans, integers, or other types.

// WRONG — guard on boolean generates invalid Go (compile error)
guard user.Active else {
    return "inactive"
}

// CORRECT — guard on Option[T]
guard profile := getProfile(userID) else {
    return "no profile"
}

// CORRECT — guard on Result[T, E]
guard user := findUser(id) else |err| {
    return fmt.Errorf("find user: %w", err)
}

Guard Syntax Reference

// Result: bind error value with |err|
guard user := findUser(id) else |err| {
    return Err(fmt.Errorf("find user: %w", err))
}

// Option: no |err| binding (None has no error value)
guard theme := getTheme(id) else {
    return "default"
}

// Reassignment: use = not := when variable already declared
guard user = refreshUser(ctx, user.ID) else |err| {
    return Err(err)
}

// Tuple destructuring
guard (lat, lng) := getCoords(address) else |err| {
    return Err(fmt.Errorf("coords: %w", err))
}

Pyramid of Doom → Flat Guard Chain

// BEFORE (Go) — nested error ladder
user, err := findUser(id)
if err != nil {
    return "", fmt.Errorf("find user: %w", err)
}
profile, err := loadProfile(user.ID)
if err != nil {
    return "", fmt.Errorf("load profile: %w", err)
}
settings, err := loadSettings(profile.ID)
if err != nil {
    return "", fmt.Errorf("load settings: %w", err)
}

// AFTER (Dingo) — flat guard chain
guard user     := findUser(id)              else |e| { return "", fmt.Errorf("find user: %w", e) }
guard profile  := loadProfile(user.ID)      else |e| { return "", fmt.Errorf("load profile: %w", e) }
guard settings := loadSettings(profile.ID)  else |e| { return "", fmt.Errorf("load settings: %w", e) }

---

? in Goroutines

The ? operator cannot propagate errors from inside goroutines (there is no enclosing function to return to). Use channels or sync.WaitGroup + error collection instead.

// WRONG — ? inside goroutine has no propagation target
go func() {
    result := fetch()?  // compile error or logic error
}()

// CORRECT — explicit error handling inside goroutines
errCh := make(chan error, 1)
go func() {
    result, err := fetch()
    if err != nil {
        errCh <- err
        return
    }
    process(result)
    errCh <- nil
}()
if err := <-errCh; err != nil {
    return nil, err
}

---

Result & Option Types

Result[T, E]

Use for operations that can fail when callers need to act on the error type.

Constructors: Ok[T, E](value) and Err[T, E](err)

Methods (complete list):

Method	Description
.IsOk()	Returns true if Ok variant
.IsErr()	Returns true if Err variant
.MustOk()	Returns value; panics if Err
.MustErr()	Returns error; panics if Ok
.OkOr(default)	Returns value or default if Err

NOT available: .Unwrap(), .Map(), .FlatMap(), .UnwrapErr() — these do not exist in the dgo package. Do not use them.

func divide(a, b int) Result[int, string] {
    if b == 0 {
        return Err[int, string]("division by zero")
    }
    return Ok[int, string](a / b)
}

result := divide(10, 2)
if result.IsOk() {
    fmt.Println(result.MustOk())  // 5
}

// Safe extraction with default
value := divide(10, 0).OkOr(0)  // 0

Result in Service Layer

func (s *UserService) FindByID(ctx context.Context, id string) Result[User, error] {
    guard user := s.repo.FindByID(ctx, id) else |err| {
        if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
            return Err[User, error](NotFoundError("user"))
        }
        return Err[User, error](InternalError(err))
    }
    return Ok[User, error](user)
}

---

Option[T]

Use when absence is expected and normal — not an error condition.

Constructors: Some(value) and None[T]()

Methods (complete list):

Method	Description
.IsSome()	Returns true if Some variant
.IsNone()	Returns true if None variant
.MustSome()	Returns value; panics if None
.SomeOr(default)	Returns value or default
.SomeOrElse(fn)	Returns value or calls fn() for default

NOT available: .Unwrap(), .Map(), .FlatMap() — these do not exist in the dgo package. Do not use them.

func findUser(id string) Option[User] {
    user, err := db.FindByID(id)
    if err != nil {
        return None[User]()
    }
    return Some(user)
}

user := findUser("123")
if user.IsSome() {
    fmt.Println(user.MustSome().Name)
}

// Safe extraction with default
name := findUser("123").SomeOr(User{Name: "Anonymous"}).Name

// Lazy default (only computed when None)
name := findUser("123").SomeOrElse(func() User { return buildDefaultUser() }).Name

---

Result vs Option — When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Absence is expected and normal ("not found")	Option[T]
Absence needs explanation to the caller	Result[T, E]
Infrastructure/stdlib calls	(T, error) + ?
Domain API with typed errors	Result[T, DomainError]
"Find" queries on collections	Option[T]
"Create/Update" domain operations	Result[T, error]

Rule: If absence is the expected outcome (e.g., cache miss, optional config), use Option[T]. If absence would surprise the caller and they need to know why, use Result[T, E].

Do NOT mix: a function should return either Result[T, E] or (T, error) — not both. func f() (Result[User, string], error) is always wrong.

---

Enums & Sum Types

Enum Declaration

// Simple variants (no data)
enum Status {
    Pending
    Active
    Done
}

// Variants with data
enum Event {
    UserCreated { userID: int, email: string }
    UserDeleted { userID: int }
    EmailChanged { userID: int, oldEmail: string, newEmail: string }
}

// Mixed
enum APIResponse {
    Success { transactionID: string, amount: float64 }
    NotFound
    Error { code: int, reason: string }
}

Constructor Naming

Constructors are auto-generated as New{EnumName}{VariantName}(fieldValues...).

// Simple variants (no constructor call needed — use as value)
status := Status.Pending

// Variants with data — use generated constructor
event := NewEventUserCreated(42, "[e-mail]")
deleted := NewEventUserDeleted(42)
resp := NewAPIResponseSuccess("TXN-123", 99.99)
notFound := NewAPIResponseNotFound()

What Enums Generate

Each enum declaration generates:

• A Go interface with a marker method
• One struct per variant containing the variant's fields
• Constructor functions New{Enum}{Variant}(...)

// Generated Go for: enum Status { Pending; Active; Done }
type Status interface { isStatus() }
type StatusPending struct{}
type StatusActive  struct{}
type StatusDone    struct{}
func (StatusPending) isStatus() {}
func (StatusActive)  isStatus() {}
func (StatusDone)    isStatus() {}
func NewStatusPending() Status { return StatusPending{} }
func NewStatusActive()  Status { return StatusActive{} }
func NewStatusDone()    Status { return StatusDone{} }

Go Pattern → Dingo Enum

// BEFORE (Go) — iota enum with String() method
type OrderStatus int
const (
    OrderPending OrderStatus = iota
    OrderShipped
    OrderDelivered
    OrderCancelled
)
func (s OrderStatus) String() string { ... }

// AFTER (Dingo)
enum OrderStatus { Pending; Shipped; Delivered; Cancelled }

func (s OrderStatus) String() string {
    return match s {
        OrderStatusPending   => "pending",
        OrderStatusShipped   => "shipped",
        OrderStatusDelivered => "delivered",
        OrderStatusCancelled => "cancelled",
    }
}

// BEFORE (Go) — interface discriminated union
type Shape interface { area() float64 }
type Circle    struct { Radius float64 }
type Rectangle struct { Width, Height float64 }
func (c Circle)    area() float64 { return math.Pi * c.Radius * c.Radius }
func (r Rectangle) area() float64 { return r.Width * r.Height }

// AFTER (Dingo)
enum Shape {
    Circle    { radius: float64 }
    Rectangle { width: float64, height: float64 }
}

func area(shape Shape) float64 {
    return match shape {
        ShapeCircle    { radius }        => math.Pi * radius * radius,
        ShapeRectangle { width, height } => width * height,
    }
}

Do NOT Use Enum For

• Option[T] semantics → use dgo Option[T]
• Result[T, E] semantics → use dgo Result[T, E]
• Simple boolean flags → use bool
• Open-ended value sets (HTTP status codes, user-defined strings) → keep as int/string
• More than ~20 variants with no associated data → iota is fine
• Enums re-implementing Option/Result (e.g., enum MaybeUser { Found { user: User }; NotFound })

---

Pattern Matching

Basic Match Syntax

func describe(n int) string {
    return match n {
        0 => "zero",
        1 => "one",
        _ if n < 0 => "negative",
        _ if n > 100 => "large",
        _ => "other",
    }
}

Match Syntax Reference

// Named field destructuring
match status {
    StatusActive { message } => message,
    _ => "unknown",
}

// Positional destructuring (fields in declaration order)
match event {
    EventUserCreated(userID, email) => fmt.Sprintf("created: %s", email),
}

// Wildcard for unused fields
match event {
    EventOrderPlaced(orderID, _, amount) => fmt.Sprintf("%s: %.2f", orderID, amount),
}

// Guard clause on match arm
match order {
    OrderPlaced { orderID, amount, _ } if amount > 1000 =>
        fmt.Sprintf("HIGH VALUE: %s", orderID),
    OrderPlaced { orderID, _, _ } =>
        fmt.Sprintf("Order: %s", orderID),
}

// Catch-all wildcard
match status {
    StatusPending => "pending",
    StatusActive  => "active",
    _             => "other",
}

Match as Expression vs Statement

// Expression — returns a value
role := match user.Level {
    UserLevelAdmin => "admin",
    UserLevelMod   => "moderator",
    _              => "user",
}

// Statement — side effects only
match level {
    LogLevelError => log.Fatalf("fatal: %s", msg),
    LogLevelWarn  => log.Printf("warn: %s", msg),
    _             => {},
}

Exhaustiveness Requirement

Match expressions are exhaustive — all variants must be handled or use _. A missing arm is a compile error.

// WRONG — compile error if Status has more variants than Pending/Active
match status {
    StatusPending => "wait",
    StatusActive  => "go",
    // Missing StatusDone, StatusCancelled!
}

// CORRECT
match status {
    StatusPending   => "wait",
    StatusActive    => "go",
    StatusDone      => "done",
    StatusCancelled => "cancelled",
}

// CORRECT — explicit wildcard
match status {
    StatusPending => "wait",
    _             => "other",
}

Match Inside Lambda (Match Pipeline)

// Map over a slice, dispatch by type in each element
descriptions := dgo.Map(events, |e| match e {
    EventUserCreated { userID, email }   => fmt.Sprintf("User %d (%s) created", userID, email),
    EventUserDeleted { userID }          => fmt.Sprintf("User %d deleted", userID),
    EventEmailChanged { userID, _, new } => fmt.Sprintf("User %d email → %s", userID, new),
})

---

Lambdas & Functional Patterns

Lambda Syntax

Dingo supports both Rust-style and TypeScript-style lambda syntax. Both generate identical Go.

// Rust-style: |params| expr
activeUsers := dgo.Filter(users, |u| u.Active)
names       := dgo.Map(users, |u| u.Name)
sorted      := sort.Slice(users, func(i, j int) bool { return users[i].Name < users[j].Name })

// TypeScript-style: (params) => expr
activeUsers := dgo.Filter(users, u => u.Active)
names       := dgo.Map(users, u => u.Name)
pairs       := dgo.Map(pairs, (a, b) => a + b)

// Block body (multi-line)
processed := dgo.Map(users, |u| {
    name := strings.ToUpper(u.Name)
    return fmt.Sprintf("%s (%d)", name, u.Age)
})

// Explicit types (standalone, without type inference context)
double := |x int| -> int { x * 2 }

Lambda guideline: When a lambda body exceeds 3 lines, extract a named function instead. Lambdas are for concise single-expression or short block transforms.

dgo Package — Complete Function Reference

All functions work on []T slices. Import with import "github.com/MadAppGang/dingo/pkg/dgo".

Transform:

Function	Signature	Description
Map	Map[T, U any]([]T, func(T) U) []U	Transform each element
MapWithIndex	MapWithIndex[T, U any]([]T, func(int, T) U) []U	Transform with index
FlatMap	FlatMap[T, U any]([]T, func(T) []U) []U	Map + flatten one level
Flatten	Flatten[T any]([][]T) []T	Flatten one level

Filter/Search:

Function	Signature	Description
Filter	Filter[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) []T	Keep matching elements
FilterWithIndex	FilterWithIndex[T any]([]T, func(int, T) bool) []T	Filter with index
Find	Find[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) Option[T]	First match or None
FindIndex	FindIndex[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) Option[int]	Index of first match
Contains	Contains[T comparable]([]T, T) bool	Element exists?
Count	Count[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) int	Count matches

Predicates:

Function	Signature	Description
Any	Any[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) bool	True if any match
All	All[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) bool	True if all match (vacuous true for empty)
NoneMatch	NoneMatch[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) bool	True if none match

Aggregation:

Function	Signature	Description
Reduce	Reduce[T, R any]([]T, R, func(R, T) R) R	Fold left
GroupBy	GroupBy[T any, K comparable]([]T, func(T) K) map[K][]T	Group by key
Partition	Partition[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) ([]T, []T)	Split by predicate

Ordering/Slicing:

Function	Signature	Description
Reverse	Reverse[T any]([]T) []T	Reverse order
Unique	Unique[T comparable]([]T) []T	Remove duplicates
Take	Take[T any]([]T, n int) []T	First n elements
Drop	Drop[T any]([]T, n int) []T	All but first n
TakeWhile	TakeWhile[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) []T	Take while predicate
DropWhile	DropWhile[T any]([]T, func(T) bool) []T	Drop while predicate
Chunk	Chunk[T any]([]T, size int) [][]T	Split into chunks
ZipSlices	ZipSlices[T, U any]([]T, []U) []Pair[T, U]	Zip two slices
ForEach	ForEach[T any]([]T, func(T))	Side-effect iteration
ForEachWithIndex	ForEachWithIndex[T any]([]T, func(int, T))	Side-effect with index

Important: dgo.First does NOT exist. Use dgo.Find which returns Option[T].

Functional Pipeline Example

// Data transformation pipeline
type OrderSummary struct {
    CustomerID string
    Total      float64
    ItemCount  int
}

func buildSummaries(orders []Order) []OrderSummary {
    return dgo.Map(
        dgo.Filter(orders, |o| o.Status == OrderStatusCompleted),
        |o| OrderSummary{
            CustomerID: o.CustomerID,
            Total:      o.Total,
            ItemCount:  len(o.Items),
        },
    )
}

// GroupBy example
func groupByStatus(orders []Order) map[OrderStatus][]Order {
    return dgo.GroupBy(orders, |o| o.Status)
}

// Find with Option
func findFirstHighValue(orders []Order) Option[Order] {
    return dgo.Find(orders, |o| o.Total > 1000.0)
}

When Lambda vs Named Function

Use a lambda when:

• Body is a single expression
• Body is 1–3 lines with no branching complexity
• Used in exactly one place

Extract a named function when:

• Body exceeds 3 lines
• Body contains nested conditionals
• Reused in multiple places
• Meaningful name improves readability

---

Safe Navigation & Null Coalescing

Safe Navigation (?.)

?. performs a nil check before accessing a field. Pointer field access only.

CRITICAL CONSTRAINT: ?. works for pointer field access only. Method calls with ?.Method() fail to parse for ALL types (pointer and interface alike). Do not use ?.Method().

type Config struct {
    Database *DatabaseConfig
}
type DatabaseConfig struct {
    Primary *ConnectionConfig
}
type ConnectionConfig struct {
    Host string
    Port int
}

// Field access through pointer chain — WORKS
host := config?.Database?.Primary?.Host
port := config?.Database?.Primary?.Port

// Method call — DOES NOT WORK (parse error)
name := user?.GetName()  // parser error

Generates a nil-checked assignment:

var host string
if config != nil && config.Database != nil && config.Primary != nil {
    host = config.Database.Primary.Host
}

---

Null Coalescing (??)

?? returns the left operand if non-nil/non-zero, otherwise returns the right operand. For pointer types, auto-dereferences the pointer when non-nil.

// Basic default
name := user.Nickname ?? user.Name ?? "Anonymous"

// Pointer auto-dereference
var lang *string = user.Language
displayLang := lang ?? "en"   // returns *lang if non-nil, "en" otherwise

// Function call as fallback (lazy)
timeout := config.Timeout ?? getDefaultTimeout()

// Four-level chain
dbHost := appConfig?.Database?.Primary?.Host
    ?? appConfig?.Database?.Fallback?.Host
    ?? envConfig?.DbHost
    ?? "localhost"

Generated code for pointer auto-dereference:

displayLang := func() string {
    if lang != nil {
        return *lang
    }
    return "en"
}()

---

Combined ?. + ?? Pattern

// BEFORE (Go) — nested nil chain
var host string
if appConfig != nil && appConfig.Database != nil && appConfig.Database.Host != "" {
    host = appConfig.Database.Host
} else {
    host = "localhost"
}

// AFTER (Dingo)
host := appConfig?.Database?.Host ?? "localhost"

---

Generics & Tuples

Generic Syntax

Dingo uses <T> syntax for generics. Go's [T] syntax is valid but <T> is the idiomatic Dingo style.

// Dingo-idiomatic: <T>
func Map<T, R>(items []T, f func(T) R) []R {
    result := make([]R, len(items))
    for i, item := range items {
        result[i] = f(item)
    }
    return result
}

func Stack<T>() *StackImpl[T] {
    return &StackImpl[T]{}
}

type Cache<K comparable, V any> struct {
    store map[K]V
    mu    sync.RWMutex
}

Tuple Destructuring

// Multi-return unpacking
(user, err) := fetchUser(id)
if err != nil {
    return err
}

// Ignore with _
(lat, _) := getCoordinates()

// Destructure directly
(min, max) := minMax(numbers)

Tuple Type Aliases

// Supported — generates Go type alias via runtime/tuples package
type Point2D = (float64, float64)
type Range   = (int, int)
type NameID  = (string, int)

func origin() Point2D {
    return (0.0, 0.0)
}

(x, y) := origin()

Generates:

type Point2D = tuples.Tuple2[float64, float64]

func origin() Point2D {
    return tuples.Tuple2[float64, float64]{First: 0.0, Second: 0.0}
}

Note: Tuple type aliases require the github.com/MadAppGang/dingo/runtime/tuples runtime dependency.

When to use tuples vs structs:

• Use tuples for transient multi-return values without stable semantic identity
• Use named structs when values have stable meaning, are stored, or benefit from named fields

---

Expression Sugar

Ternary Operator

// Basic ternary
status := user.Active ? "Active" : "Inactive"

// In function arguments
greet(user.HasNickname ? user.Nickname : user.FullName)

// Return value
return isAdmin ? "Admin" : "User"

// Discount calculation
discount := order.Total > 100 ? order.Total * 0.1 : 0.0

Ternary guidelines:

• Use only for simple, side-effect-free expressions
• Maximum 2 levels of nesting before it hurts readability
• Do NOT use for function calls with side effects
• Do NOT use for complex multi-step logic

// WRONG — side effects in ternary
value := cond ? fetchFromDB() : computeExpensive()

// WRONG — too deeply nested
result := a ? (b ? c : d) : (e ? f : g)  // use if/else

// CORRECT
label := count == 1 ? "item" : "items"

---

Feature Combinations

These named combinations represent real-world patterns. Recognizing them by name helps apply the right set of features together.

1. Error Propagation Stack

? chains for stdlib/infrastructure calls.

func buildReport(configPath string) (*Report, error) {
    config := loadConfig(configPath) ? "load config"
    data   := fetchData(config.DataURL) ? "fetch data"
    parsed := parseData(data) ? "parse data"
    return generateReport(parsed), nil
}

2. Validation Chain

Result[T, E] + guard for sequential domain validation.

func createOrder(req CreateOrderRequest) Result[Order, error] {
    guard user    := findUser(req.UserID)       else |err| { return Err(fmt.Errorf("user: %w", err)) }
    guard cart    := getCart(user.ID)           else |err| { return Err(fmt.Errorf("cart: %w", err)) }
    guard payment := validatePayment(req.Card)  else |err| { return Err(fmt.Errorf("payment: %w", err)) }
    guard total   := calculateTotal(cart)       else |err| { return Err(fmt.Errorf("total: %w", err)) }
    return Ok(Order{User: user, Cart: cart, Total: total})
}

3. Option Gate

Option[T] + guard for optional data with fallback.

func getDisplayName(userID string) string {
    guard user     := findUser(userID)    else { return "Unknown" }
    guard nickname := user.Nickname       else { return user.FullName }
    return nickname
}

4. State Machine

enum + match for closed domain states.

enum OrderState {
    Pending  { orderID: string }
    Paid     { orderID: string, transactionID: string }
    Shipped  { orderID: string, trackingNumber: string }
    Delivered { orderID: string }
    Cancelled { orderID: string, reason: string }
}

func describeState(state OrderState) string {
    return match state {
        OrderStatePending  { orderID }                    => fmt.Sprintf("%s: awaiting payment", orderID),
        OrderStatePaid     { orderID, transactionID }     => fmt.Sprintf("%s: paid (%s)", orderID, transactionID),
        OrderStateShipped  { orderID, trackingNumber }    => fmt.Sprintf("%s: in transit (%s)", orderID, trackingNumber),
        OrderStateDelivered { orderID }                   => fmt.Sprintf("%s: delivered", orderID),
        OrderStateCancelled { orderID, reason }           => fmt.Sprintf("%s: cancelled — %s", orderID, reason),
    }
}

5. Null-Safe Access

?. + ?? for deep config/profile navigation.

func resolveConnection(app *AppConfig, env *EnvConfig) ConnectionParams {
    return ConnectionParams{
        Host:     app?.Database?.Primary?.Host ?? env?.DbHost ?? "localhost",
        Port:     app?.Database?.Primary?.Port ?? 5432,
        User:     app?.Database?.Credentials?.User ?? env?.DbUser ?? "postgres",
        Password: app?.Database?.Credentials?.Password ?? env?.DbPassword ?? "",
    }
}

6. Functional Pipeline

Lambdas + dgo functions for data transformation.

func buildLeaderboard(users []User) []LeaderboardEntry {
    active := dgo.Filter(users, |u| u.Active && u.Score > 0)
    return dgo.Map(active, |u| LeaderboardEntry{
        Name:  u.DisplayName,
        Score: u.Score,
        Rank:  0,  // set by caller
    })
}

// With GroupBy
func categorizeByTier(users []User) map[string][]User {
    return dgo.GroupBy(users, |u| match u {
        UserTierFree    => "free",
        UserTierPro     => "pro",
        UserTierEnterprise => "enterprise",
    })
}

7. Match Pipeline

match inside lambda for type-dispatched transformation.

func renderEvents(events []Event) []string {
    return dgo.Map(events, |e| match e {
        EventUserCreated { userID, email }   => fmt.Sprintf("[+] User %d (%s)", userID, email),
        EventUserDeleted { userID }          => fmt.Sprintf("[-] User %d", userID),
        EventEmailChanged { userID, _, new } => fmt.Sprintf("[~] User %d → %s", userID, new),
    })
}

8. Full Domain Stack

enum + Result + guard + match + ? for complex service/handler logic.

func (s *PaymentService) ProcessOrder(
    ctx context.Context,
    orderID string,
) Result[PaymentReceipt, PaymentError] {

    guard order    := s.orderRepo.FindByID(ctx, orderID)  else |err| {
        return Err[PaymentReceipt, PaymentError](PaymentError{
            Code: "ORDER_NOT_FOUND", Cause: err,
        })
    }

    guard customer := s.customerRepo.Find(ctx, order.CustomerID) else |err| {
        return Err[PaymentReceipt, PaymentError](PaymentError{
            Code: "CUSTOMER_NOT_FOUND", Cause: err,
        })
    }

    // Pattern match on current order state
    total := match order.State {
        OrderStatePending { _ } => order.Total,
        OrderStatePaid    { _ } => return Err[PaymentReceipt, PaymentError](
            PaymentError{Code: "ALREADY_PAID"},
        ),
        _ => return Err[PaymentReceipt, PaymentError](
            PaymentError{Code: "INVALID_STATE"},
        ),
    }

    // Use ? for infrastructure calls
    charge := s.stripe.Charge(customer.PaymentMethod, total) ? |e| PaymentError{
        Code: "CHARGE_FAILED", Cause: e,
    }

    receipt := s.orderRepo.MarkAsPaid(ctx, orderID, charge.ID)?

    return Ok[PaymentReceipt, PaymentError](receipt)
}

9. Outcome Stack

enum + Result + guard + match for domain workflows with typed outcomes.

enum ValidationOutcome {
    Valid   { sanitized: UserInput }
    Invalid { field: string, reason: string }
    Blocked { reason: string }
}

func validateRegistration(input UserInput) ValidationOutcome {
    guard sanitized := sanitizeInput(input) else |_| {
        return NewValidationOutcomeBlocked("input sanitization failed")
    }
    if !isValidEmail(sanitized.Email) {
        return NewValidationOutcomeInvalid("email", "invalid format")
    }
    if isDisposableEmail(sanitized.Email) {
        return NewValidationOutcomeBlocked("disposable email domain")
    }
    return NewValidationOutcomeValid(sanitized)
}

func handleRegistration(input UserInput) (*User, error) {
    outcome := validateRegistration(input)
    return match outcome {
        ValidationOutcomeValid { sanitized }      => createUser(sanitized),
        ValidationOutcomeInvalid { field, reason } => nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid %s: %s", field, reason),
        ValidationOutcomeBlocked { reason }        => nil, fmt.Errorf("blocked: %s", reason),
    }
}

---

Code Review Rules

Apply these in priority order when reviewing .dingo files. All Go syntax is valid in .dingo files — the question is whether the code uses Dingo to be shorter, safer, or more domain-expressive than the equivalent Go.

Review philosophy: Distinguish interop boundaries (Go-like forms may still be appropriate at public APIs and infrastructure code) from domain/service logic (Dingo should be actively preferred).

CHECK 1 — Error Propagation [CRITICAL]

• Any if err != nil { return ... err } → suggest expr?
• Any if err != nil { return ... fmt.Errorf("...", err) } → suggest expr ? "msg"
• Sequential val, err := ...; if err != nil chains → suggest ? or guard chain
• Ad hoc result structs (type XResult struct { Value T; Err error; Ok bool }) → suggest Result[T, E]

CHECK 2 — Nil Chain Guards [HIGH]

• if a != nil && a.B != nil && a.B.C != nil { use a.B.C } → suggest a?.B?.C ?? default
• Nested if x != nil { if x.Y != nil { use x.Y.Z } } → suggest x?.Y?.Z
• if p != nil { val = *p } else { val = "default" } → suggest p ?? "default"
• if user.Language != nil { lang = *user.Language } → suggest lang := user.Language ?? "en"

CHECK 3 — Pointer Returns for Optionality [HIGH]

• Functions returning *T where nil means "not found" → suggest Option[T]
• Callers doing if result == nil (not if err != nil) → signal for Option
• v, ok := lookup(k); if !ok { ... } (T, bool) pattern → suggest Option[T] + guard
• Manual result struct that's essentially (T, bool) → suggest Result[T, E]

CHECK 4 — Enums and Pattern Matching [HIGH]

• type X interface{ isX() } + implementing structs → suggest enum + match
• type Status int; const (A Status = iota; B; C) → suggest Dingo enum
• switch v := x.(type) on a Dingo enum type → suggest match (do NOT flag stdlib type switches)
• Struct with Kind string / Type int tag field + variant payloads → suggest enum variants
• Mutually exclusive struct fields (only one is non-zero at a time) → suggest enum variants

CHECK 5 — Guard Let [MEDIUM]

• 3+ sequential if err != nil early returns → suggest guard chain
• result.IsErr(); return result.MustErr() pair → suggest guard
• opt.IsNone(); return default pair → suggest guard
• Nested if blocks that would flatten to a guard chain

CHECK 6 — Functional Style [MEDIUM]

• for loop building slice with append → suggest dgo.Map + lambda
• for loop with conditional append → suggest dgo.Filter + lambda
• for loop with accumulator → suggest dgo.Reduce + lambda
• func(u User) string { return u.Name } passed to Map/Filter → suggest |u| u.Name

CHECK 7 — Expression Sugar [LOW]

• var x T; if cond { x = a } else { x = b } → suggest x := cond ? a : b (Only for simple, side-effect-free expressions)
• func Map[T any] generic syntax in .dingo → suggest func Map<T>
• a != nil ? a : b pattern → suggest a ?? b

Severity Guide

Severity	Description
CRITICAL	Boilerplate that will keep appearing; massive noise
HIGH	Safety, optionality, or domain-modeling concern
MEDIUM	Flow improvement; better readability
LOW	Style only; no semantic impact

Report Format

=== Dingo Code Review ===
File: path/to/service.dingo

CRITICAL:
  [CR-01] Line 45: Naked error propagation
    Found:   user, err := getUser(id); if err != nil { return nil, err }
    Replace: user := getUser(id)?

  [CR-02] Line 67: Wrapped error propagation
    Found:   if err != nil { return nil, fmt.Errorf("fetch: %w", err) }
    Replace: val := fetch() ? "fetch"

HIGH:
  [CR-03] Line 23: Nil chain
    Found:   if config != nil && config.DB != nil { host = config.DB.Host }
    Replace: host := config?.DB?.Host ?? "localhost"

  [CR-11] Line 88: Pointer nil + deref
    Found:   if user.Language != nil { lang = *user.Language }
    Replace: lang := user.Language ?? "en"

MEDIUM:
  [CR-10] Lines 30–38: Sequential error ladder → use guard chain

LOW:
  [CR-08] Line 67: Verbose func literal → lambda
  [CR-09] Line 34: [T any] syntax → <T>

Summary: 2 critical, 2 high, 1 medium, 2 low

Scope Limitations

This review checks syntax and structure only. It does NOT:

• Verify that transformations are semantically correct for your codebase
• Check that error types are compatible across callers
• Verify Result/Option methods are called correctly at all call sites
• Analyze goroutine-safety of error propagation
• Check if Option callers were updated when a function signature changed

Always review suggested transformations before applying.

Final question after review:

Does this .dingo file demonstrate Dingo's strengths, or does it still read like Go with a different extension?

---

Anti-Patterns

Organized by severity.

Critical — Compile Error or Runtime Panic

AP-1: ? in void function

// WRONG — compile error
func validate(data Data) {
    validateField(data.Name)?  // nothing to return
}

// CORRECT
func validate(data Data) {
    _ = validateField(data.Name)?
}
// Or better — return an error:
func validate(data Data) error {
    validateField(data.Name)?
    return nil
}

AP-2: Non-exhaustive match

// WRONG — compile error if Status has more than 2 variants
match status {
    StatusPending => "pending",
    StatusActive  => "active",
    // missing StatusDone, StatusCancelled
}

// CORRECT
match status {
    StatusPending   => "pending",
    StatusActive    => "active",
    StatusDone      => "done",
    StatusCancelled => "cancelled",
}

AP-3: MustOk()/MustSome() without a prior check

// WRONG — panics at runtime if IsErr
user := findUser(id).MustSome()

// CORRECT
guard user := findUser(id) else { return "unknown" }
// or
if result.IsOk() {
    user := result.MustOk()
}

AP-4: Option guard with |err| binding

// WRONG — compile error: Option has no error value
guard user := findUser(id) else |err| {  // findUser returns Option[User]
    return fmt.Errorf("not found: %w", err)
}

// CORRECT
guard user := findUser(id) else {
    return errors.New("user not found")
}

AP-5: ?. on value types (non-pointer)

user := User{Name: "Alice"}

// WRONG — compile error: user is not a pointer
name := user?.Name

// CORRECT
var userPtr *User = &user
name := userPtr?.Name

AP-6: Mixed Result + error in function signature

// WRONG — never do this
func findUser(id string) (Result[User, string], error) { ... }

// CORRECT — pick one pattern
func findUser(id string) Result[User, error]   { ... }  // domain API
func findUser(id string) (*User, error)        { ... }  // Go-compat
func findUser(id string) Option[User]          { ... }  // lookup

---

High — Incorrect Idiom or Incorrect Semantics

AP-7: Re-inventing Option[T] with a custom enum

// WRONG — reinvents Option
enum MaybeUser {
    Found { user: User }
    NotFound
}

// CORRECT — use dgo Option
func findUser(id string) Option[User] { ... }

AP-8: if err != nil in .dingo files (domain logic)

// WRONG — Go idiom in Dingo domain code
user, err := getUser(id)
if err != nil {
    return nil, err
}

// CORRECT
user := getUser(id)?

AP-9: Guard reassignment confusion

// WRONG — user is already declared; := creates new variable
var user User
guard user := refreshUser(id) else |err| { return err }

// CORRECT — use = for reassignment
var user User
guard user = refreshUser(id) else |err| { return err }

AP-10: Wrong enum variant name prefix in match

// WRONG — missing enum name prefix
match status {
    Pending => "wait",  // should be StatusPending
    Active  => "go",    // should be StatusActive
}

// CORRECT
match status {
    StatusPending => "wait",
    StatusActive  => "go",
}

AP-11: Direct struct literal instead of constructor

// WRONG — bypasses generated constructor; breaks if struct changes
status := StatusActive{message: "working"}

// CORRECT — use generated constructor
status := NewStatusActive("working")

AP-12: Mixing dgo Option with enum-based Option

// WRONG — two incompatible API styles in same codebase
dgoResult := Some(user)             // dgo package Option
enumResult := NewOptionSome(user)   // interface-based enum Option

// CORRECT — choose one; dgo Option is preferred
result := Some(user)

---

Medium — Poor Domain Modeling

AP-13: Option when absence needs explanation

// WRONG — caller can't know why it's None
func getAccountBalance(id string) Option[float64] { ... }

// CORRECT — absence has meaning (account frozen, not found, etc.)
func getAccountBalance(id string) Result[float64, BalanceError] { ... }

AP-14: enum for open-ended values

// WRONG — HTTP codes are not a closed set
enum HTTPStatus {
    OK200
    NotFound404
    ServerError500
    // can never enumerate all HTTP codes
}

// CORRECT
const (
    StatusOK       = 200
    StatusNotFound = 404
)

AP-15: Tuples for persistent data storage

// WRONG — values have stable meaning; use named struct
type UserRecord = (string, int, time.Time)  // what are these?

// CORRECT
type UserRecord struct {
    Name      string
    Age       int
    CreatedAt time.Time
}

AP-16: Enum to reinvent Result/Option

// WRONG — custom Result with extra wrapping
enum FetchResult {
    Success { data: User }
    Error   { msg: string }
}

// CORRECT — use dgo Result directly
func fetchUser(id string) Result[User, string] { ... }

---

Low — Style Issues

AP-17: Ternary for complex multi-step logic

// WRONG — side effects and complex logic in ternary
result := cond ? fetchUserAndSendEmail(id) : computeExpensiveFallback()

// CORRECT — use if/else for complex logic
var result User
if cond {
    result = fetchUser(id)
    sendWelcomeEmail(result)
} else {
    result = computeFallback()
}

AP-18: Lambda for complex multi-line logic

// WRONG — lambda too complex; extract named function
processed := dgo.Map(users, |u| {
    validated := validate(u)
    if !validated.IsOk() {
        log.Printf("invalid user: %v", u.ID)
        return defaultUser()
    }
    enriched := enrich(validated.MustOk())
    return transform(enriched)
})

// CORRECT — extract named function
func processUser(u User) User {
    validated := validate(u)
    if !validated.IsOk() {
        log.Printf("invalid user: %v", u.ID)
        return defaultUser()
    }
    enriched := enrich(validated.MustOk())
    return transform(enriched)
}

processed := dgo.Map(users, processUser)

AP-19: Ternary nil check instead of ??

// WRONG — reinvents ??
name := user.Nickname != nil ? user.Nickname : "Anonymous"

// CORRECT
name := user.Nickname ?? "Anonymous"

AP-20: Nested match where guard is cleaner

// WRONG — nested match for sequential Result/Option access
result := match findUser(id) {
    Some(user) => match loadProfile(user.ID) {
        Some(profile) => profile.Name,
        None          => user.Name,
    },
    None => "unknown",
}

// CORRECT — sequential guard chain
guard user    := findUser(id)         else { return "unknown" }
guard profile := loadProfile(user.ID) else { return user.Name }
return profile.Name

---

Go Boundary

When to Stay Go-Compatible

Not everything in a .dingo file needs Dingo syntax. Recognizing the boundary is as important as knowing the features.

Layer	Recommended Style
Domain/service logic	Dingo (Result, enum, guard, match)
Infrastructure (DB, HTTP client, queue)	(T, error) + ? for propagation
Public API types (library consumers)	Consider staying Go-compatible
Generated code (protobuf, sqlc)	Don't touch; use ? at call sites
Test files	Either style; prefer Dingo for service layer tests
Standard library interop	(T, error) + ?; avoid wrapping in Result

Public API Considerations

When your package will be imported by Go (non-Dingo) code:

• Keep exported function signatures using (T, error) not Result[T, E]
• Keep exported struct fields using *T not Option[T] (dgo types have dgo import dep)
• Use Dingo features internally; convert at the boundary

// Internal implementation — full Dingo
func (s *service) processInternal(id string) Result[Output, DomainError] {
    guard user := s.findUser(id) else |err| {
        return Err[Output, DomainError](domainErr(err))
    }
    // ...
    return Ok[Output, DomainError](output)
}

// Public API — Go-compatible signature
func (s *service) Process(id string) (*Output, error) {
    result := s.processInternal(id)
    if result.IsErr() {
        return nil, result.MustErr()
    }
    out := result.MustOk()
    return &out, nil
}

Infrastructure Code

// Infrastructure code — use (T, error) + ? for stdlib interop
func (r *postgresRepo) FindByID(ctx context.Context, id string) (*User, error) {
    var user User
    err := r.db.QueryRowContext(ctx,
        "SELECT id, email, name FROM users WHERE id = $1", id,
    ).Scan(&user.ID, &user.Email, &user.Name)

    // (T, error) is correct here; ? for propagation
    if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
        return nil, nil  // or convert to Option at service layer
    }
    return &user, err
}

---

Migration Guide

When migrating an existing Go codebase to Dingo, apply transformations in this priority order (highest impact + lowest risk first):

Phase 1 — Zero Risk (apply everywhere)

#	Transformation	Risk	Lines Saved
1	if err != nil { return ... err } → ?	Zero	3–4 per occurrence
2	Nil check chains → ?. + ??	Zero	3–5 per chain
3	Callback func(T) R in Map/Filter → lambda	Zero	Style

Phase 2 — Low Risk (local transformations)

#	Transformation	Risk	Notes
4	Interface union → enum + match	Low	10–30 lines boilerplate eliminated
5	iota enum → enum	Low	Cleaner syntax
6	Sequential unwrap ladder → guard	Low	Flattens nested ifs
7	Type switch on Dingo enum → match	Low	Exhaustiveness gain

Phase 3 — Medium Risk (requires updating callers)

#	Transformation	Risk	Notes
8	*T for optionality → Option[T]	Medium	Update all call sites
9	(*T, error) domain API → Result[T, E]	Medium	Only for domain APIs; update callers

Phase 4 — Style Only

#	Transformation	Risk	Notes
10	Simple if/else → ternary	Zero	Only side-effect-free

Rollout Strategy

1. Start with leaf functions (utilities, helpers) — no callers to update
2. Move inward: repositories → services → handlers
3. Convert (T, error) → Result[T, E] only when the whole vertical slice is Dingo
4. Keep public package APIs Go-compatible until all consumers are converted
5. Infrastructure code (DB, HTTP, gRPC) stays (T, error) unless you control both sides

High-Signal Migration Targets

These patterns in a .go-in-Dingo file indicate immediate transformation opportunity:

if err != nil       → at least 3× per function → ? chains
if x != nil && x.Y  → nil check chains         → ?. + ??
switch v := x.(type) → type switch on domain    → match
type X int; const ( → iota enum                 → enum

---

Built-in Types Note

Option[T], Result[T, E], Some(), None(), Ok(), Err() are built-in Dingo syntax — no import needed. The transpiler generates all necessary type definitions.

Only import dgo when writing pure Go code that interoperates with Dingo-generated types, or when using the dgo package functions (dgo.Map, dgo.Filter, etc.).

// No import needed — built-in Dingo
func findUser(id string) Option[User] {
    if found {
        return Some(user)
    }
    return None[User]()
}

func divide(a, b int) Result[int, string] {
    if b == 0 {
        return Err[int, string]("division by zero")
    }
    return Ok[int, string](a / b)
}

---

Dingo Developer — consolidated reference for all Dingo language features. Source of truth: compiler-verified behavior as of Dingo 0.14.0 (2026-03-28).