Accept function in argument with empty interface return type

Question

I would like to understand why the code snippet below does not compile. What is the Go way of accepting a function as a function argument that may have any return type?

package main

func main() {
    test(a) // Error: cannot use a (type func() string) as type func() interface {} in argument to test
    test(b) // Error: cannot use b (type func() int) as type func() interface {} in argument to test
}

func a() string {
    return "hello"
}

func b() int {
    return 1
}

func test(x func() interface{}) {

    // some code...
    v := x()
    // some more code....
}

Play: https://play.golang.org/p/CqbuEZGy12

My solution based on Volker's answer:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
)

func main() {

    // Wrap function a and b with an anonymous function
    // that has an empty interface return type. With this
    // anonymous function, the call signature of test
    // can be satisfied without needing to modify the return
    // type of function a and b.

    test(func() interface{} {
        return a()
    })

    test(func() interface{} {
        return b()
    })
}

func a() string {
     return "hello"
}

func b() int {
    return 1
}

func test(x func() interface{}) {
    v := x()
    fmt.Println(v)  
}

Play: https://play.golang.org/p/waOGBZZwN7

Answer 1

You tripped over a very common misconception for Go newcomers: The empty interface interface{} does not mean "any type". Really, it does not. Go is statically typed. The empty interface interface {} is an actual (strongly typed type) like e.g. string or struct{Foo int} or interface{Explode() bool}.

That means if something has the type interface{} it has that type and not "any type".

Your function

func test(x func() interface{})

takes one parameter. This parameter is a (parameterless function) which returns a specific type, the type interface{}. You can pass any function to test which matches this signature: "No parameters and return interface{}". None of your functions a and b match this signature.

As said above: interface {} is not a magical abbreviation for "whatever",it is a distinct static type.

You have to change e.g. a to:

func a() interface{} {
    return "hello"
}

Now this might look strange as you return a string which is not of type interface{}. This works because any type is assignable to variables of type interface{} (as every type has at least no methods :-).

Answer 2

As the Go specification states:

A function type denotes the set of all functions with the same parameter and result types

In your case, your result types differ (string vs interface{})

To be able to receive a function with any kind of result type, test would have to be defined as:

func text(x interface{}) { ... }

and then you will have to use reflect package to call the function stored in x.

Edit

Such a test function would look like this:

func test(x interface{}) {
    v := reflect.ValueOf(x)

    if v.Kind() != reflect.Func {
        panic("Test requires a function")
    }

    t := v.Type()

    if t.NumIn() != 0 && t.NumOut() != 1 {
        panic("Function type must have no input parameters and a single return value")
    }

    values := v.Call(nil)

    val := values[0].Interface()
    // some more code..
}

Playground: https://play.golang.org/p/trC2lOSLNE