Description
Problem statement: Destructuring is incredibly useful when writing legible code, especially when the notebook user only wants several methods from a parent library. Currently, if one wants methods { A, B } from library lib, they would write:
// cell 1
lib = require('lib');
// cell 2
A = lib.A;
// cell 3
B = lib.B;Current workaround:
One way Observable users have achieved similar functionality when dealing with libraries is by creating a separate notebook that serves as a representation of the restructured cells. So assuming the above snippet was stored in a notebook called @lsh/lib, it could be imported as:
import { A, B } from '@lsh/lib';Alternatively, some users push these management cells to an appendix section.
Prior art:
There is a pull request for this functionality at observablehq/parser#88, however it seems to have been abandoned due to possible lack of backwards compatibility with mutable cells.
Ideal functionality:
The ideal solution would be a single cell that allows:
{ A, B } = require('lib');however, as is referenced in the parser PR, wrapping the braces in parenthesis might be needed.
({ A, B }) = require('lib');Originally laid out at talk/4738.