README.md

@@ -273,8 +273,8 @@ Writes e.g. `{"id":1,"paid":true,"total":59.97}`. A column is a field of the top
 template, or an item of a choice standing in for one; `datatype` anywhere else is a
 load error. A typed column holds one value, alone in its format: a literal, one
 `{int()}`, `{float()}`, `{seq()}` or `{calc()}` call, or a read that lands only on such
-values. `integer` is an int64 written `-?(0|[1-9][0-9]*)` — `{float()}` prints one at
-`0` decimals — `number` a JSON number, `boolean` `true` or `false`. A value its
+values. `integer` is an int64 written `0|-?[1-9][0-9]*` — `{float()}` prints one at
+`0` decimals within int64 — `number` a JSON number, `boolean` `true` or `false`. A value its
 datatype cannot hold is a load error naming it:
 
 ```text
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ literal, an `{int()}`, `{float()}`, `{seq()}` or `{digits()}` call, a calc, or a
 such values, whose bounds keep every divisor from zero and the result within `1e300`.
 What the bounds cannot show is refused — `{calc(a / b)}: divides by b, which is not
 proven nonzero`. The calc fills an `integer` column at `0` decimals, or over whole
-operands with no `/`.
+operands with no `/`, while its bounds stay within int64.
 
 ### Null
 
@@ -365,7 +365,8 @@ hyphenated field can't be an operand.
 { "format": "{net} x {qty} = {calc(net * qty, 2)}", "net": ["19.99", "5.00"], "qty": ["3", "7"] }
 ```
 
-Renders e.g. `19.99 x 3 = 59.97`. An operand that can never be a number (`"abc"`,
+Renders e.g. `19.99 x 3 = 59.97`. A result that rounds to zero prints unsigned — `0`,
+`0.00` — as `{float()}`'s does. An operand that can never be a number (`"abc"`,
 or a choice of such) is rejected at load, as is a division by a constant zero
 (`1/0`, or a fixed `"0"` field); an operand that sometimes is not a number yields
 `NaN`, and a division by one that is not constant `Inf` — both print rather than

builtins.go

@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ var builtins = map[string]builtin{
 	"ulid":   {arity: 0, prep: sample(ulid)},
 	"nanoid": {arity: 1, check: posIntArg, prep: chars(nanoidAlphabet)},
 	"hex":    {arity: 1, check: posIntArg, prep: chars(hexDigits)},
-	"digits": {arity: 1, check: posIntArg, prep: chars("0123456789"), number: func(a []string) (proven, DataType) {
-		return bounded(0, math.Pow(10, float64(atoi(a[0])))-1, true), DataTypeString
+	"digits": {arity: 1, check: posIntArg, prep: chars("0123456789"), number: func(token string, a []string) proven {
+		return printing(token, DataTypeString, bounded(0, math.Pow(10, float64(atoi(a[0])))-1, true))
 	}},
 	"upper": {arity: 1, check: posIntArg, prep: chars("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ")},
 	"lower": {arity: 1, check: posIntArg, prep: chars("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz")},
@@ -45,16 +45,16 @@ var builtins = map[string]builtin{
 	"int": {arity: 2, check: intRangeArgs, prep: func(a []string) callFn {
 		lo, span := atoi(a[0]), atoi(a[1])-atoi(a[0])+1
 		return func(s *session, _ string, _ []string) string { return strconv.Itoa(lo + s.IntN(span)) }
-	}, number: func(a []string) (proven, DataType) {
-		return bounded(float64(atoi(a[0])), float64(atoi(a[1])), true), DataTypeInteger
+	}, number: func(token string, a []string) proven {
+		return printing(token, DataTypeInteger, bounded(float64(atoi(a[0])), float64(atoi(a[1])), true))
 	}},
 	"float": {arity: 3, check: floatArgs, prep: func(a []string) callFn {
 		lo, hi, dp := atof(a[0]), atof(a[1]), atoi(a[2])
 		return func(s *session, _ string, _ []string) string {
-			return strconv.FormatFloat(lo+s.Float64()*(hi-lo), 'f', dp, 64)
+			return formatFloat(lo+s.Float64()*(hi-lo), dp)
 		}
-	}, number: func(a []string) (proven, DataType) {
-		return printedNumber(bounded(atof(a[0]), atof(a[1]), false), atoi(a[2]))
+	}, number: func(token string, a []string) proven {
+		return printedNumber(token, bounded(atof(a[0]), atof(a[1]), false), atoi(a[2]))
 	}},
 	"iban": {arity: 1, check: ibanArg, prep: func(a []string) callFn {
 		cc := a[0]
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ var builtins = map[string]builtin{
 		return func(s *session, _ string, _ []string) string {
 			return strconv.FormatUint(s.next(key), 10)
 		}
-	}, number: func([]string) (proven, DataType) {
-		return bounded(1, math.MaxInt64, true), DataTypeInteger
+	}, number: func(token string, _ []string) proven {
+		return printing(token, DataTypeInteger, bounded(1, math.MaxInt64, true))
 	}},
 }
 
@@ -104,6 +104,15 @@ func chars(alphabet string) func([]string) callFn {
 
 const hexDigits = "0123456789abcdef"
 
+// formatFloat prints v to dp decimals, -1 for the shortest form, and a zero unsigned.
+func formatFloat(v float64, dp int) string {
+	s := strconv.FormatFloat(v, 'f', dp, 64)
+	if strings.HasPrefix(s, "-") && strings.Trim(s, "-0.") == "" {
+		return s[1:]
+	}
+	return s
+}
+
 // transforms are the builtins that rewrite one operand's value; they nest, so
 // {lowercase(ascii(x))} folds then lowers.
 var transforms = map[string]func(string) string{

calc.go

@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ func calcPrep(args []string) callFn {
 	placed := indexVars(expr, at)
 	dp := calcDecimals(args)
 	return func(_ *session, _ string, operands []string) string {
-		return strconv.FormatFloat(placed.eval(operands), 'f', dp, 64)
+		return formatFloat(placed.eval(operands), dp)
 	}
 }
 

datatype.go

@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func disagreement(a, b *template) error {
 	switch {
 	case bare.datatype != DataTypeString:
 		return fmt.Errorf("its items declare %s and %s; a column holds one datatype", a.datatype, b.datatype)
-	case len(bare.fields) == 0 && bare.repeat == 1:
+	case bare.fields == nil: // a JSON string; an object, which may carry a weight, has a fields map
 		return fmt.Errorf(`item %q declares no datatype, and a column holds one; write it as {"format":%q,"datatype":%q}`, bare.format, bare.format, typed.datatype)
 	}
 	return fmt.Errorf(`an item declares no datatype beside one declaring %s; a column holds one, so give it "datatype": %q`, typed.datatype, typed.datatype)

node.go

@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ type choice struct {
 
 func (*choice) isNode() {}
 
-// null is a record column's missing value, rendered as "". It is not zero-sized, so two
-// nulls are two map keys.
+// null is a column's missing value, rendered ""; sized so two nulls are two map keys.
 type null struct{ _ byte }
 
 func (*null) isNode() {}
@@ -216,6 +215,9 @@ func checkNoRepeatedItem(items []any) error {
 			if s, isString := raw.(string); isString {
 				return fmt.Errorf("choice item %q is repeated; skew the odds with a weight instead: { \"format\": %q, \"weight\": 2 }", s, s)
 			}
+			if raw == nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("choice item %d repeats null; a null takes no weight, so weight the other items instead", i)
+			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("choice item %d repeats item %d; skew the odds with a weight on one of them instead", i, j)
 		}
 		seen[string(key)] = i

record.go

@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 package fejkdata
 
 import (
-	"encoding/csv"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
+	"unicode"
+	"unicode/utf8"
 )
 
 // Column is one rendered column of a record. Value is the rendered text, which a
@@ -73,15 +74,16 @@ func (r *Record) CSVLine() string {
 	return strings.Join(fields, ",")
 }
 
+// csvField quotes a field where encoding/csv would, and an empty one too.
 func csvField(s string) string {
-	if s == "" {
+	first, _ := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(s)
+	switch {
+	case s == "":
 		return `""`
+	case s == `\.` || strings.ContainsAny(s, "\",\r\n") || unicode.IsSpace(first):
+		return `"` + strings.ReplaceAll(s, `"`, `""`) + `"`
 	}
-	var b strings.Builder
-	w := csv.NewWriter(&b)
-	_ = w.Write([]string{s})
-	w.Flush()
-	return strings.TrimSuffix(b.String(), "\n")
+	return s
 }
 
 // SQLInsert renders the record as one INSERT statement into table, identifiers in ANSI
@@ -104,9 +106,7 @@ func quoteIdent(s string) string {
 	return `"` + strings.ReplaceAll(s, `"`, `""`) + `"`
 }
 
-// literal spells a column the way a serializer writes it: quoted for a string, bare for
-// any other datatype, whose every render the load check proved a literal, and nullText
-// for a null.
+// literal writes a string column quoted, a proven typed one bare, and a null as nullText.
 func literal(c Column, quote func(string) string, nullText string) string {
 	switch {
 	case c.Null:

template.go

@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ type builtin struct {
 	// operands names the fields the call reads, which expand renders for it; nil
 	// for a builtin that reads none.
 	operands func(args []string) []string
-	// number bounds the number a call prints and names the datatype its text is; nil
-	// for a builtin whose text is no number.
-	number func(args []string) (proven, DataType)
+	// number proves what a call prints, token its body: the bounds of its number and the
+	// datatype of its text; nil for a builtin whose text is no number.
+	number func(token string, args []string) proven
 }
 
 // funcCall splits a "{token}" body shaped name(args) into its parts; ok is false

value.go

@@ -11,16 +11,14 @@ import (
 // proven is what a proof knows of every render of a node: bounds on the number each
 // reads as, and per datatype why some render's text is not one ("" when none).
 type proven struct {
-	lo, hi    float64
-	nonZero   float64 // every value is at least this far from zero; 0 when one can be zero
-	integral  bool
-	notNumber string // why some render reads as no finite number, the way calc reads it
-	not       [len(dataTypeNames)]string
+	lo, hi     float64
+	nonZero    float64 // every value is at least this far from zero; 0 when one can be zero
+	integral   bool
+	notOperand string // why some render reads as no finite number, the way calc reads it
+	not        [len(dataTypeNames)]string
 }
 
-// valueProof proves what typed columns and their calc operands hold, each node once per
-// scope. A typed column holds one value: a literal, one value builtin, one calc, or a
-// read of such values.
+// valueProof proves what typed columns and their calc operands hold, each node once per scope.
 type valueProof struct {
 	memo map[node]proven
 }
@@ -71,8 +69,8 @@ func (p *valueProof) unite(nodes []node) proven {
 		w := p.of(n)
 		v.lo, v.hi, v.nonZero = min(v.lo, w.lo), max(v.hi, w.hi), min(v.nonZero, w.nonZero)
 		v.integral = v.integral && w.integral
-		if v.notNumber == "" {
-			v.notNumber = w.notNumber
+		if v.notOperand == "" {
+			v.notOperand = w.notOperand
 		}
 		for d := range v.not {
 			if v.not[d] == "" {
@@ -93,7 +91,7 @@ func (p *valueProof) template(t *template) proven {
 		return literalValue(t.lit)
 	case len(t.ops) != 1:
 		v := unproven(notOneValue(t.format, "{int()}, {float()}, {seq()} or {calc()}"))
-		v.notNumber = notOneValue(t.format, "{int()}, {float()}, {seq()}, {digits()} or {calc()}")
+		v.notOperand = notOneValue(t.format, "{int()}, {float()}, {seq()}, {digits()} or {calc()}")
 		return v
 	}
 	body := t.format[1 : len(t.format)-1]
@@ -108,12 +106,11 @@ func (p *valueProof) template(t *template) proven {
 	case name == "calc":
 		return p.calc(t, body, args)
 	case builtins[name].number != nil:
-		v, prints := builtins[name].number(args)
-		return printing(body, prints, v)
+		return builtins[name].number(body, args)
 	case isTransform:
 		return unproven(fmt.Sprintf("{%s} rewrites text rather than printing a value; write the values it would print", body))
 	}
-	return printing(body, DataTypeString, proven{notNumber: fmt.Sprintf("{%s} prints text, not a number", body)})
+	return printing(body, DataTypeString, proven{notOperand: fmt.Sprintf("{%s} prints text, not a number", body)})
 }
 
 func (p *valueProof) calc(t *template, body string, args []string) proven {
@@ -128,8 +125,7 @@ func (p *valueProof) calc(t *template, body string, args []string) proven {
 	if doubt != "" {
 		return unproven(fmt.Sprintf("{%s}: %s", body, doubt))
 	}
-	v, prints := printedNumber(v, calcDecimals(args))
-	return printing(body, prints, v)
+	return printedNumber(body, v, calcDecimals(args))
 }
 
 // calcLimit is the largest magnitude a proof accepts as finite, far enough below
@@ -144,8 +140,8 @@ func (p *valueProof) expr(n calcNode, fields map[string]node) (proven, string) {
 		return bounded(v, v, v == math.Trunc(v)), ""
 	case calcVar:
 		v := p.of(fields[string(n)])
-		if v.notNumber != "" {
-			return proven{}, fmt.Sprintf("operand %q: %s", string(n), v.notNumber)
+		if v.notOperand != "" {
+			return proven{}, fmt.Sprintf("operand %q: %s", string(n), v.notOperand)
 		}
 		return proven{lo: v.lo, hi: v.hi, nonZero: v.nonZero, integral: v.integral}, ""
 	case calcNeg:
@@ -205,17 +201,21 @@ func bounded(lo, hi float64, integral bool) proven {
 
 func magnitude(v proven) float64 { return math.Max(math.Abs(v.lo), math.Abs(v.hi)) }
 
-// printedNumber is v once strconv.FormatFloat prints it to dp decimals, and the datatype
-// that text is: an integer when whole and within int64, else a number.
-func printedNumber(v proven, dp int) (proven, DataType) {
+// printedNumber is what a token printing v to dp decimals holds: an integer when whole
+// and within int64, else a number.
+func printedNumber(token string, v proven, dp int) proven {
 	if dp >= 0 {
-		half := math.Pow(10, -float64(dp)) / 2
+		half, _ := strconv.ParseFloat("5e-"+strconv.Itoa(dp+1), 64) // math.Pow(10, -dp) can land below the tie and let a printed zero through
 		v = proven{lo: v.lo - half, hi: v.hi + half, nonZero: math.Max(0, v.nonZero-half), integral: v.integral || dp == 0}
 	}
-	if (dp == 0 || dp < 0 && v.integral) && magnitude(v) < math.MaxInt64 {
-		return v, DataTypeInteger
+	if dp != 0 && !(dp < 0 && v.integral) {
+		return printing(token, DataTypeNumber, v)
 	}
-	return v, DataTypeNumber
+	v = printing(token, DataTypeInteger, v)
+	if !(magnitude(v) < math.MaxInt64) {
+		v.not[DataTypeInteger] = fmt.Sprintf("{%s} is not proven within int64", token)
+	}
+	return v
 }
 
 // printing is v for a token whose every render is text of datatype prints, with a reason
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func notOneValue(format, calls string) string {
 
 // unproven is a render no datatype and no calc can take, for why.
 func unproven(why string) proven {
-	v := proven{notNumber: why}
+	v := proven{notOperand: why}
 	for d := DataTypeInteger; d <= DataTypeBoolean; d++ {
 		v.not[d] = why
 	}
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ var (
 func literalValue(text string) proven {
 	var v proven
 	if f, err := strconv.ParseFloat(strings.TrimSpace(text), 64); err != nil || math.IsNaN(f) || math.IsInf(f, 0) {
-		v.notNumber = fmt.Sprintf("%q is not a number", text)
+		v.notOperand = fmt.Sprintf("%q is not a number", text)
 	} else {
 		v = bounded(f, f, f == math.Trunc(f))
 	}
@@ -260,11 +260,24 @@ func literalValue(text string) proven {
 	} else if err != nil {
 		v.not[DataTypeInteger] = fmt.Sprintf("%q is past the int64 range", text)
 	}
-	if v.notNumber != "" || !numberText.MatchString(text) {
+	if v.notOperand != "" || !numberText.MatchString(text) {
 		v.not[DataTypeNumber] = fmt.Sprintf("%q is not a number", text)
 	}
 	if text != "true" && text != "false" {
 		v.not[DataTypeBoolean] = fmt.Sprintf("%q is not a boolean", text)
 	}
+	return signedZero(text, v)
+}
+
+// signedZero refuses a zero written with a sign as a typed value, naming it unsigned.
+func signedZero(text string, v proven) proven {
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(text, "-") || v.notOperand != "" || v.lo != 0 {
+		return v
+	}
+	for _, d := range []DataType{DataTypeInteger, DataTypeNumber} {
+		if v.not[d] == "" {
+			v.not[d] = fmt.Sprintf("%q is zero written with a sign; write %q", text, text[1:])
+		}
+	}
 	return v
 }