Investigate Prior Art

[Techcable]

Obviously the most well known Reflection APIs are going to be the Java-like runtime APIs or Python-style dynamic behavior. However, this crate would like to do as much as possible at compile time.

Rust

• 8BitMate/reflect - Implement procedural macros using compiler time reflection (originally by dontolay)
  • This is incredibly awesome, although it's a little different than what we want to do (it is for implementing proc macros)
  • I almost don't trust it because it's so revolutionary
• gimli - Dwarf debug API
  • Ofc, dwarf doesn't give much rust-specific info

C++

• skypjack/meta
  • Looks like this is what Mojang uses

Java

• TeaVM "metaprogramming API" - Used as a replacement for reflection, allowing fast startup and agressive size optimization
  • TeaVM is basically a better GWT
  • Very awesome and elegant project in general. Even emulates threading with green threads.
  • Tons of compile-time reflection, including a replacement implementing for jackson that avoids reflection (basically seeds)

[Techcable]

See also juntyr/const-type-layout. Unfortunately requires a lot of nightly features (even specialization 😦).