ek9_query_classes

Answers first: classNames[], then classes[] (name, module, file, line, extends, traits, isOpen, isAbstract, keyMethods, methodCount) and summary counts - workspace-wide or the filtered subset.

Category: Enquiry · Compare: Classes outline panel (reuse-discovery)

When to use it

Is there already a class I can reuse, extend or compose - one call with nameFilter:'User'; no arguments lists every class. Narrow further with extendsFilter, traitFilter, methodNameFilter or moduleFilter.

When not to use it

Looking for a pure data shape with no methods — use ek9_query_records.
Looking for an interface contract — use ek9_query_traits.
Looking for a DI-injectable component (a specialised class kind) — use ek9_query_components.
You already have a class name — use ek9_query_type_hierarchy (full hierarchy graph), ek9_query_effective_api (complete method API), or ek9_read_construct (source).

Details

EK9 classes are CLOSED by default — check isOpen before planning to extend; for a closed candidate the reuse path is composition (use as a field). status:empty means the walk succeeded but nothing matched — non-existent extends/trait/module targets surface in meta.unmatchedFilters[], NOT as an error; no compiled program is status:not-compiled (run ek9_compile first), and the only error is a traitMatch other than any/all. nameFilter/methodNameFilter are plain case-insensitive substrings, never regex; built-in org.ek9.* stdlib classes are excluded. traitFilter and extendsFilter name a trait/class EXACTLY (bare name, or module::Name for one module's) and match by symbol, transitively; traitMatch picks any-of (default) or all-of, and traitFilterResolvedTo lists the traits the filter matched. A value naming no trait/class is in meta.unmatchedFilters[], with meta.didYouMean naming those that contain it. traitFilter covers classes: records and components cannot carry traits, and the traits that extend a trait are in ek9_query_traits implementedBy.

Arguments

Argument	Type	What it is
`among`	array of string	Names to answer FOR: 'which of these ...' - the name lists shrink to these and amongUnmatched names the ones that are not in the answer. Bare names, 'mod::Type' or 'Type.member'; a MODULE name stands for every construct in it ('which in scale.m07 do not ...' = amongUnmatched).
`extendsFilter`	string	Filter to classes whose extends-chain transitively includes this superclass name.
`includeAbstract`	boolean	Default true. When false, excludes classes marked 'as abstract'.
`includeMethodSummary`	boolean	Default true. When true each entry includes keyMethods[] (up to 5 public signatures). Set false for a lighter response.
`methodNameFilter`	string	Filter to classes declaring a method whose name matches (case-insensitive substring).
`moduleFilter`	array of string	Restrict to these exact module names. Default: workspace-wide.
`nameFilter`	string	Case-insensitive substring match on class names.
`traitFilter`	array of string	Filter to classes carrying the listed traits (transitive) - any one of them, or every one with traitMatch:'all'. Exact names, bare or module::Name.
`traitMatch`	string: any \| all	How traitFilter combines: 'any' (default) - at least one; 'all' - every one.

Recorded calls

Real calls, recorded against small projects and checked on every build - a changed answer fails it. 3 of the 4 recorded are shown.

Partial trait filter

Request

{
  "traitFilter" : [ "Ident" ]
}

Response

{
  "classNames" : [ ],
  "classes" : [ ],
  "meta" : {
    "didYouMean" : {
      "trait:Ident" : [ "Identifiable" ]
    },
    "serverMs" : "<timing>",
    "unmatchedFilters" : [ "trait:Ident" ]
  },
  "status" : "empty",
  "summary" : {
    "abstractCount" : 0,
    "classCount" : 0,
    "moduleCount" : 0,
    "openCount" : 0
  },
  "traitFilterResolvedTo" : [ ],
  "traitMatch" : "any"
}

Qualified trait filter

Request

{
  "includeMethodSummary" : false,
  "traitFilter" : [ "com.example.auth::Identifiable" ]
}

Response

{
  "classNames" : [ "UserService" ],
  "classes" : [ {
    "allTraits" : [ "Identifiable" ],
    "extends" : "BaseService",
    "file" : "services.ek9",
    "isAbstract" : false,
    "isOpen" : false,
    "line" : 20,
    "methodCount" : 4,
    "module" : "com.example.auth",
    "name" : "UserService",
    "traits" : [ "Identifiable" ]
  } ],
  "meta" : {
    "serverMs" : "<timing>"
  },
  "status" : "ok",
  "summary" : {
    "abstractCount" : 0,
    "classCount" : 1,
    "moduleCount" : 1,
    "openCount" : 0
  },
...

Cut short here: 3 more lines. The whole recorded call.

Trait filter all of

Request

{
  "includeMethodSummary" : false,
  "traitFilter" : [ "Identifiable", "Describable" ],
  "traitMatch" : "all"
}

Response

{
  "classNames" : [ "Both", "ViaCatalogue" ],
  "classes" : [ {
    "allTraits" : [ "Identifiable", "Describable" ],
    "extends" : null,
    "file" : "traits.ek9",
    "isAbstract" : false,
    "isOpen" : false,
    "line" : 22,
    "methodCount" : 4,
    "module" : "com.example.both",
    "name" : "Both",
    "traits" : [ "Identifiable", "Describable" ]
  }, {
    "allTraits" : [ "Catalogued", "Identifiable", "Describable" ],
    "extends" : null,
    "file" : "traits.ek9",
    "isAbstract" : false,
    "isOpen" : false,
    "line" : 28,
    "methodCount" : 4,
    "module" : "com.example.both",
    "name" : "ViaCatalogue",
    "traits" : [ "Catalogued" ]
...

Cut short here: 14 more lines. The whole recorded call.