# Currying Public API — Design Spec **Branch:** feat/NCS-11 **Date:** 2026-03-31 --- ## Overview Refactor the public methods of `MoveValidator` and `GameRules` to use multiple parameter groups (currying), separating `(board[, history])` as the context group from the computation parameters. This is a pure style refactoring — no behaviour changes, no new tests required. --- ## Motivation Currying clarifies intent: `(board, history)` is "the world being operated on"; the remaining parameters are "what varies." It also enables partial application at call sites where board/history are fixed across a loop (e.g. `isInCheck`, `legalMoves`). --- ## Section 1: Methods Being Curried ### `MoveValidator` (public API only) | Before | After | |--------|-------| | `legalTargets(board, from)` | `legalTargets(board)(from)` | | `legalTargets(board, history, from)` | `legalTargets(board, history)(from)` | | `isLegal(board, from, to)` | `isLegal(board)(from, to)` | | `isLegal(board, history, from, to)` | `isLegal(board, history)(from, to)` | | `isCastle(board, from, to)` | `isCastle(board)(from, to)` | | `castlingTargets(board, history, color)` | `castlingTargets(board, history)(color)` | | `castleSide(from, to)` | unchanged — no board parameter | Private helpers (`isOwnPiece`, `isEnemyPiece`, `slide`, `pawnTargets`, `knightTargets`, `kingTargets`) are **not** changed. ### `GameRules` (all public methods) | Before | After | |--------|-------| | `isInCheck(board, color)` | `isInCheck(board)(color)` | | `legalMoves(board, history, color)` | `legalMoves(board, history)(color)` | | `gameStatus(board, history, color)` | `gameStatus(board, history)(color)` | --- ## Section 2: Call Sites Updated | File | Methods affected | |------|-----------------| | `modules/core/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/chess/logic/MoveValidator.scala` | Internal calls to `legalTargets`, `castlingTargets`, `isCastle` | | `modules/core/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/chess/logic/GameRules.scala` | `MoveValidator.legalTargets`, `MoveValidator.isCastle`, `isInCheck` | | `modules/core/src/main/scala/de/nowchess/chess/controller/GameController.scala` | `MoveValidator.isLegal`, `MoveValidator.isCastle`, `GameRules.gameStatus` | | `modules/core/src/test/scala/de/nowchess/chess/logic/MoveValidatorTest.scala` | `legalTargets`, `isLegal`, `castlingTargets` | | `modules/core/src/test/scala/de/nowchess/chess/logic/GameRulesTest.scala` | `isInCheck`, `legalMoves`, `gameStatus` | `EnPassantCalculator`, `CastlingRightsCalculator`, and their tests are **not** touched. --- ## Section 3: Concrete Style Gain In `GameRules.isInCheck` and `legalMoves`, `board` is passed to `legalTargets` on every loop iteration today. After currying, it is factored out as a single partial application: ```scala // Before board.pieces.exists { case (sq, piece) => piece.color != color && MoveValidator.legalTargets(board, sq).contains(kingSq) } // After val targets = MoveValidator.legalTargets(board) board.pieces.exists { case (sq, piece) => piece.color != color && targets(sq).contains(kingSq) } ``` --- ## Section 4: Testing Pure refactoring — no new tests. All existing tests must pass after call sites are updated. The test suite is the regression guard.