How to set an interface{} parameter by reference? - pointers

Question

I have a function that has a parameter with the type interface{}. This parameter represents my template data. So on each page it stores different data types (mostly structs). I want to append some data to this parameter's data, but it's an interface{} type and I can't do it.
This is what I tried:
func LoadTemplate(templateData interface) {
appendCustomData(&templateData)
... //other functionality that is not relevant
}
func appendCustomData(dst interface{}) {
// ValueOf to enter reflect-land
dstPtrValue := reflect.ValueOf(dst)
// need the type to create a value
dstPtrType := dstPtrValue.Type()
// *T -> T, crashes if not a ptr
dstType := dstPtrType.Elem()
// the *dst in *dst = zero
dstValue := reflect.Indirect(dstPtrValue)
// the zero in *dst = zero
zeroValue := reflect.Zero(dstType)
// the = in *dst = 0
v := reflect.ValueOf(dst).Elem().Elem().FieldByName("HeaderCSS")
if v.IsValid() {
v = reflect.ValueOf("new header css value")
}
reflect.ValueOf(dst).Elem().Elem().FieldByName("HeaderCSS").Set(reflect.ValueOf(v))
//dstValue.Set(zeroValue)
fmt.Println("new dstValue: ", dstValue)
}
I can successfully get the "HeaderCSS" value. But I can't replace it with another value. What am I doing wrong?
My templateData looks like this:
I have a generic struct:
type TemplateData struct {
FooterJS template.HTML
HeaderJS template.HTML
HeaderCSS template.HTML
//and some more
}
and I have another struct, such as:
type pageStruct struct {
TemplateData //extends the previous struct
Form template.HTML
// and some other maps/string
}
I send this second struct as templateData argument.
Right now I get this error:
"reflect.Value.Set using unaddressable value" at the line: reflect.ValueOf(dst).Elem().Elem().FieldByName("HeaderCSS").Set(reflect.ValueOf(v))
The code from above is inspired from this answer: https://stackoverflow.com/a/26824071/1564840
I want to be able to append/edit values from this interface. Any idea how can I do it? Thanks.

Answer 1

Don't pass a pointer to interface. Instead the interface{} value should contain the pointer. And simply just hand over this interface{} value:
func LoadTemplate(templateData interface) {
appendCustomData(templateData)
... //other functionality that is not relevant
}
Even if you can't use a more concrete type than interface{} (because you must allow multiple types), you can still use type assertion, it will be "super" easy:
func appendCustomData(d interface{}) {
if ps, ok := d.(*pageStruct); ok {
ps.TemplateData.HeaderCSS += "+new"
}
}
Try this one on the Go Playground.
If you must or want to use reflection, this is how appendCustomData() can be implemented:
type Data struct {
Name string
Age int
Marks []int
}
func appendCustomData(d interface{}) {
v := reflect.ValueOf(d).Elem()
if f := v.FieldByName("Name"); f.IsValid() {
f.SetString(f.Interface().(string) + "2")
}
if f := v.FieldByName("Age"); f.IsValid() {
f.SetInt(f.Int() + 2)
}
if f := v.FieldByName("Marks"); f.IsValid() {
f.Set(reflect.ValueOf(append(f.Interface().([]int), 2)))
}
if f := v.FieldByName("Invalid"); f.IsValid() {
f.Set(reflect.ValueOf(append(f.Interface().([]int), 2)))
}
}
Testing it:
d := &Data{
Name: "Bob",
Age: 22,
Marks: []int{5, 4, 3},
}
fmt.Printf("%+v\n", d)
appendCustomData(d)
fmt.Printf("%+v\n", d)
Output (try it on the Go Playground):
&{Name:Bob Age:22 Marks:[5 4 3]}
&{Name:Bob2 Age:24 Marks:[5 4 3 2]}
Update:
To answer your edited question: there is no difference when the value passed is a struct that embeds another struct. But the value wrapped in the interface{} still must be a pointer.
Example appendCustomData() that appends content to pageStruct.TemplateData.HeaderCSS:
func appendCustomData(d interface{}) {
v := reflect.ValueOf(d).Elem()
if f := v.FieldByName("TemplateData"); f.IsValid() {
if f = f.FieldByName("HeaderCSS"); f.IsValid() {
f.Set(reflect.ValueOf(f.Interface().(template.HTML) + "+new"))
}
}
}
Testing it:
ps := &pageStruct{
TemplateData: TemplateData{
HeaderCSS: template.HTML("old"),
},
}
fmt.Printf("%+v\n", ps)
appendCustomData(ps)
fmt.Printf("%+v\n", ps)
Output (try it on the Go Playground):
&{TemplateData:{FooterJS: HeaderJS: HeaderCSS:old} Form:}
&{TemplateData:{FooterJS: HeaderJS: HeaderCSS:old+new} Form:}