perf: add fast path to vim.validate (#28977)

For many small/simple functions (like those found in shared.lua), the
runtime of vim.validate can far exceed the runtime of the function
itself. Add an "overload" to vim.validate that uses a simple assertion
pattern, rather than parsing a full "validation spec".

runtime/doc/lua.txt

@@ -2366,7 +2366,26 @@ vim.trim({s})                                                     *vim.trim()*
       • https://www.lua.org/pil/20.2.html
 
 vim.validate({opt})                                           *vim.validate()*
-    Validates a parameter specification (types and values). Specs are
+    Validate function arguments.
+
+    This function has two valid forms:
+    1. vim.validate(name: str, value: any, type: string, optional?: bool)
+    2. vim.validate(spec: table)
+
+    Form 1 validates that argument {name} with value {value} has the type
+    {type}. {type} must be a value returned by |lua-type()|. If {optional} is
+    true, then {value} may be null. This form is significantly faster and
+    should be preferred for simple cases.
+
+    Example: >lua
+        function vim.startswith(s, prefix)
+          vim.validate('s', s, 'string')
+          vim.validate('prefix', prefix, 'string')
+          ...
+        end
+<
+
+    Form 2 validates a parameter specification (types and values). Specs are
     evaluated in alphanumeric order, until the first failure.
 
     Usage example: >lua

runtime/lua/vim/shared.lua

@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ end
 ---@param t table<T, any> (table) Table
 ---@return T[] : List of keys
 function vim.tbl_keys(t)
-  vim.validate({ t = { t, 't' } })
+  vim.validate('t', t, 'table')
   --- @cast t table<any,any>
 
   local keys = {}
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ end
 ---@param t table<any, T> (table) Table
 ---@return T[] : List of values
 function vim.tbl_values(t)
-  vim.validate({ t = { t, 't' } })
+  vim.validate('t', t, 'table')
 
   local values = {}
   for _, v in
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ end
 ---@param value any Value to compare
 ---@return boolean `true` if `t` contains `value`
 function vim.list_contains(t, value)
-  vim.validate({ t = { t, 't' } })
+  vim.validate('t', t, 'table')
   --- @cast t table<any,any>
 
   for _, v in ipairs(t) do
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ end
 ---@param t table Table to check
 ---@return boolean `true` if `t` is empty
 function vim.tbl_isempty(t)
-  vim.validate({ t = { t, 't' } })
+  vim.validate('t', t, 'table')
   return next(t) == nil
 end
 
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ end
 ---@return fun(table: table<K, V>, index?: K):K, V # |for-in| iterator over sorted keys and their values
 ---@return T
 function vim.spairs(t)
-  assert(type(t) == 'table', ('expected table, got %s'):format(type(t)))
+  vim.validate('t', t, 'table')
   --- @cast t table<any,any>
 
   -- collect the keys
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ end
 ---@param t table Table
 ---@return integer : Number of non-nil values in table
 function vim.tbl_count(t)
-  vim.validate({ t = { t, 't' } })
+  vim.validate('t', t, 'table')
   --- @cast t table<any,any>
 
   local count = 0
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ end
 ---@param s string String to trim
 ---@return string String with whitespace removed from its beginning and end
 function vim.trim(s)
-  vim.validate({ s = { s, 's' } })
+  vim.validate('s', s, 'string')
   return s:match('^%s*(.*%S)') or ''
 end
 
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ end
 ---@param s string String to escape
 ---@return string %-escaped pattern string
 function vim.pesc(s)
-  vim.validate({ s = { s, 's' } })
+  vim.validate('s', s, 'string')
   return (s:gsub('[%(%)%.%%%+%-%*%?%[%]%^%$]', '%%%1'))
 end
 
@@ -743,7 +743,8 @@ end
 ---@param prefix string Prefix to match
 ---@return boolean `true` if `prefix` is a prefix of `s`
 function vim.startswith(s, prefix)
-  vim.validate({ s = { s, 's' }, prefix = { prefix, 's' } })
+  vim.validate('s', s, 'string')
+  vim.validate('prefix', prefix, 'string')
   return s:sub(1, #prefix) == prefix
 end
 
@@ -753,7 +754,8 @@ end
 ---@param suffix string Suffix to match
 ---@return boolean `true` if `suffix` is a suffix of `s`
 function vim.endswith(s, suffix)
-  vim.validate({ s = { s, 's' }, suffix = { suffix, 's' } })
+  vim.validate('s', s, 'string')
+  vim.validate('suffix', suffix, 'string')
   return #suffix == 0 or s:sub(-#suffix) == suffix
 end
 
@@ -877,8 +879,30 @@ do
     return true
   end
 
-  --- Validates a parameter specification (types and values). Specs are evaluated in alphanumeric
-  --- order, until the first failure.
+  --- Validate function arguments.
+  ---
+  --- This function has two valid forms:
+  ---
+  --- 1. vim.validate(name: str, value: any, type: string, optional?: bool)
+  --- 2. vim.validate(spec: table)
+  ---
+  --- Form 1 validates that argument {name} with value {value} has the type
+  --- {type}. {type} must be a value returned by |lua-type()|. If {optional} is
+  --- true, then {value} may be null. This form is significantly faster and
+  --- should be preferred for simple cases.
+  ---
+  --- Example:
+  ---
+  --- ```lua
+  --- function vim.startswith(s, prefix)
+  ---   vim.validate('s', s, 'string')
+  ---   vim.validate('prefix', prefix, 'string')
+  ---   ...
+  --- end
+  --- ```
+  ---
+  --- Form 2 validates a parameter specification (types and values). Specs are
+  --- evaluated in alphanumeric order, until the first failure.
   ---
   --- Usage example:
   ---
@@ -930,8 +954,32 @@ do
   ---               only if the argument is valid. Can optionally return an additional
   ---               informative error message as the second returned value.
   ---             - msg: (optional) error string if validation fails
-  function vim.validate(opt)
-    local ok, err_msg = is_valid(opt)
+  --- @overload fun(name: string, val: any, expected: string, optional?: boolean)
+  function vim.validate(opt, ...)
+    local ok = false
+    local err_msg ---@type string?
+    local narg = select('#', ...)
+    if narg == 0 then
+      ok, err_msg = is_valid(opt)
+    elseif narg >= 2 then
+      -- Overloaded signature for fast/simple cases
+      local name = opt --[[@as string]]
+      local v, expected, optional = ... ---@type string, string, boolean?
+      local actual = type(v)
+
+      ok = (actual == expected) or (v == nil and optional == true)
+      if not ok then
+        err_msg = ('%s: expected %s, got %s%s'):format(
+          name,
+          expected,
+          actual,
+          v and (' (%s)'):format(v) or ''
+        )
+      end
+    else
+      error('invalid arguments')
+    end
+
     if not ok then
       error(err_msg, 2)
     end

test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua

@@ -1408,7 +1408,25 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
     exec_lua("vim.validate{arg1={{}, 't' }, arg2={ 'foo', 's' }}")
     exec_lua("vim.validate{arg1={2, function(a) return (a % 2) == 0  end, 'even number' }}")
     exec_lua("vim.validate{arg1={5, {'n', 's'} }, arg2={ 'foo', {'n', 's'} }}")
+    vim.validate('arg1', 5, 'number')
+    vim.validate('arg1', '5', 'string')
+    vim.validate('arg1', { 5 }, 'table')
+    vim.validate('arg1', function()
+      return 5
+    end, 'function')
+    vim.validate('arg1', nil, 'number', true)
+    vim.validate('arg1', nil, 'string', true)
+    vim.validate('arg1', nil, 'table', true)
+    vim.validate('arg1', nil, 'function', true)
 
+    matches('arg1: expected number, got nil', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', nil, 'number'))
+    matches('arg1: expected string, got nil', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', nil, 'string'))
+    matches('arg1: expected table, got nil', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', nil, 'table'))
+    matches('arg1: expected function, got nil', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', nil, 'function'))
+    matches('arg1: expected string, got number', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', 5, 'string'))
+    matches('arg1: expected table, got number', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', 5, 'table'))
+    matches('arg1: expected function, got number', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', 5, 'function'))
+    matches('arg1: expected number, got string', pcall_err(vim.validate, 'arg1', '5', 'number'))
     matches('expected table, got number', pcall_err(exec_lua, "vim.validate{ 1, 'x' }"))
     matches('invalid type name: x', pcall_err(exec_lua, "vim.validate{ arg1={ 1, 'x' }}"))
     matches('invalid type name: 1', pcall_err(exec_lua, 'vim.validate{ arg1={ 1, 1 }}'))