primops: make nature of foldl' strictness clearer

* Clarify the documentation of foldl': That the arguments are forced
  before application (?) of `op` is necessarily true. What is important
  to stress is that we force every application of `op`, even when the
  value turns out to be unused.

* Move the example before the comment about strictness to make it less
  confusing: It is a general example and doesn't really showcase anything
  about foldl' strictness.

* Add test cases which nail down aspects of foldl' strictness:
  * The initial accumulator value is not forced unconditionally.
  * Applications of op are forced.
  * The list elements are not forced unconditionally.

src/libexpr/primops.cc

@@ -2908,9 +2908,9 @@ static RegisterPrimOp primop_foldlStrict({
  .doc = R"(
  Reduce a list by applying a binary operator, from left to right,
  e.g. `foldl' op nul [x0 x1 x2 ...] = op (op (op nul x0) x1) x2)
- ...`. The operator is applied strictly, i.e., its arguments are
- evaluated first. For example, `foldl' (x: y: x + y) 0 [1 2 3]`
- evaluates to 6.
+ ...`. For example, `foldl' (x: y: x + y) 0 [1 2 3]` evaluates to 6.
+ The return value of each application of `op` is evaluated immediately,
+ even for intermediate values.
  )",
  .fun = prim_foldlStrict,
 });

tests/lang/eval-fail-foldlStrict-strict-op-application.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Tests that the result of applying op is forced even if the value is never used
+builtins.foldl'
+ (_: f: f null)
+ null
+ [ (_: throw "Not the final value, but is still forced!") (_: 23) ]

tests/lang/eval-okay-foldlStrict-lazy-elements.exp

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+42

tests/lang/eval-okay-foldlStrict-lazy-elements.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Tests that the rhs argument of op is not forced unconditionally
+let
+ lst = builtins.foldl'
+ (acc: x: acc ++ [ x ])
+ [ ]
+ [ 42 (throw "this shouldn't be evaluated") ];
+in
+
+builtins.head lst

tests/lang/eval-okay-foldlStrict-lazy-initial-accumulator.exp

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+42

tests/lang/eval-okay-foldlStrict-lazy-initial-accumulator.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Checks that the nul value for the accumulator is not forced unconditionally.
+# Some languages provide a foldl' that is strict in this argument, but Nix does not.
+builtins.foldl'
+ (_: x: x)
+ (throw "This is never forced")
+ [ "but the results of applying op are" 42 ]