In List§

See primary documentation in context for method head

multi method head(Any:D:) is raw
multi method head(Any:D: Callable:D $w)
multi method head(Any:D: $n)

This method is directly inherited from Any, and it returns the first $n items of the list, an empty list if $n <= 0, or the first element with no argument. The version that takes a Callable uses a WhateverCode to specify all elements, starting from the first, but the last ones.

Examples:

say <a b c d e>.head ;     # OUTPUT: «a␤» 
say <a b c d e>.head(2);   # OUTPUT: «(a b)␤» 
say <a b c d e>.head(*-3); # OUTPUT: «(a b)␤»

In Supply§

See primary documentation in context for method head

multi method head(Supply:D:)
multi method head(Supply:D: Callable:D $limit)
multi method head(Supply:D: \limit)

Creates a "head" supply with the same semantics as List.head.

my $s = Supply.from-list(4, 10, 3, 2);
my $hs = $s.head(2);
$hs.tap(&say);           # OUTPUT: «4␤10␤»

Since release 2020.07, A WhateverCode can be used also, again with the same semantics as List.head

my $s = Supply.from-list(4, 10, 3, 2, 1);
my $hs = $s.head( * - 2);
$hs.tap(&say);           # OUTPUT: «4␤10␤3␤»

In Any§

See primary documentation in context for routine head

multi method head(Any:D:) is raw
multi method head(Any:D: Callable:D $w)
multi method head(Any:D: $n)

Returns either the first element in the object, or the first $n if that's used.

"aaabbc".comb.head.put; # OUTPUT: «a␤» 
say ^10 .head(5);           # OUTPUT: «(0 1 2 3 4)␤» 
say ^∞ .head(5);            # OUTPUT: «(0 1 2 3 4)␤» 
say ^10 .head;              # OUTPUT: «0␤» 
say ^∞ .head;               # OUTPUT: «0␤»

In the first two cases, the results are different since there's no defined order in Mixes. In the other cases, it returns a Seq. A Callable can be used to return all but the last elements:

say (^10).head( * - 3 );# OUTPUT: «(0 1 2 3 4 5 6)␤»

As of release 2022.07 of the Rakudo compiler, there is also a "sub" version of head.

multi head(\specifier, +values)

It must have the head specifier as the first argument. The rest of the arguments are turned into a Seq and then have the head method called on it.