null Vs [] return arrays

[bearophile]

I have compiled this little D2 program:


int[] foo() {
    return [];
}
int[] bar() {
    return null;
}
void main() {}



Using DMD 2.052,  dmd -O -release -inline test2.d

This is the asm of the two functions:

_D5test23fooFZAi    comdat
L0:     push    EAX
        mov EAX,offset FLAT:_D11TypeInfo_Ai6__initZ
        push    0
        push    EAX
        call    near ptr __d_arrayliteralT
        mov EDX,EAX
        add ESP,8
        pop ECX
        xor EAX,EAX
        ret

_D5test23barFZAi    comdat
        xor EAX,EAX
        xor EDX,EDX
        ret

Is this expected and desired? Isn't it better to compile the foo() as bar()?

Bye,
bearophile