Dynamic array head const in library code?

bearophile via Digitalmars-d-learn digitalmars-d-learn at puremagic.com
Fri Nov 28 02:55:26 PST 2014


In D code it's a good idea to set as const/immutable (where 
possible) all variables that don't need to change, for both 
safety and compiler-enforced code documentation.
In my D functions sometimes I create dynamic arrays that later 
don't have to change length nor to be reassigned, but I have to 
mutate or assign their items. So their length and ptr can be 
const/immutable, unlike the array contents. The D type system 
doesn't allow this.
So is it a good idea to try to add to Phobos a headConst function 
similar to this (only for built-in dynamic arrays) that tries to 
enforce those constraints?



import std.traits, std.range;

struct HeadConst(T) {
     T[] data;
     alias data this;
     @property size_t length() const pure nothrow @safe @nogc {
         return data.length;
     }
     @disable void opAssign();
}

HeadConst!(ElementType!R) headConst(R)(R arr)
if (isDynamicArray!R) {
     return typeof(return)(arr);
}

void main() {
     import std.stdio;
     auto arr = new int[2].headConst;
     arr[1] = 10;
     arr[1].writeln;
     arr.length.writeln;
     //arr.length = arr.length + 1; // error
     auto b = new int[2];
     //arr = b; // error
     arr[] = b[];
     b = arr;
     arr[] = 1;
     HeadConst!int c = arr;
     HeadConst!int d;
     arr = d; // fail
}

Bye,
bearophile


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