.sort vs sort(): std.algorithm not up to the task?

[Timon Gehr via Digitalmars-d-learn]

On 08.06.2017 14:06, Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
> 
> The issue here is that arrays are special. Arrays allow foreach(i, v; 
> arr) and foreach(v; arr). Ranges in general do not. So there is no way 
> to forward this capability via the range interface. Not only that, but 
> foreach(i, v; arr) is much different than iterating even a range that 
> returns a tuple in that the index is *specific to the loop* and doesn't 
> involve the array at all. It's more similar to opApply.
> 
> opApply can help, but still is different than how arrays work (foreach 
> with array is handled directly by the compiler). But ranges are not 
> going to be forwarding this feature just for arrays.

Arguably, foreach over ranges and foreach over arrays are badly 
designed. Automatic tuple expansion only works with ranges, and indexed 
iteration only works with arrays, and they are mutually incompatible. 
Therefore, there is no good way to fix the problem.