guard clause style static if

[kdevel]

On Tuesday, 10 July 2018 at 00:11:27 UTC, Steven Schveighoffer 
wrote:
> On 7/7/18 7:28 AM, kdevel wrote:
>> It appears not to be possible to use static if in "guard 
>> clause style" as in
>> 
>>     void bar (T ...) (T args)
>>     {
>>        static if (args.length == 0)
>>           return;
>> 
>>        writeln (args [0]);
>>        return bar (args [1 .. $]);
>>     }
>> 
>> Is this intended?
>
> Yes.
>
> Try just a normal if -- it will have the same effect (the 
> optimizer will eliminate the dead code), but will compile.

I would like to suggest an extension of the language by 
introducing

     static return Expression_opt;

which shall have the effect of a return plus that the remaining 
lines in the current block are treated as if they were enclosed 
in an else block.

> Of course, you have to fix your second part to only return bar 
> if args.length > 0!

This violates DRY. Same problem as with the template constraints 
version where the condition used in every special case has to be 
repeated in the general case.