How to create friends of a class at compile time?

[Ali Çehreli]

On 7/15/21 11:24 AM, Tejas wrote:

 > it seems like seperating chunks of C++ code into seperate modules
 > and using the
 > ```d
 > package(qualifiedIdentifier)
 > ```
 > access specifier seems to be the way to go.

That would be necessary if one agreed with C++'s 'private' to begin 
with. In other words, one would agree that implementations inside one 
source file should be protected from each other.

Through Walter Bright's experience, D does not buy into that view: It is 
silly to protect implementation details of features of the same file 
from each other. Personally, I fully agree! I am rarely strongly 
opinionated; this topic is one of those cases. :) In hind sight, this is 
one of the examples of D that thought me and improved me.

C++'s 'friend' "feature" covers up a language design mistake: It is a 
mistake because a tool should be useful; C++'s 'private' protects the 
programmer unnecessarily strongly from himself or herself. What a view 
that causes unnecessary mental load on many programmers with the 
'friend' keyword...

If you agree with all of that, then your idea of separating chunks into 
separate modules becomes unnecessary work. Just don't do it and you will 
miss nothing at all. You will gain a lot in the future without even 
noticing it. :)

Ali