Why do immutable variables need reference counting?

[wjoe]

On Thursday, 14 April 2022 at 12:10:04 UTC, ag0aep6g wrote:
> On 14.04.22 13:42, wjoe wrote:
>> Undefined behavior yes, but regardless the example proves it 
>> can be done in @system code.
>> A few versions ago, possibly due to a bug or regression, the 
>> compiler didn't complain in @safe code either.
>> 
>> Of course you are correct academically. However, since it's 
>> possible, I'd wager my last hat that code like this is out in 
>> the wild.
>
> No, it cannot be done in @system code. The example only proves 
> that you can write nonsense code that has no defined meaning.
>
> Note that the nonsense you wrote behaves as you describe only 
> in Windows. Elsewhere, you get a segfault.
>
> But it doesn't matter how the executable actually behaves. You 
> cannot cite the result of undefined behavior when arguing 
> language semantics.

Well I'm not using Windows so I wouldn't know but I compiled an 
ran that program on Linux and it didn't segfault. If it had I 
wouldn't have included that part in my reply.

On the matter of undefined behavior. Technically a program is in 
undefined behavior land after throwing an error, thus every 
unittest that continues after assertThrown is therefore nonsense 
code, is it not ?