T[new] misgivings

[Rainer Deyke]

Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> int[new] a;
> ....
> a = [1, 2, 3];
> 
> What should that do?

This question can be rephrased as, "should 'int[new]' be a reference
type or a value type (or something else)?"

If 'int[new]' is a reference type, then it must rebind, because that's
what assignment does for reference types.  If 'int[new]' is a value
type, then it must modify the array in place, because that's all it can
do.  If 'int[new]' is neither a reference type nor a value type, then
we're back to (some of) the problems with slices.

To answer the rephrased question: 'int[new]' should be a value type.

> W: Nobody complained about it with slices.

FWIW, I found arrays in D1 so completely broken that I didn't it worth
the effort to complain about every little detail.  Everything about them
was wrong.  I consider them a textbook example of what not to do.


-- 
Rainer Deyke - rainerd at eldwood.com