Casts, especially array casts

[Ali Çehreli]

Rainer Deyke wrote:

 > C++ casts perform three different logical functions:
 >   - Removing cv-qualifiers. (const_cast)

Agreed.

 >   - Reinterpreting raw bytes. (reinterpret_cast)

Safely though: It won't allow any wild bit representations. For really 
wild stuff, you need to use the C-style cast.

 >   - Converting values. (static_cast/dynamic_cast)

I would like to separate static_cast and dynamic_cast:

- static_cast does two things:

a) can convert values: this does call the user-defined conversion 
operators if necessary

b) static_cast also communicates "trust me, this super class *really* is 
this subclass." In this latter case, no value is converted; rather, the 
type of the pointer value is changed, so that the member access offsets 
will be adjusted accordingly later on, when this pointer is used

- dynamic_cast performs only (b) above, but safely: "if this super class 
is actually this subclass, set the pointer to point to it". Otherwise 
the pointer is set to null. Again, no value conversion here.

Ali