Compiler patch for runtime reflection

[Timon Gehr]

On 10/23/2011 01:06 PM, Timon Gehr wrote:
> On 10/23/2011 12:19 PM, Vladimir Panteleev wrote:
>> On Sun, 23 Oct 2011 01:54:52 +0300, Alex Rønne Petersen
>> <xtzgzorex at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 22-10-2011 17:18, Vladimir Panteleev wrote:
>>>> On Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:35:57 +0300, Alex Rønne Petersen
>>>> <xtzgzorex at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 22-10-2011 15:20, Andrej Mitrovic wrote:
>>>>>> On 10/22/11, Vladimir Panteleev<vladimir at thecybershadow.net> wrote:
>>>>>>> On Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:50:32 +0300, Alex Rønne Petersen
>>>>>>> <xtzgzorex at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> You could just introduce a -reflection switch to include reflection
>>>>>>>> information.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> As I mentioned in the previous thread on the subject, I think that
>>>>>>> ideally
>>>>>>> we should improve compile-time reflection so it's possible to
>>>>>>> generate
>>>>>>> runtime reflection information at compilation time. Something like
>>>>>>> this:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> import reflection;
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> enum reflectionForStdStdio =
>>>>>>> generateReflectionForModule("std.stdio");
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> void main()
>>>>>>> {
>>>>>>> reflectionForStdStdio.callFunction("writeln", "Hello, world!");
>>>>>>> }
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>>> Vladimir mailto:vladimir at thecybershadow.net
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I think user properties would be a perfect fit for this. :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> @reflected
>>>>>> struct Foo {}
>>>>>
>>>>> The only downside with either approach
>>>>
>>>> What do you mean by "either approach"? Which is the other one?
>>>>
>>>
>>> @reflected and generateReflectionForModule.
>>>
>>> - Alex
>>
>> I don't see how my generateReflectionForModule idea requires any
>> modification of the reflected code. The module can generate RTTI for all
>> types used recursively from the starting point. If more precision is
>> needed, it can be specified as generateReflectionForModule/etc.
>> parameters.
>>
>
> The module can generate RTTI for all types recursively from the starting
> point iff that information is statically available. It does not have to
> be. A module that comes as .di + static library binary could return a
> reference to a private class that has a publicly exported base class.
> How would you generate RTTI for a statically invisible class?
>
> Eg:
>
> // file A.d
> module A;
> class C{int x; ...}
> private class D: C{int y; ...}
>
> C factory(){ return new D; }
>
>
> // file A.di
> module A;
> class C{int x; ...}

C factory();

>
> // file B.d
> import A; // imports A.di file
>
> enum reflectionForA = generateReflectionForModule("A");
>
> void main(){
> C c = factory();
> auto s = reflectionForA.serialize(c); // disaster strikes.
> }
>
>