Ref local variables?

[Gor Gyolchanyan]

I think that would introduce a big potential for bugs. Can't give you
an example, but I have a hunch :-)

I think alias is better, since ref doesn't change its target and thus
need not be evaluated at run-time. In fact, I think alias should work
for any sort of expression. In this case one of D's mottos will be
"Too big? Alias it!".

On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 8:16 AM, Robert Jacques <sandford at jhu.edu> wrote:
> On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:55:53 -0600, Nick Sabalausky <a at a.a> wrote:
>
>> "Ben Davis" <entheh at cantab.net> wrote in message
>> news:jeinah$2pnj$1 at digitalmars.com...
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Please excuse the cross-post with D.learn. People have been helpful there
>>> with workarounds, but I'm bringing it here in the hope that we can
>>> discuss
>>> a language enhancement.
>>>
>>> So - could support for 'ref' local variables be added, or is there a
>>> reason not to? I want to write something like:
>>>
>>> MapTile[] map;    // It's a struct
>>>
>>> ref MapTile tile=map[y*w+x];
>>> tile.id=something;
>>> tile.isWall=true;
>>> someFunctionThatTakesRefMapTile(tile);
>>>
>>
>> I *really* want the ability to do that sort of thing, although I think it
>> should be an alias rather than a ref variable:
>>
>> MapTile[] map;    // It's a struct
>>
>> alias map[y*w+x] tile;
>> tile.id=something;
>> tile.isWall=true;
>> someFunctionThatTakesRefMapTile(tile);
>
>
> Would making pointers implicitly convert to ref parameters suffice? i.e.
> make
>
>    void foo(ref int x) { x++; }
>
>    int x = 5;
>    auto y = &x;
>    foo(y);
>
> valid D code?



-- 
Bye,
Gor Gyolchanyan.