byKey and byValue: properties or methods?

[Matt Soucy]

On 01/20/2012 01:43 PM, Jonathan M Davis wrote:
> On Friday, January 20, 2012 11:58:28 Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>> On 1/17/12 12:48 AM, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>>> I hate I must ask this:
>>>
>>> int[string] aa;
>>> foreach (k; aa.byKey) { ... }
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> int[string] aa;
>>> foreach (k; aa.byKey()) { ... }
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Andrei "I told you" Alexandrescu
>>
>> I tallied the votes.
>>
>> Function: Mail Mantis, bearophile, Jacob Carlborg, Olivier Pisano, Ary
>> Manzana, torhu.
>>
>> Property: Nick Sabalausky, Simen Kjaeraas.
>>
>> I wasn't able to discern a clear vote from the others. Please correct
>> the list.
>
> I'm divided. If it were keys and values, I'd be all for property, but byValue
> and byKey are weird property names. Of course, they're weird function names
> too. I assume that they essentially stand for iterateByValue and iterateByKey,
> which would be more of a function name, but they don't really iterate. Rather,
> they return something which you can iterate over.
>
> So, from a usage perspective, it definitely makes more sense as a property, but
> from a naming perspective, it's a bit off. I don't really have a better
> suggestion though, since values and keys are already taken. So, I'm fine with
> it either way. There's going to be something weird about it regardless.
>
> - Jonathan M Davis
Agreed - if it were keys and values, property would be perfect. The 
names themselves are a bit weird, though.
+1 Property