Automatic typing

[John Colvin]

On Monday, 1 July 2013 at 16:46:57 UTC, Ary Borenszweig wrote:
> On 7/1/13 1:45 PM, John Colvin wrote:
>> T)(T var)
>> {
>>     auto myVar = var.to!string;
>>     //do something with myVar string
>> }
>
> Ah, that's also ok. But then you have to remember to use myVar 
> instead of var.

Personally I like the explicit use of a new variable. If you're 
changing the type of a variable then you want it to be explicit. 
I spend far too many hours a month chasing down accidental type 
changes in python.

A "convenience" feature is only a feature if it helps *stop* you 
shooting yourself in the foot, not if it actively encourages it.

auto a;

//loads of code, with function calls to all sorts of unfamiliar 
libraries

//do something with a.

How do I know what type a is to work with? I have to either read 
and understand all the code in between, try and write something 
generic, or put a pragma(msg,  ...) in to show it for me. Either 
way I have to pray that nobody changes it.