C++ UFCS update

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad via Digitalmars-d]

On Sunday, 21 February 2016 at 10:16:19 UTC, Jonathan M Davis 
wrote:
> As for a pipe operator, I expect that it wouldn't really help 
> any. It would be a lot like . vs -> in that it's an unnecessary 
> complication,

"." vs "->" isn't an unnecessary complication it is a strong 
typing issue, as can be seen when trying to implement a smart 
pointer.


> but it would actually probably be worse. If | meant that a 
> function call could be either a member function or a free 
> function, you'd still have no more clue about which functions 
> were member functions than you do now,

There are many options.

It could require function objects (instantiated or 
non-instantiated) that provide the right opXXX members. If the 
protocol is well designed and fully specified then the compiler 
can figure out what glue-code to generate even if connecting 
nodes aren't directly compatible, or choose the most efficient 
interface (e.g. one node provides a SIMD interface)

If iterators (ranges) are a main selling point for D, then you 
might as well give pipelining language support, make it better 
than a library solution, open up for parallel execution and 
hardware dependent cache and loop optimizations. A pure library 
solution cannot do this well.


> the syntax. So, I really don't see how another syntax would 
> help any.

Stronger typing helps when programs grow in size...