Qualifier parameters (inout on steroids)

[Tomer Filiba via Digitalmars-d]

`inout` is a useful feature, but it's nearly impossible to 
actually use it. Suppose I have

struct MyTable {
     @property items() inout {
         return Range(&this);
     }

     static struct Range {
         MyTable* table; // can't be inout
     }
}

I want my items-range to be const if `this` is const or 
modifiable if `this` is modifiable. I ended up with

     @property items() {
         return Range!false(&this);
     }
     @property items() const {
         return Range!true(&this);
     }

     static struct Range(bool isConst) {
         static if (isConst) {
             const(MyTable)* table;
         } else {
             MyTable* table;
         }
     }

Also, I can't define the struct inside the `items` method since 
it's used in two other methods (`keys` and `values`), only they 
hold a different `front`

It would be really nice if I could "capture" the qualifiers and 
be parameterized on them as well. For example,

int opApply(qual Q)(scope int delegate(int x) Q dg) Q;

Meaning, my opApply is Q if dg is Q. In other words, I'm 
`nothrow` if dg is `nothrow`, I'm `@nogc` if dg is `@nogc`, I'm 
`pure` if dg is `pure`, etc. Inout is just a special case of this 
feature, e.g.

int opApply(qual Q)(scope int delegate(Q int x) dg) Q;

E.g., I'm const if dg takes a const first parameter. So using my 
first example,

     @property items(qual Q)() Q {
         return Range!Q(&this);
     }

     static struct Range(qual Q) {
         Q(MyTable)* table;
     }

Much more elegant and concise. It needn't generate different 
object code for instantiations of course, it only needs to be 
respected by the frontend and thrown away later.


-tomer