Are we on the simplest path for working with compile time entities?

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

On 9/25/20 5:37 AM, Stefan Koch wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> If you'll remember I recently talked about an alternative way of 
> implementing working with compile time entities such as types.
> 
> And I was pleased about it getting attention from prominent forum 
> members and even Walter.
> 
> I gave the example of using a static map function to get the type sizes 
> of a tuple of types.
> 
> As a result Walters does adds the ability to get sizeof without having 
> to interface with the type entities :
> The code for just that functionality to be added is this:
> 
>                              if (fd.ident == Id.tsize)
>                              {
>                                  // Equivalent logic to `T.sizeof` in 
> getProperty()
>                                  d_uns64 sz = t.size(dve.loc);
>                                  if (sz != SIZE_INVALID)
>                                  {
>                                      ret = new IntegerExp(dve.loc, sz, 
> Type.tsize_t);
>                                      return;
>                                  }
>                              }

Reference: https://github.com/dlang/dmd/pull/11792

This is a small-cost and small-impact change. It's very rare the size 
gets used with any frequency during compilation. A small step that is 
somewhat lateral.

The prize is https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=9945.

I also added what is an obviously simpler way to go about things. It's 
not like a type changes size and alignment during the program: 
https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=21276

More related stuff:

https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=21277
https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=21278