DIPX: Enum Literals / Implicit Selector Expression

[ryuukk_]

On Thursday, 30 June 2022 at 11:03:08 UTC, bauss wrote:
> On Thursday, 30 June 2022 at 10:58:37 UTC, Mike Parker wrote:
>> On Thursday, 30 June 2022 at 10:51:31 UTC, ryuukk_ wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>> auto color = orange;
>>>> // What is color?
>>>
>>> same, it's not ``.orange`` therefore it's 1, if it where with 
>>> the dot, it's compile error telling you to be more explicit
>>>
>>>
>>>> auto color = cast(int)orange;
>>>> // What is color?
>>>
>>>
>>> it's not ``.orange`` therefore it is your variable, it if 
>>> were with the dot, it'd take what ever is in the enum, then 
>>> apply the cast
>>>
>>>
>>> I don't know it seems pretty obvious to me
>>>
>>> This feature is too good to not have
>>
>> My problem with this is it is *not* obvious at all to me. When 
>> I see `.foo`, I immediately think "foo is in the parent 
>> scope", as that what is what it means right now in D. If we're 
>> suddenly seeing `.foo` at module scope, now I've got a fault 
>> in my wiring; `.foo` suddenly has different meanings depending 
>> on the scope in which it's used.
>>
>> I mean, maybe I could get used to it if I used it. But I don't 
>> see myself using it at all.
>>
>> Not saying I'm against the feature, I just don't understand 
>> why `auto color = Color.orange` is a problem and how `Color 
>> color = .orange` is better. Because of four fewer characters?
>
> What it seems like it's trying to solve is this:
>
> ```d
> SomeEnum.a | SomeEnum.b | SomeEnum.c
> ```
>
> So you could instead do:
>
> ```d
> .a | .b | .c
> ```
>
> But much like you I don't think that's at all clarified, maybe 
> I would settle for something like this:
>
> SomeEnum(a | b | c) as that clearly tells you it's SomeEnum and 
> then it's clear you're picking the values from that, so a, b 
> and c will __always__ be from SomeEnum.
>
> But personally I don't really like that syntax either as it 
> clashes too much with struct ctors and/or function calls.
>
> So I don't have an actual good solution, so I guess in the end 
> I'm not for any changes.


     SomeEnum flags = SomeEnum (a | b | c);

Why do i have to be repetitive? the goal is to not be repetitive 
and be cleaner

     SomeEnum flags = .a | .b | .c;

The brain no longer have to read 2x the same stuff, it goes 
straight to the point, it is explicit and typechecked