Feature Request: Label assignment / type

[Bill Baxter]

Janice Caron wrote:
> On 11/17/07, Joe Pusdesris <deformative0 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I just find it easier for things like jump tables and to specify a point to
>> return to after finishing a block,  but if no one else likes it that's cool
>> too.
> 
> switch statement often compile to jump tables. Or at least, they did
> in C - I've no idea what the D compiler does. So instead of
> 
>     Label a = label2;
>     goto a;
> 
>     label1:
>         /* stuff */
> 
>     label2:
>         /* stuff */
> 
> you do
> 
>     enum Label { label1, label2 };
>     Label a = label2;
>     switch (a)
>     {
>     case label1:
>         /* stuff */
> 
>     case label2:
>         /* stuff */
>     }
> 
> It all boils down to the same thing.

Perfect hashes can/are also be used for that, no?
I'm curious how DMD handles string switches.

switch(name) {
    case "bob":
         break;
    case "betty":
         break;
    case "barney":
         break;
    ...
}

I imagine something clever is possible to make that really efficient. 
But I wouldn't be surprised if it generated code similar to a regular 
if-then-else.

--bb