Properties: a.b.c = 3

[Ary Borenszweig]

Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:39:07 -0400, Ary Borenszweig 
> <ary at esperanto.org.ar> wrote:
> 
>> a.b.c = d;
>>
>> If b is anything that has a struct type, and c is anything else, the 
>> statement must report an error.
> 
> struct S
> {
>   int *x;
>   void c(int n) {*x = n;}
> }
> 
> struct S2
> {
>   int n;
>   S b() { return S(&n);}
> }
> 
> void main()
> {
>   S2 a;
>   a.b.c = 5;
> }
> 
> Why should this not be allowed?

Because in the general case it might not work.

It's simple: if you disallow it, no bugs caused because of this can 
exist. If you don't disallow it, sometimes it might work, sometimes it 
won't work. Which option do you prefer as a programmer?