Variable-length stack allocated arrays

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

grauzone wrote:
> Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>> grauzone wrote:
>>> Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>>>> grauzone wrote:
>>>>> Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>>>>>> The idea is that the API offers a means to define and use 
>>>>>> temporary buffers without compromising memory safety. Even if you 
>>>>>> escape data allocated via getBuffer that persists after 
>>>>>> releaseBuffer, that will not cause undefined behavior. (It may, 
>>>>>> however, cause data to be overwritten because another call to 
>>>>>> getBuffer will reuse memory.) Leaks are also possible if you don't 
>>>>>> release the buffer. That can be solved by not offering getBuffer 
>>>>>> and releaseBuffer as they are, but instead only encapsulated in a 
>>>>>> struct with the appropriate constructor and destructor.
>>>>>
>>>>> That's an interesting point. You can have two things:
>>>>> 1. Correct memory managment (one can never access an object that's 
>>>>> supposed to be free'd)
>>>>> 2. Safe memory managment (event if you access an object that's 
>>>>> supposed to be free'd, it's memory safe)
>>>>>
>>>>> In safe mode, 1. can't be allowed, and 2. is better than nothing. 
>>>>> In normal D, I'd say 2. is quite useless, except as an debugging 
>>>>> option.
>>>>
>>>> Normal D must be debuggable D.
>>>
>>> That isn't the case right now and never will be.
>>
>> Then if I were you and I really believed that, I wouldn't waste one 
>> more minute hanging out in this group.
> 
> Don't worry, I won't leave so easily.

I know. Clearly there is something in D that you find irresistibly 
attractive; I wonder what that is :o).

> That said, if you use "delete" (or GC.free) incorrectly, you may end up 
> with an undebuggable program. Plus there's no way manual free will ever 
> be removed from D. I'm sure you know that, but it sounds like you're 
> denying that. Whatever.

Of course I'm denying it because it's false. SafeD will not allow 
programs containing manual free. And SafeD is quickly becoming a 
reality, your pessimism notwithstanding.


Andrei