reference to 'self' inside a function

[Ben Davis]

On 19/09/2012 08:24, Jacob Carlborg wrote:
> On 2012-09-19 01:21, Rob T wrote:
>> Actually I find the __traits system a bit convoluted and inconsistent
>> with other similar features. There seems to be a real need to unify the
>> different methods of reflection in D.
>>
>> For example, I can do this without using __traits
>>
>> int i;
>> writeln( i.stringof );
>>
>> and I can do this
>>
>> void function x() {};
>> writeln( x.stringof );
>>
>> but it won't work for the main function
>>
>> int main(char[][] args)
>> {
>>    writeln( main.stringof ); // compile error (bug?)
>> }
>
> I think the reason for this is that the compiler will resolve "main" as
> a function call, but it will fail because no arguments are given. This
> is a typical feature where it seems no one really know how it should
> behave. .stringof is very poorly documented. It says nothing about what
> the returned string might look like.

I don't think that's true, is it? It would be true if main was marked 
@property, but it isn't, so it's only a call if you have () after it. 
I'd expect "main" to resolve to either a function or (if overloaded) a 
function set, and then - if it's not a set - you could pass it around 
like a C function pointer. (If it is a set, I have no idea.)

>> but this works
>>
>> writeln(__traits( identifier, main ));
>>
>> It seems that __traits(itentifier, ) and .stringof are two ways of
>> getting access to the same information.

Hmm, it does seem that way, doesn't it?

>> So why do we have __traits and the built in properties that overlap in
>> functionality? Why is it inconsistently applied as seen with function
>> main (although that could simply be a bug)? The situation is rather
>> confusing.
>
> .stringof was available long before D2 was created, __traits is only
> available in D2. I think __traits was create to try to improve the
> compile time reflection abilities in D.

If it helps, I recently discovered the std.traits library, which wraps a 
lot of those ugly low-level-looking things in cleaner-looking things. I 
couldn't see the 'self' use case in there though.