finding errors with templates without instantiating them

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

On 9/11/13 2:53 PM, bearophile wrote:
> Timothee Cour:
>
>> Currently D will compile templated code that is syntactically correct but
>> semantically always incorrect (ie regardless of template parameters), eg
>> the following:
>> regardless of T, b is not in scope and hence this template cannot be
>> instantiated without CT error.
>>
>> So would it be possible to detect such kind of errors (ie CT error
>> regardless of template params) without having to instantiate the
>> template?
>
> There was a discussion about related matters, and there is an
> enhancement request on this in Bugzilla. Andrei was against it, but lot
> of other people, me and perhaps Walter too have appreciated the idea.
>
> Bye,
> bearophile

I'm not against it, but I find it a very small improvement. Its user 
base is exactly people who want to write and deploy a template without 
ever testing it at all, ever. I have a hard time catering to that 
hypothetical crowd.


Andrei