assert semantic change proposal

[Mike Farnsworth via Digitalmars-d]

This all seems to have a very simple solution, to use something 
like: expect()

GCC for example has an intrinsic, __builtin_expect() that is used 
to notify the compiler of a data constraint it can use in 
optimization for branches.  Why not make something like this a 
first-class citizen in D (and even expand the concept to more 
than just branch prediction)?

That way you don't have to hijack the meaning of assert(), but 
optimizations can be made based on the condition.  
__buitin_expect() in gcc usually just figures the expected 
condition is fulfilled the vast majority of the time, but it 
could be expanded to make a lack of fulfillment trigger an 
exception (in non-release mode).  And the compiler is always free 
to optimize with the assumption the expectation is met.

On Sunday, 3 August 2014 at 19:47:27 UTC, David Bregman wrote:
> I am creating this thread because I believe the other ones 
> [1,6] have gotten too bogged down in minutiae and the big 
> picture has gotten lost.
>
> ...
>
> References:
> [1]: http://forum.dlang.org/thread/lrbpvj$mih$1@digitalmars.com
> [2]: http://dlang.org/overview.html
> [3]: 
> http://blog.llvm.org/2011/05/what-every-c-programmer-should-know_14.html
> [4]: http://blog.regehr.org/archives/213
> [5]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisenbug
> [6]: 
> http://forum.dlang.org/thread/jrxrmcmeksxwlyuitzqp@forum.dlang.org