Language Idea #6892: in array ops, enable mixing slices and random access ranges

[Guillaume Piolat]

General idea
============

Currently arrays ops express loops over slices.

     a[] = b[] * 2 + c[]

It would be nice if one could mix a random access range into such 
an expression.
The compiler would have builtin support for random access range.


Example
=======

------------------------------>3---------------------------------------

import std.algorithm;
import std.array;
import std.range;

void main()
{
	int[] A = [1, 2, 3];
	
	// arrays ops only work with slices
	A[] += iota(3).array[];
	
	
	// Check that iota is a random access range
	auto myRange = iota(3);
	static assert( isRandomAccessRange!(typeof(myRange)) );
	
	
	// Doesn't work, array ops can't mix random access ranges and 
slices
         // NEW
	A[] += myRange[]; // whatever syntax could help the compiler
}

------------------------------>3---------------------------------------


How it could work
=================

     A[] += myRange[]; // or another syntax for "myRange as an 
array op operand"

would be rewritten to:

     foreach(i; 0..A.length)
         A[i] += myRange[i];


myRange should not be a range without "length".


Why?
====

Bridges a gap between lazy generation and array ops, now that 
array ops are reliable.
Allow arrays ops to take slice-like objects.


What do you think?