• resistor mac.com (6/6) Mar 25 2004 The associative array documentation says I can write something like:
• Matthew (2/8) Mar 26 2004
• Stewart Gordon (11/19) Mar 26 2004 I guess that's another wart - I'm not sure what was wrong with
• Russ Lewis (17/26) Mar 26 2004 D doesn't have many warts, but this is one of them. 'delete' on an

resistor mac.com writes:

The associative array documentation says I can write something like:

delete it["foo"];

Can I do that with a normal array as well? Would:

delete it[3];

erase that object, or remove it from the array?

Owen

"Matthew" <matthew stlsoft.org> writes:

Not AFAIK

<resistor mac.com> wrote in message news:c40b0j$g38$1 digitaldaemon.com...
 The associative array documentation says I can write something like:

 delete it["foo"];

 Can I do that with a normal array as well? Would:

 delete it[3];

 erase that object, or remove it from the array?

 Owen

Stewart Gordon <smjg_1998 yahoo.com> writes:

resistor mac.com wrote:

 The associative array documentation says I can write something like:
 
 delete it["foo"];

I guess that's another wart - I'm not sure what was wrong with

	it.remove("foo");

or similar.  But anyway....

 Can I do that with a normal array as well? Would:
 
 delete it[3];
 
 erase that object, or remove it from the array?

Erase the object, I imagine.  If it removed it, what would it put in its 
place?

Stewart.

-- 
My e-mail is valid but not my primary mailbox, aside from its being the 
unfortunate victim of intensive mail-bombing at the moment.  Please keep 
replies on the 'group where everyone may benefit.

Russ Lewis <spamhole-2001-07-16 deming-os.org> writes:

resistor mac.com wrote:
 The associative array documentation says I can write something like:
 
 delete it["foo"];
 
 Can I do that with a normal array as well? Would:
 
 delete it[3];
 
 erase that object, or remove it from the array?

D doesn't have many warts, but this is one of them.  'delete' on an 
associative array deletes the object from the array but LEAVES THE 
OBJECT ALONE.  So, the object is still valid.  But 'delete' on a normal 
array deletes the OBJECT POINTED TO but LEAVES THE REFERENCE INTACT.

Unfortunately, this can make code very confusing:
	Object[] foo1;
	Object[int] foo2;
	...
	delete foo1[3];
	delete foo2[3];

The first 'delete' deletes an Object variable, but leaves a reference to 
the (now invalid) Object in the array.

The second 'delete' deletes the Object from the array, but leaves the 
object intact.  So if you have other references to the Object somewhere, 
those are still valid.  Of course, if this is the last reference to the 
Object, then the garbage collector will clean it up eventually.