• teqDruid (20/20) Jul 29 2004 It'd be cool if D could do implicit type conversions to/from any type.
• Jarrett Billingsley (3/3) Jul 29 2004 i use implicit conversions in C++ all the time, and i agree, they are
• Arcane Jill (16/22) Jul 30 2004 I wanted to let people do:
• Juanjo =?ISO-8859-15?Q?=C1lvarez?= (8/42) Jul 30 2004 Me too me too! In fact I didn't knew D didn't have implicit conversions ...

teqDruid <me teqdruid.com> writes:

It'd be cool if D could do implicit type conversions to/from any type. 
For instance:
int[] foo(int[] param);
Array!(int) a ...;
a = foo(a);
Given that Array has some sort of int[] toArray(), and a constructor that
accepts just an int[].  Of course, this need not be limited to arrays- any
type could work, although one of the obvious applications is making a
String class that is implicitly convertable to/from char[], so one can do:
String s = "hello"; /* Instead of: */ String s = new String("hello");
Without String being built into the language.

The compiler just has to search for constructors that accept what one is
trying to convert from, and/or a method (the name starting with "to") that
returns what one is trying to convert to.  Or, instead of a method that
starts with "to", something like:
int[] convert(int[] dummy);
So it just looks for a method that accepts (and returns) what one is
trying to convert to, since one cannot method overload based on return
types.

Thoughts?

"Jarrett Billingsley" <kb3ctd2 yahoo.com> writes:

i use implicit conversions in C++ all the time, and i agree, they are
useful.  i'm not sure why they aren't implemented in D.  perhaps it has
something to do with the funny cast(type)value syntax ;)

Arcane Jill <Arcane_member pathlink.com> writes:

In article <pan.2004.07.29.23.23.44.667148 teqdruid.com>, teqDruid says...
It'd be cool if D could do implicit type conversions to/from any type. 

although one of the obvious applications is making a
String class that is implicitly convertable to/from char[], so one can do:
String s = "hello"; /* Instead of: */ String s = new String("hello");
Without String being built into the language.

I wanted to let people do:



Currently, they have to do:



which isn't anywhere near as nice. So I agree with you. I'd like to see implicit
conversion happening either:

(a) from type T, if the class has a constructor taking a single parameter of
type T. (Of course, this may require adding an "explicit" keyword to prevent
unwanted accidental conversions).

(b) to type T, if the class can cast to that type. (Of course, this requires
that opCast() be made useful - i.e. capable of being overloaded for more than
one type. Again, an "explicit" keyword might be helpful to prevent accidental
conversions).


Thoughts?

I'm with you on that one.
Jill

Juanjo =?ISO-8859-15?Q?=C1lvarez?= <juanjuxNO SPAMyahoo.es> writes:

Arcane Jill wrote:

 In article <pan.2004.07.29.23.23.44.667148 teqdruid.com>, teqDruid says...
It'd be cool if D could do implicit type conversions to/from any type.

 
although one of the obvious applications is making a
String class that is implicitly convertable to/from char[], so one can do:
String s = "hello"; /* Instead of: */ String s = new String("hello");
Without String being built into the language.

 
 I wanted to let people do:
 

 
 Currently, they have to do:
 

 
 which isn't anywhere near as nice. So I agree with you. I'd like to see
 implicit conversion happening either:
 
 (a) from type T, if the class has a constructor taking a single parameter
 of type T. (Of course, this may require adding an "explicit" keyword to
 prevent unwanted accidental conversions).
 
 (b) to type T, if the class can cast to that type. (Of course, this
 requires that opCast() be made useful - i.e. capable of being overloaded
 for more than one type. Again, an "explicit" keyword might be helpful to
 prevent accidental conversions).
 
 
Thoughts?

 
 I'm with you on that one.
 Jill

Me too me too! In fact I didn't knew D didn't have implicit conversions (I
sould be writing some D code...) and this have shocked me. I use implicit
conversions _all the time_ when I code in C++ (mostly
char*<->SomeLibString<->MySomeLibStringSon) but also for a 
  ^                        ^
  `------------------------'
lot other things.