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digitalmars.D.bugs - [Issue 866] New: Abstract classes can't have constructors: fails to link, hard to find problem

reply d-bugmail puremagic.com writes:
http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=866

           Summary: Abstract classes can't have constructors: fails to link,
                    hard to find problem
           Product: D
           Version: 1.00
          Platform: PC
        OS/Version: Windows
            Status: NEW
          Keywords: diagnostic, link-failure, spec
          Severity: major
          Priority: P2
         Component: DMD
        AssignedTo: bugzilla digitalmars.com
        ReportedBy: deewiant gmail.com


abstract class Parent {
        this();
}

class Child : Parent {
        override this() {}
}

void main() {
        // both fail to link
        Parent p = new Child;
        Child c = new Child;
}

The above code fails to link, emitting "Symbol Undefined" errors referring to
Parent._ctor. This ought to be caught by the compiler, as it's quite difficult
to find the problem when you don't know what you're looking for.

The override attribute of the constructor in Child is completely ignored: if
Parent's constructor is removed, the code compiles and runs. I know that DMD
ignores superfluous attributes, but this might be a good case to tag it as a n

The fact that abstract classes can't have constructors is unmentioned in the
spec (at least in attribute.html, where I would expect it to be stated), which
is why I tagged this with "spec".

Changing Parent to the following:

class Parent {
        abstract this();
}

The error "constructor asdf.Parent.this non-virtual functions cannot be
abstract" is emitted.

Changing Parent to an interface causes the error "constructor asdf.Parent.this
special function not allowed in interface Parent", which is the kind of error I
would expect for the abstract class as well.

My ideal error messages would read:

"interface cannot contain non-virtual function asdf.Parent.this"
"abstract class cannot contain non-virtual function asdf.Parent.this"
"non-virtual function asdf.Parent.this cannot be abstract"


--
Jan 21 2007
next sibling parent d-bugmail puremagic.com writes:
http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=866






One more sniplet to demonstrate that DMD's current behaviour has undesired 
consequences:











c.d(7): constructor c.B.this no match for implicit super() call in constructor


--
Jan 23 2007
prev sibling parent d-bugmail puremagic.com writes:
http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=866


bugzilla digitalmars.com changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
         Resolution|                            |INVALID





For the first: The this(); declaration is not abstract, because it is not
virtual. It is possible for abstract classes to have constructors. If the
constructor is declared without a body, that means it is implemented elsewhere.
It is important to allow this so one can 'hide' implementations from the user
of the class. The error given is because there was no implementation found by
the linker. Not a bug.

For the second, the error has nothing to do with abstractness (the same error
will happen without the abstract keyword). The error is caused by the B
constructor has no call to A's constructor, so the compiler attempts to
implicitly call super(). But there is no A.this(), hence the error message.
Not a bug.

For both cases, the compiler is working as designed.


--
Jan 31 2007