On 01/24/2013 09:26 AM, ParticlePeter wrote:

> Thanks, I re-read the purpose of ref type function() in the D
> programming language, and the sole purpose is that such a function call
> can be directly a parameter to another function expecting a ref ?

As Maxim Fomin noted, I didn't word it correctly: The caller does get a reference to the returned object.

So, the sole purpose is not to pass a variable to a ref-taking function.

> As:
>
> ref int foo() { return some class member ; }
> void bar( ref int data ) { do something with data ; }
>
> This means, it is never ever possible to initialize any variable with a
> reference some class/struct member data ? Unless I return the address of
> the member data ?

Not true. There are no local ref variables nor ref member variables in D. All you need to do is to use pointers instead:

ref int foo()
{
    return *new int;
}

struct S
{
    int i;
    int * j;

    this(int i)
    {
        this.i = i;
        this.j = &foo();  // member pointer
    }
}

void main()
{
    int* i = &foo();  // local pointer
}

No, the pointer syntax is not the cleanest. :)

Ali

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