Just to clarify: I would like to have the following pointers.
I'll start with the GC ones to maybe reach some consensus quicker
;)
1. GC(T)
Pointer to a heap allocated T, garbage collected.
2. ARC(T)
Reference counted pointer to a heap allocated T, compiler manages
lifetime automatically via retain/ release.
3. Owning(T)
Pointer to a heap allocated T, freed when pointer goes out of
scope or is reassigned (some special interactions with
Borrowed(T) on top of that).
4. Borrowed(T)
Pointer to a T, not necessarily heap allocated, has no impact on
memory allocation/ deallocation of the T whatsoever, if assigned
from an Owning(T) prevents that owning pointer from being freed
or reassigned as long as the borrowed pointer is in scope.
Performance, or, should I say, meddling of the compiler and
runtime in your code, is from worst to best.
We could argue over which pointer concepts would be granted the
honor of receiving their own D definition syntax (new, ~, @, &,
whatever).
