On 07/30/2014 05:04 PM, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
On 7/30/14, 4:56 AM, Daniel Murphy wrote:"Artur Skawina via Digitalmars-d" wrote in message news:mailman.217.1406713015.16021.digitalmar...@puremagic.com...`assert` is for *verifying* assumptions. It must not allow them to leak/escape. Otherwise a single not-100%-correct assert could defeat critical runtime checks.All you're saying is you want them to have different names, not that it can't work the way Walter and I have described. If your assertions are invalid and you're compiling with -release, the compiler is free to generate invalid code. -release is dangerous. -release is telling the compiler that the code you wrote is correct, and it can rely on it to be correct.Exactly! -- Andrei
This just moves the issue around and gives another term a non-obvious meaning (the 'release' switch, which is not called e.g. 'unsafeAssumeCorrect'. Which is still confusing, because it purports to keep memory safety intact in @safe code by not disabling array bounds checks by default). This is the very topic of this discussion: some people get confused when they are assumed to use standard terms with non-standard meanings. I was objecting to the apparent attitude that this is entirely the fault of the one who gets confused, or that it is symptomatic for lack of understanding of concepts.
I mean, we have at least: some terms with whacky meanings for an outsider:'release' which does not relate to a released code version and which is not in contrast to 'debug'.
'const' which does not relate to being a constant. 'enum' which does not denote enumeration in many contexts where it is used.'in' which does not only check for membership but rather returns a pointer to that member.
'lazy', which denotes pass by name instead of pass by need. 'pure' which denies access to mutable static variables and IO. ... (some more easily debatable ones removed) some terms with inconsistent meanings:'alias': alias declarations and alias parameters are notably distinct: while I can alias a built-in type to a symbol, I cannot pass it by alias. The following fails:
template T(alias a){ enum T=2; }
pragma(msg, T!string);
(Before debate ensues: I am completely aware of what each of the above
actually mean and do.)
To me, the apt response to a relative newcomer who gets confused by one of those or something like them, especially when used without quotation marks, is not at all similar to "You're misunderstanding and misusing this feature, stop making noise."
