This all seems to have a very simple solution, to use something
like: expect()
GCC for example has an intrinsic, __builtin_expect() that is used
to notify the compiler of a data constraint it can use in
optimization for branches. Why not make something like this a
first-class citizen in D (and even expand the concept to more
than just branch prediction)?
That way you don't have to hijack the meaning of assert(), but
optimizations can be made based on the condition.
__buitin_expect() in gcc usually just figures the expected
condition is fulfilled the vast majority of the time, but it
could be expanded to make a lack of fulfillment trigger an
exception (in non-release mode). And the compiler is always free
to optimize with the assumption the expectation is met.
On Sunday, 3 August 2014 at 19:47:27 UTC, David Bregman wrote:
I am creating this thread because I believe the other ones
[1,6] have gotten too bogged down in minutiae and the big
picture has gotten lost.
...
References:
[1]: http://forum.dlang.org/thread/[email protected]
[2]: http://dlang.org/overview.html
[3]:
http://blog.llvm.org/2011/05/what-every-c-programmer-should-know_14.html
[4]: http://blog.regehr.org/archives/213
[5]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisenbug
[6]:
http://forum.dlang.org/thread/[email protected]
