On Fri, 31 May 2019, Ryan Joseph wrote:
On May 30, 2019, at 4:18 PM, Ryan Joseph <r...@thealchemistguild.com> wrote: I didn’t realize generic functions were in the trunk. I’m not sure I got this implemented properly so it requires some code review but can we try to include “implicitfunctionspecialization” mode switch in the next release along the with actual feature? https://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=35261{ got blocked again, attempting to resend } I didn’t realize generic functions were in the trunk. I’m not sure I got this implemented properly so it requires some code review but can we try to include “implicitfunctionspecialization” mode switch in the next release along the with actual feature? https://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=35261Specifically, for some time now I wanted to make a “ClearMem" function that doesn’t require passing the type but the insanely verbose syntax of generic functions makes it even longer. Honestly the syntax is so intrusive in ObjFPC mode that I would avoid using it all together.What we have now: var pt: TPoint; begin FillChar(pt, sizeof(TPoint), 0); Specialization with generics: specialize ClearMem<TPoint>(pt); With implicit specialization: ClearMem(pt); // :)
I don't think this syntax is a good idea. What with overloads ? Procedure MyProc<T>(a:T); Procedure MyProc(a : TObject); How do I know which one will be called ? Honestly, the idea of doing so many things "behind my back" is really not comforting.Brevity goes always at the cost of understandability. Have a look at Scala. You can express things really compactly. But if you look at someone else's compact code (or your own code after 2 months) you no longer understand what exactly is happening.
Pascal is meant to be readable and understandable. Things like this diminish these qualities hugely.
Michael.
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