Hi,

Someone on IRC wanted to know the element type of an array type and the following code was suggsted:

template ElementType(T : T[])
{
    alias T ElementType;
}

He was confused about how ElementType!(int[]) could possibly equal int, until we explained that the alias does, in fact, represent the 'result' of the template.

So we started discussing whether a more intuitive syntax could be found. Someone suggsted:

template ElementType(T : T[])
{
    alias T template;
}

I personally believe this makes it perfectly clear that you're aliasing the template itself to T.

Thoughts?

-- 
- Alex

On 01/22/2012 03:51 PM, Alex Rønne Petersen wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Someone on IRC wanted to know the element type of an array type and the
> following code was suggsted:
>
> template ElementType(T : T[])
> {
> alias T ElementType;
> }
>
> He was confused about how ElementType!(int[]) could possibly equal int,
> until we explained that the alias does, in fact, represent the 'result'
> of the template.
>
> So we started discussing whether a more intuitive syntax could be found.
> Someone suggsted:
>
> template ElementType(T : T[])
> {
> alias T template;
> }
>
> I personally believe this makes it perfectly clear that you're aliasing
> the template itself to T.
>
> Thoughts?
>

https://github.com/PhilippeSigaud/D-templates-tutorial

BaseElementType maybe. I've just scan-read it.

22.01.2012 18:51, Alex Rønne Petersen пишет:
> Hi,
>
> Someone on IRC wanted to know the element type of an array type and the
> following code was suggsted:
>
> template ElementType(T : T[])
> {
> alias T ElementType;
> }
>
> He was confused about how ElementType!(int[]) could possibly equal int,
> until we explained that the alias does, in fact, represent the 'result'
> of the template.
>
> So we started discussing whether a more intuitive syntax could be found.
> Someone suggsted:
>
> template ElementType(T : T[])
> {
> alias T template;
> }
>
> I personally believe this makes it perfectly clear that you're aliasing
> the template itself to T.
>
> Thoughts?
>

I like this `alias T template;` syntax.
`alias T ElementType;` is like writing `myFunction = value;` in function `myFunction` instead of `return` statement.

On 01/22/2012 07:07 PM, Denis Shelomovskij wrote:
> 22.01.2012 18:51, Alex Rønne Petersen пишет:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Someone on IRC wanted to know the element type of an array type and the
>> following code was suggsted:
>>
>> template ElementType(T : T[])
>> {
>> alias T ElementType;
>> }
>>
>> He was confused about how ElementType!(int[]) could possibly equal int,
>> until we explained that the alias does, in fact, represent the 'result'
>> of the template.
>>
>> So we started discussing whether a more intuitive syntax could be found.
>> Someone suggsted:
>>
>> template ElementType(T : T[])
>> {
>> alias T template;
>> }
>>
>> I personally believe this makes it perfectly clear that you're aliasing
>> the template itself to T.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>
> I like this `alias T template;` syntax.
> `alias T ElementType;` is like writing `myFunction = value;` in function
> `myFunction` instead of `return` statement.

That is actually how it works in Pascal.

On 22-01-2012 19:07, Denis Shelomovskij wrote:
> 22.01.2012 18:51, Alex Rønne Petersen пишет:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Someone on IRC wanted to know the element type of an array type and the
>> following code was suggsted:
>>
>> template ElementType(T : T[])
>> {
>> alias T ElementType;
>> }
>>
>> He was confused about how ElementType!(int[]) could possibly equal int,
>> until we explained that the alias does, in fact, represent the 'result'
>> of the template.
>>
>> So we started discussing whether a more intuitive syntax could be found.
>> Someone suggsted:
>>
>> template ElementType(T : T[])
>> {
>> alias T template;
>> }
>>
>> I personally believe this makes it perfectly clear that you're aliasing
>> the template itself to T.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>
> I like this `alias T template;` syntax.
> `alias T ElementType;` is like writing `myFunction = value;` in function
> `myFunction` instead of `return` statement.

This was exactly my thought too.

-- 
- Alex

A while ago there was a suggestion by Andrei to incorporate this sort of syntax:

template ElementType(T : T[])
{
   alias ElementType = T;
}

struct Foo(T)
{
    alias Type = T;
}

I think people agreed it was a nice syntax, but I don't know if anyone tried to implement it.

On 22-01-2012 19:33, Andrej Mitrovic wrote:
> A while ago there was a suggestion by Andrei to incorporate this sort of syntax:
>
> template ElementType(T : T[])
> {
>     alias ElementType = T;
> }
>
> struct Foo(T)
> {
>      alias Type = T;
> }
>
> I think people agreed it was a nice syntax, but I don't know if anyone
> tried to implement it.

It still feels wrong. Why am I overwriting an existing symbol?

-- 
- Alex

If you know about eponymous templates then it makes sense imo.

22.01.2012 22:11, Timon Gehr пишет:
> On 01/22/2012 07:07 PM, Denis Shelomovskij wrote:
>> 22.01.2012 18:51, Alex Rønne Petersen пишет:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Someone on IRC wanted to know the element type of an array type and the
>>> following code was suggsted:
>>>
>>> template ElementType(T : T[])
>>> {
>>> alias T ElementType;
>>> }
>>>
>>> He was confused about how ElementType!(int[]) could possibly equal int,
>>> until we explained that the alias does, in fact, represent the 'result'
>>> of the template.
>>>
>>> So we started discussing whether a more intuitive syntax could be found.
>>> Someone suggsted:
>>>
>>> template ElementType(T : T[])
>>> {
>>> alias T template;
>>> }
>>>
>>> I personally believe this makes it perfectly clear that you're aliasing
>>> the template itself to T.
>>>
>>> Thoughts?
>>>
>>
>> I like this `alias T template;` syntax.
>> `alias T ElementType;` is like writing `myFunction = value;` in function
>> `myFunction` instead of `return` statement.
>
> That is actually how it works in Pascal.

You get the point! As Russel Winder wrote in sqrt(2) discussion:
>>dsimcha wrote:
>>LOL and Pascal was my example of a bondage-and-discipline language.
>>...
>Bondage. Discipline. Does this mean Lady Heather will take control?

On 22/01/2012 18:33, Andrej Mitrovic wrote:
> A while ago there was a suggestion by Andrei to incorporate this sort of syntax:
>
> template ElementType(T : T[])
> {
>     alias ElementType = T;
> }
>
> struct Foo(T)
> {
>      alias Type = T;
> }
>
> I think people agreed it was a nice syntax, but I don't know if anyone tried to implement it.

I think this is not really relevant to the OP question about changing eponymous template syntax though.

By coincidence, I implemented 'alias bar = foo;' syntax yesterday in my local copy - see attached diff.