http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=3950

           Summary: Wrong error message in recursive template call with no
                    !
           Product: D
           Version: 2.041
          Platform: x86
        OS/Version: Windows
            Status: NEW
          Keywords: diagnostic
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: DMD
        AssignedTo: nobody@puremagic.com
        ReportedBy: bearophile_hugs@eml.cc


--- Comment #0 from bearophile_hugs@eml.cc 2010-03-13 04:51:48 PST ---
This is wrong D2 code (there is a ToString(x % 10) with no bang):


template ToString(ulong x) {
    static if (x < 10)
        enum string ToString = "" ~ cast(char)(x + '0');
    else
        enum string ToString = ToString!(x / 10) ~
                               ToString(x % 10); // missing ! here
}
pragma(msg, ToString!(10));
void main() {}


The compiler gives a wrong error message:
test.d(8): Error: template instance bug3.ToString!(10) recursive expansion

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Steven Schveighoffer <schveiguy@yahoo.com> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
                 CC|                            |schveiguy@yahoo.com
         Resolution|                            |INVALID


--- Comment #1 from Steven Schveighoffer <schveiguy@yahoo.com> 2010-03-15 06:40:52 PDT ---
Inside a template, the symbol without the bang is equivalent to the template instantiation being created.  In other words, it's not an error simply to use a template inside itself without the bang.

example:

struct Foo(T)
{
   bool opEquals(ref const Foo f) const
   {
      assert(is(typeof(f) == const(Foo!T));
      return true;
   }
}

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--- Comment #2 from bearophile_hugs@eml.cc 2010-03-15 07:37:30 PDT ---
The "ToString" name with no bang inside the template refers to itself. Then for the compiler what's the meaning of "ToString(x % 10)" inside this template?

The error message given by DMD doesn't help a lot in finding the bug (the bug
being a missing ! ).

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--- Comment #3 from Steven Schveighoffer <schveiguy@yahoo.com> 2010-03-15 07:44:20 PDT ---
The error is a recursive expansion.  I think it's fairly obvious.  The compiler cannot expand the template because the template depends on the result of itself.

Many error messages do not reflect an actual logic error.  The compiler is not a psychiatrist, it cannot determine what the user was trying to do from nuances in the code.  Instead of suggesting a fix, it simply tells you why what you requested cannot be done.  Maybe the user meant to do a recursive expansion but didn't realize that was an error.

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--- Comment #4 from bearophile_hugs@eml.cc 2010-03-15 07:59:27 PDT ---
This code:

template ToString(ulong x) {
    static if (x < 10)
        enum string ToString = "" ~ cast(char)(x + '0');
    else
        enum string ToString = ToString!(x / 10) ~
                               ToString!(x % 10); // missing ! here
}
pragma(msg, ToString(10));
void main() {}


Produces this error:
bug1.d(1): Error: template bug1.ToString(ulong x) is not a function template

I'd like a similar error inside the template too because I think ToString(x % 10) is a syntax error inside the the template.

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--- Comment #5 from Steven Schveighoffer <schveiguy@yahoo.com> 2010-03-15 08:16:28 PDT ---
The compiler can't figure out whether ToString is a function or not, because it can't evaluate it.  It's like asking for this:

void 12345()
{
}

to return an error of "12345 cannot be a function" when it actually is a parsing error.  Often times, the compiler short circuits the compilation before it can determine root cause, that is just a fact of life.

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