Are there any examples of how one defines an operator?
In particular, I want to define the append operator (~) for a class which isn't a descendant of String or Array, though it has an internal data container which is a char[], so the append operator appears to be the correct approach.

The manual specifically says that this is possible, but if it says how, then I missed it.  And I haven't been able to find any examples so far while looking through Phobos.

"Charles Hixson" <charleshixsn@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:blfnbf$2ua6$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> Are there any examples of how one defines an operator?
> In particular, I want to define the append operator (~) for a class
> which isn't a descendant of String or Array, though it has an
> internal data container which is a char[], so the append operator
> appears to be the correct approach.
>
> The manual specifically says that this is possible, but if it says how, then I missed it.  And I haven't been able to find any examples so far while looking through Phobos.
>

Make a member function named cat, something like this:

class Foo
{
 char[] bar;

 this(char[] ibar) { bar = ibar; }
 Foo cat(Foo append) { return new Foo(this.bar ~ append.bar); }
}

www.digitalmars.com/d/operatoroverloading.html for the rest.

I believe ~ resolves to cat and car_r

So you would need to define methods as follows.

class X
{
char[] myAttribute;
...

X cat(X instance)
{
myAttribute ~= X.myAttribute;
return this;
}
}

I think that will work for you although you will need to implement cat_r.  Be careful to ensure that concatenation makes sence for your type. I know you will I am just being paranoid, too many years dealing with the community that use the popular language similar to C# but not to be mentioned because of the flame bait potential.

In article <blfnbf$2ua6$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Charles Hixson says...
>
>Are there any examples of how one defines an operator?
>In particular, I want to define the append operator (~) for a class
>which isn't a descendant of String or Array, though it has an
>internal data container which is a char[], so the append operator
>appears to be the correct approach.
>
>The manual specifically says that this is possible, but if it says how, then I missed it.  And I haven't been able to find any examples so far while looking through Phobos.
>

Vathix wrote:
> "Charles Hixson" <charleshixsn@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:blfnbf$2ua6$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> ...
> 
> Make a member function named cat, something like this:
> 
> class Foo
> {
>  char[] bar;
> 
>  this(char[] ibar) { bar = ibar; }
>  Foo cat(Foo append) { return new Foo(this.bar ~ append.bar); }
> }
> 
> www.digitalmars.com/d/operatoroverloading.html for the rest.
> 
> 
> 

So I would need to create methods something like this:
phrase	cat   (phrase str){ return new phrase (data ~ str.toS() );}
phrase	cat   (char[] str){ return new phrase (data ~ str);  }
phrase	cat_r (char[] str){ return new phrase (str ~ data);  }

(That seems to handle all the obvious cases that I can think of.  I want to allow it to be catenated with strings, but the result to be a phrase.)

My bad, cat should return new instance of X


In article <blfolj$3062$1@digitaldaemon.com>, jhenzie@mac.com says...
>
>I believe ~ resolves to cat and car_r
>
>So you would need to define methods as follows.
>
>class X
>{
>char[] myAttribute;
>...
>
>X cat(X instance)
>{
>myAttribute ~= X.myAttribute;
>return this;
>}
>}
>
>I think that will work for you although you will need to implement cat_r.  Be careful to ensure that concatenation makes sence for your type. I know you will I am just being paranoid, too many years dealing with the community that use the popular language similar to C# but not to be mentioned because of the flame bait potential.
>
>In article <blfnbf$2ua6$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Charles Hixson says...
>>
>>Are there any examples of how one defines an operator?
>>In particular, I want to define the append operator (~) for a class
>>which isn't a descendant of String or Array, though it has an
>>internal data container which is a char[], so the append operator
>>appears to be the correct approach.
>>
>>The manual specifically says that this is possible, but if it says how, then I missed it.  And I haven't been able to find any examples so far while looking through Phobos.
>>
>
>