I'd like to do the following:

struct foo
{
    int[] bar;
    alias bar.length size;         // Line 19
}

So that I can get the length of someFoo.bar with someFoo.size .

This should be ok, since www.digitalmars.com/d/declaration.html says:
>  A symbol can be declared as an alias of another symbol. (...)

A property is actually a function, and functions are symbols.
But the above code gives me these errors:

foobar.d(19): no property 'length' for type 'int[]'
foobar.d(19): bar.length is used as a type

The first one is somewhat strange.

This doesn't only happen if declared in a struct, it was just an example.

Bug?
Not yet implemented?
Will never get implemented?


Thanks,
Florian

I think length is a value. This is not to say that the compiler couldn't make a function to get the value.


try this:

struct foo
{
int[] bar;
typeof(bar.length) size() {return bar.length;}
}




In article <dkgoan$2vhe$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Florian Sonnenberger says...
>
>I'd like to do the following:
>
>struct foo
>{
>     int[] bar;
>     alias bar.length size;         // Line 19
>}
>
>So that I can get the length of someFoo.bar with someFoo.size .
>
>This should be ok, since www.digitalmars.com/d/declaration.html says:
>>  A symbol can be declared as an alias of another symbol. (...)
>
>A property is actually a function, and functions are symbols. But the above code gives me these errors:
>
>foobar.d(19): no property 'length' for type 'int[]'
>foobar.d(19): bar.length is used as a type
>
>The first one is somewhat strange.
>
>This doesn't only happen if declared in a struct, it was just an example.
>
>Bug?
>Not yet implemented?
>Will never get implemented?
>
>
>Thanks,
>Florian

BCS schrieb:
> I think length is a value. This is not to say that the compiler couldn't make a
> function to get the value.
> 
> 
> try this:
> 
> struct foo
> {
> int[] bar;
> typeof(bar.length) size() {return bar.length;}
> }
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In article <dkgoan$2vhe$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Florian Sonnenberger says...
> 
>>I'd like to do the following:
>>
>>struct foo
>>{
>>    int[] bar;
>>    alias bar.length size;         // Line 19
>>}
>>
>>So that I can get the length of someFoo.bar with someFoo.size .
>>
>>This should be ok, since www.digitalmars.com/d/declaration.html says:
>>
>>> A symbol can be declared as an alias of another symbol. (...)
>>
>>A property is actually a function, and functions are symbols.
>>But the above code gives me these errors:
>>
>>foobar.d(19): no property 'length' for type 'int[]'
>>foobar.d(19): bar.length is used as a type
>>
>>The first one is somewhat strange.
>>
>>This doesn't only happen if declared in a struct, it was just an example.
>>
>>Bug?
>>Not yet implemented?
>>Will never get implemented?
>>
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Florian
> 
> 

I've ever thought array.length was a function that calls some internal functions of the GC to allocate more memory or mark it as garbage.
But you are right, it's just a uint variable.
Though, alias does also work with variables:

struct foo
{
    uint bar;
}

int main( char[][] args )
{
    foo someFoo;
    alias someFoo.bar qwert;
    return 0;
}

No problem with that.
It only seems not to work for those /magic/ properties (or variables) like .length, .sizeof, .min, .max, .alignof, .dup, .init, ...

I first had a wrapper function like yours but I thought the alias methode was better because it doesn't need one extra function call.
BTW, will such small functions get inlined by the compiler?


Thanks,
Florian