On 3/22/22 11:28, Era Scarecrow wrote:
> So when should you use size_t?
I use size_t for anything that is related to count, index, etc. However,
this is a contested topic because size_t is unsigned. As soon as you use
it in an expression, the whole expression becomes unsigned as well.
(Related: Usual Arithmetic Conversions at the link below.)
For that reason, at least during an "ask us anything" session at a C++
conference, where Andrei was among the panel, Herb Sutter and others
agreed that it was a mistake to choose unsigned for size_t.
So far, I didn't have much trouble from that decision. I am always
careful when subtracting two size_ts.
> Is it better to use int, long, size_t?
D uses size_t for automatic indexes during foreach, and as I said, it
makes sense to me.
Otherwise, I think the go-to type should be int for small values. long,
if we know it won't fit in an int.
> Or is it better to try to use the smallest type you need that will
> fulfill the function's needs and just add to handle issues due to
> downcasting?
That may be annoying, misleading, or error-prone because smaller types
are converted at least to int in expressions anyway:
https://dlang.org/spec/type.html#integer-promotions
(Every D programmer should know the whole section 6.4 there.)
But yeah, if your function works on a byte, sure, it should take a byte.
Expect wild disagreements on this whole topic. :)
Ali
