On 19-10-2011 18:18, Don wrote:
In D2 prior to 2.048, sqrt(2) does not compile. The reason is that it's
ambiguous whether it is sqrt(2.0), sqrt(2.0L), or sqrt(2.0f). This also
applies to _any_ function which has overloads for more than one floating
point type.
In D2 between versions 2.049 and the present, sqrt(2) compiles due to
the request of a small number of people (2-3, I think). But still, no
other floating point function works with integer literals.
The "bug" being fixed was
Bugzilla 4455: Taking the sqrt of an integer shouldn't require an
explicit cast.
This compiles only due to an awful, undocumented hack in std.math. It
doesn't work for any function other than sqrt. I protested strongly
against this, but accepted it only on the proviso that we would fix
integer literal conversions to floating point in _all_ cases, so that
the hack could be removed.
However, when I proposed the fix on the newsgroup (integer literals
should have a preferred conversion to double), it was *unanimously*
rejected. Those who had argued for the hack were conspicuously absent.
The hack must go.
What on earth does it matter? It's just a cast. And when typing out
floating-point literals, it *really* does not hurt to type 2.0f instead
of 2. In .NET land, people live with this just fine (see
System.Math.Sqrt). Why can't we?
I say kill the hack.
- Alex
