[swift-evolution] [Proposal] Use inout at function call sites

[Dmitri Gribenko]

On Fri, Jan 29, 2016 at 2:44 PM, Trent Nadeau via swift-evolution
<swift-evolution at swift.org> wrote:
> The `&` prefix operator is a holdover from C where it is usually read as
> "address of" and creates a pointer. While very useful in C due to its
> pervasive use of pointers, its meaning is not the same

Since there is an implicit conversion from &x expression to
UnsafePointer (for C interop), I have seen so many times people write
buggy code with the & operator, assuming that it is returning a stable
inner pointer to the data structure, like in C.  I don't have a
preference for the replacement, but I strongly believe that & is the
wrong way to spell this operation, because of the strong (and wrong!)
connection with C syntax that people tend to make.  'inout' keyword at
the call site sounds like a fine replacement to me.

Dmitri

-- 
main(i,j){for(i=2;;i++){for(j=2;j<i;j++){if(!(i%j)){j=0;break;}}if
(j){printf("%d\n",i);}}} /*Dmitri Gribenko <gribozavr at gmail.com>*/