[swift-evolution] [Review] SE-0076: Add overrides taking an UnsafePointer source to non-destructive copying methods on UnsafeMutablePointer

[Guillaume Lessard]

> * What is your evaluation of the proposal?

It makes sense to have `assignFrom` and `initializeFrom` defined for `UnsafePointer` sources.

I would much rather see them defined simply with `UnsafePointer` rather than having overloads. The ability to use UnsafeMutablePointer with UnsafePointer parameters is not so much compiler magic as it is an acknowledgement of how memory works.

Defining `assignBackwardFrom` for an `UnsafePointer` source is unneeded, because its purpose is copying between overlapping ranges of memory — that’s destructive. The source range of `assignBackwardFrom` *must* be an `UnsafeMutablePointer`, by definition. This being said, C’s memmove has a `const void*` source, even though the ranges may overlap.

I’d prefer having all three than having none, but IMO the best outcome is to change only the first 2.


> * Is the problem being addressed significant enough to warrant a change to Swift?

Yes. This has always seemed like a mistake to me.

> * Does this proposal fit well with the feel and direction of Swift?

Yes. I like how non-magical these methods are.

> * If you have used other languages or libraries with a similar feature, how do you feel that this proposal compares to those?

There’s no need to remember which of memmove() or memcpy() allows overlapping ranges!

> * How much effort did you put into your review? A glance, a quick reading, or an in-depth study?

Decades of using pointers informed my thoughts.

Cheers,
Guillaume Lessard