[swift-evolution] MemoryLayout for a value

[Dave Abrahams]

on Wed Aug 03 2016, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu-AT-gmail.com> wrote:

> Agreed, but I do think "memory layout of type of my value, size" is a
> mouthful compared to "size of value". 

It is, but it would avoid confusion.

> Moreover, something doesn't sit right with me that MemoryLayout<T> and
> MemoryLayout.of(T.self) would be one and the same thing.

As far as I'm concerned, that's a feature, not a bug.  Unless you can
describe why it should be different, “it doesn't sit right” is not a
helpful argument.

> Could I suggest an alternative? It's conservative in that it mimics the
> relationships we had before the proposal was implemented and also maintains
> the simplicity of the caseless enum:
>
> ```
> extension MemoryLayout {
>   static func size(ofValue _: T) -> Int { return MemoryLayout.size }
>   // etc.
> }
> ```

That introduces even more potential for confusion than adding forwarding
vars to instances does.  Now you're talking about “overloading” a static
property with a static method having the same base name.

-- 
-Dave