[swift-evolution] try?, precedence and double optionals

[Tim Vermeulen]

Given the function

func mightReturnInt() throws -> Any {
    return 3
}

combining `try?` and `as?` has a somewhat unexpected result:

if let int = try? mightReturnInt() as? Int {
    print(int) // => Optional(3)
}

You’d need to add parentheses to end up with a non-optional:

if let int = (try? mightReturnInt()) as? Int {
    print(int) // => 3
}

Apparently, `try?`’s precedence is lower than `as?`’s precedence. Should this be changed?

On a similar note:

func mightReturnInt() throws -> Int? {
    return 3
}

if let int = try? mightReturnInt() {
    print(int) // => Optional(3)
}

Here, `try?` acts as a map, not as a flatMap, resulting in a double optional (and in a single optional after unwrapping it). None of the possible workarounds are particularly pretty:

if let temp = try? mightReturnInt(), let int = temp {
    print(int) // => 3
}

or:

if let int = (try? mightReturnInt()) ?? nil {
    print(int) // => 3
}

Once again, is this behaviour expected and desired, or should it be changed while it still can?
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