[swift-evolution] Why doesn't Swift allow a variable and a function with the same name?

Jaden Geller jaden.geller at gmail.com
Mon Jan 30 15:17:33 CST 2017


I personally find it kind of weird that `let x = 0; do { let x = x + 1 }` is disallowed but `let x: Int? = 0; if let x = x { }` is allowed. The former case requires you first rename the variable you plan to shadow, inconveniently:

```
let x = 0
do {
  let tempX = x // ew
  let x = tempX + 1
}
```

> On Jan 30, 2017, at 11:56 AM, Robert Widmann via swift-evolution <swift-evolution at swift.org> wrote:
> 
> This seems like it’s running through the same check that disallows defining and calling a closure 
> 
> let randomFunc : () -> () = randomFunc()
> 
>> On Jan 30, 2017, at 2:37 PM, Michael Gubik via swift-evolution <swift-evolution at swift.org <mailto:swift-evolution at swift.org>> wrote:
>> 
>> Example that does not compile:
>> 
>>            let randomArray = randomArray(withCapacity: 4096)
>> 
>> Compiler error: “Variable used within its own initial value”
>> The variable name unfortunately clashes with the function name.
>> 
>> This problem forces the developer to think about an alternative name.
>> IMHO that’s suboptimal since many times the most canonical naming would be one where these two go by the same name.
>> 
>> It’s not a big problem in practice but I wonder if there are plans to change this?
>> 
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Michael Gubik
>> 
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> 
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