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.error { color:#AA0000; }</style></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div class="bloop_markdown"><p>I added a draft proposal here: <a href="https://github.com/DevAndArtist/swift-evolution/blob/rename_anyobject_remove_anyclass/proposals/nnnn-rename-anyobject-remove-anyclass.md">https://github.com/DevAndArtist/swift-evolution/blob/rename_anyobject_remove_anyclass/proposals/nnnn-rename-anyobject-remove-anyclass.md</a></p>
<hr>
<h1 id="renameanyobjectandremovecurrentanyclass">Rename <code>AnyObject</code> and remove current <code>AnyClass</code></h1>
<ul>
<li>Proposal: <a href="https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/nnnn-rename-anyobject-remove-anyclass.md">SE-NNNN</a></li>
<li>Author(s): <a href="https://github.com/DevAndArtist">Adrian Zubarev</a></li>
<li>Status: <strong><a href="#rationale">Awaiting review</a></strong></li>
<li>Review manager: TBD</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>
<p>From the beginning <code>AnyObject</code> protocol and <code>AnyClass</code> type-alias felt wrong and confusing. This proposal aims to sort out the confusion and provide a consistency for future version of Swift.</p>
<p>Swift-evolution thread: <a href="https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-evolution/Week-of-Mon-20160516/018283.html">[Pitch] Rename <code>AnyObject</code> to <code>AnyClass</code> and drop current <code>AnyClass</code></a></p>
<h2 id="motivation">Motivation</h2>
<p>In Swift 3 the standard library will correspond to a particular <a href="https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0006-apply-api-guidelines-to-the-standard-library.md">guideline</a>. This means that the <code>Type</code> suffix will be removed almost everywhere. This provides good readability and makes usage of <code>.Type</code> more clearer and consistent. Furthermore this change is a first step towards consistency for <a href="https://github.com/austinzheng/swift-evolution/blob/az-existentials/proposals/XXXX-enhanced-existentials.md">generalized existentials</a>.</p>
<p>Short example:</p>
<pre><code class="diff">-func construct(type: AnyClass) -> AnyObject?
+func construct(type: AnyClass.Type) -> AnyClass? {
if let objectType = type as? NSObject.Type {
return objectType.init()
} else {
return nil
}
}
</code></pre>
<h2 id="proposedsolution">Proposed solution</h2>
<p>Remove current <code>AnyClass</code> type-alias from the standard library and rename current <code>AnyObject</code> protocol to <code>AnyClass</code>. Then migrate existing code from <code>AnyClass</code> to <code>AnyClass.Type</code> and from <code>AnyObject</code> to <code>AnyClass</code>.</p>
<pre><code class="diff">// Remove completely
-public typealias AnyClass = AnyObject.Type
// Rename to AnyClass
-@objc public protocol AnyObject {}
+@objc public protocol AnyClass {}
</code></pre>
<h2 id="impactonexistingcode">Impact on existing code</h2>
<p>This change will break existing code, and will require a migrator to translate Swift 2 code into Swift 3 code.</p>
<h2 id="alternativesconsideredfutureconsistency">Alternatives considered & Future consistency</h2>
<ul>
<li>Use generalized existentials with any-class requirement <code>Any<class></code> instead, which won’t make it into Swift 3 in time:
<ul>
<li><code>AnyClass</code> equals <code>Any<class></code> or <code>typealias AnyClass = Any<class></code></li>
<li><code>AnyClass.Type</code> equals <code>Any<class>.Type</code></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Add <code>AnyValue</code> type-alias with generalized existentials and <code>value</code> keyword:
<ul>
<li><code>AnyValue</code> equals <code>Any<value></code> or <code>typealias AnyValue = Any<value></code></li>
<li><code>AnyValue.Type</code> equals <code>Any<value>.Type</code></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Or instead <code>AnyValue</code> add <code>AnyStruct</code> and <code>AnyEnum</code> type-aliases:
<ul>
<li><code>AnyStruct</code> equals <code>Any<struct></code> or <code>typealias AnyStruct = Any<struct></code></li>
<li><code>AnyEnum</code> equals <code>Any<enum></code> or <code>typealias AnyEnum = Any<enum></code></li>
<li><code>AnyStruct.Type</code> equals <code>Any<struct>.Type</code></li>
<li><code>AnyEnum.Type</code> equals <code>Any<enum>.Type</code></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>Example:</p>
<pre><code class="swift">// Accept any type that conforms to `SomeProtocol`
func doSomething(with interface: SomeProtocol) { ... }
// Accept any class that conforms to `SomeProtocol`
// We use shorthand syntax for existentials here (SE-0095)
func doSomething(with interfaceReference: AnyClass & SomeProtocol) { ... }
func doSomething(with interfaceReference: Any<class> & SomeProtocol) { ... }
// Accept any value that conforms to `SomeProtocol`
// Missing counterpart to `AnyClass`
func doSomething(with interfaceValue: AnyValue & SomeProtocol) { ... }
func doSomething(with interfaceValue: Any<value> & SomeProtocol) { ... }
// Or more specific value types:
func doSomething(with interfaceValue: AnyStruct & SomeProtocol) { ... }
func doSomething(with interfaceValue: Any<struct> & SomeProtocol) { ... }
func doSomething(with interfaceValue: AnyEnum & SomeProtocol) { ... }
func doSomething(with interfaceValue: Any<enum> & SomeProtocol) { ... }
</code></pre>
<p></p></div><div class="bloop_original_html"><style>body{font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:13px}</style><div id="bloop_customfont" style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:13px; color: rgba(0,0,0,1.0); margin: 0px; line-height: auto;"><br></div> <br> <div id="bloop_sign_1465466769281347072" class="bloop_sign"><div style="font-family:helvetica,arial;font-size:13px">-- <br>Adrian Zubarev<br>Sent with Airmail</div></div></div><div class="bloop_markdown"><p></p></div></body></html>