On Monday, 25 August 2014 at 07:36:22 UTC, Idan Arye wrote:
Are you suggesting the compiler will try to resolve the polymorphism at compile-time, looking at all possible paths that lead to a function call to check all possible runtime values it's object arguments can get?
I've argued for whole program analysis before and this is another example where it would be useful :-). When you have figured out the worst-case use pattern you can either make one function virtual and then inline the others as a switch or you can create class-ids that can be hashed perfectly to an array of function pointers.
However, why do you want multiple dispatch? I cannot think of any application level use scenario where you have two class hierarchies that you have no control over. So I don't really see the value of multiple dispatch in a system level programming language. Perhaps if you want to use D for an application level DSL? What are the use scenarios you guys have experience with where multiple dispatch was indispensable?
Ola.
