Is Swift foolish or why did something only work in two and other in one step?

Using Swift
1

Hello!
Maybe not the best category, perhaps not too bad category?

I like the following ONE-Step Code for fast hack an idea:

let _ = UInt8 (128+128)

It is a nice hack for later add a better error handling. But if this works, why are the compiler so foolish and work not with

let _ = UInt8 (128) + UInt8 (128)

Arithmetic operation '128 + 128' (on type 'UInt8') results in an overflow
Yes same as first.

I did not like the following TWO-Step Code, to call a given function like this:

func callMeIfYouCan (p1 : UInt8, p2 : [UInt8], p3 : (t1 : UInt8, t2 : UInt8)?) -> Bool

If you mean Swift can detect optional itself - no! So I need this

let t : (UInt8,UInt8) = (0,0)
let oT : (UInt8,UInt8)? = t
let _ = callMeIfYouCan (p1: 0, p2: [0], p3: oT)

Not working is

let t : (UInt8,UInt8) = (0,0)
let _ = callMeIfYouCan (p1: 0, p2: [0], p3: t)

Is it really better, cleaner code to create a constant oT only for using as param?

with regards
Sebastian

2

An integer literal is an Int unless you use as.

_ = 128 as UInt8 + 128

Conversion with initializers, on the contrary, is done at runtime.

You forgot [ ].

_ = callMeIfYouCan(p1: 0, p2: [0], p3: (0, 0))
3

This isn't quite true since https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/main/proposals/0213-literal-init-via-coercion.md.

// These are all the same
let x = UInt8(128)
let y: UInt8 = 128
let z = 128 as UInt8

which makes sense why the following is a compilation error

let x = UInt8(128) + UInt8(128)

because the compiler treats the literals as UInt8s. The example where they did

let x = UInt8(128 + 128)

actually does treat the literals as Ints and goes through the runtime initializer (which is why there is no compiler error).

4 Likes
4

missing? oh yes, but the error is at the optional. I changed this.

5

I see now XCode accept

let _ = UInt8(128+128)

but Playgrounds at iPad tell me

Not enought bits to represent the passed value.

IMHO the Compiler on all platforms must optimize constant expression 128+128 to 256 and after this step tell me this error.