Question about heterogeneous collections

Hi folks,

I have an issue with using a heterogeneous array of objects conforming to a protocol - I want to write an extension on Array (or CollectionType) that applies only when Element : MyProtocol, but I can’t call methods in that extension from an instance of [MyProtocol] because "Using ‘MyProtocol' as a concrete type conforming to protocol ‘MyProtocol' is not supported”

(For more background, my full use case can be seen in this gist: https://gist.github.com/sadlerjw/2cc16b4375b02fe7f400\)

I’ve asked about this on swift-users (https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-users/Week-of-Mon-20160321/001560.html\) and got some good workarounds but no one was able to provide me with information on any future plans in swift to address this issue - whether that’s making protocols conform to themselves, or some other improved approach to heterogeneous collections. I wonder if anyone here can shed some light on this? (I’m new to the mailing lists, sorry!)

Thanks

Jason

Hi folks,

I have an issue with using a heterogeneous array of objects conforming
to a protocol - I want to write an extension on Array (or
CollectionType) that applies only when Element : MyProtocol, but I
can’t call methods in that extension from an instance of [MyProtocol]
because "Using ‘MyProtocol' as a concrete type conforming to protocol
‘MyProtocol' is not supported”

Hint: write your extension so it applies when Element == MyProtocol instead.

···

on Tue Mar 29 2016, Jason Sadler <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:

(For more background, my full use case can be seen in this gist: https://gist.github.com/sadlerjw/2cc16b4375b02fe7f400\)

I’ve asked about this on swift-users
(https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-users/Week-of-Mon-20160321/001560.html\)
and got some good workarounds but no one was able to provide me with
information on any future plans in swift to address this issue -
whether that’s making protocols conform to themselves, or some other
improved approach to heterogeneous collections. I wonder if anyone
here can shed some light on this? (I’m new to the mailing lists,
sorry!)

--
Dave

See inline

Hi folks,

I have an issue with using a heterogeneous array of objects conforming
to a protocol - I want to write an extension on Array (or
CollectionType) that applies only when Element : MyProtocol, but I
can’t call methods in that extension from an instance of [MyProtocol]
because "Using ‘MyProtocol' as a concrete type conforming to protocol
‘MyProtocol' is not supported”

Hint: write your extension so it applies when Element == MyProtocol instead.

Why don't we also imply `Element == MyProtocol` when using `Element: MyProtocol` ?

Both extensions can have the exact same functions/implementation.
Am I missing something?
I currently don't see why we are forced to distinguish between homogeneous and heterogeneous Collections.

Kind regards
- Maximilian

···

Am 31.03.2016 um 20:14 schrieb Dave Abrahams via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org>:

on Tue Mar 29 2016, Jason Sadler <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:

(For more background, my full use case can be seen in this gist: https://gist.github.com/sadlerjw/2cc16b4375b02fe7f400\)

I’ve asked about this on swift-users
(https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-users/Week-of-Mon-20160321/001560.html\)
and got some good workarounds but no one was able to provide me with
information on any future plans in swift to address this issue -
whether that’s making protocols conform to themselves, or some other
improved approach to heterogeneous collections. I wonder if anyone
here can shed some light on this? (I’m new to the mailing lists,
sorry!)

--
Dave

_______________________________________________
swift-evolution mailing list
swift-evolution@swift.org
https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution

See inline

Hi folks,

I have an issue with using a heterogeneous array of objects conforming
to a protocol - I want to write an extension on Array (or
CollectionType) that applies only when Element : MyProtocol, but I
can’t call methods in that extension from an instance of [MyProtocol]
because "Using ‘MyProtocol' as a concrete type conforming to protocol
‘MyProtocol' is not supported”

Hint: write your extension so it applies when Element == MyProtocol instead.

Why don't we also imply `Element == MyProtocol` when using `Element: MyProtocol` ?

Both extensions can have the exact same functions/implementation.
Am I missing something?
I currently don't see why we are forced to distinguish between homogeneous and heterogeneous Collections.

To some degree this is an implementation limitation; right now our type checker has the silly limitation that the MyProtocol type is *never* considered to conform to the MyProtocol protocol. However, there are cases where this is formally impossible. If MyProtocol has static method or initializer requirements, or uses the `Self` type in argument position, then the MyProtocol type can't be a model of its own protocol without additional work.

-Joe

···

On Apr 1, 2016, at 8:17 AM, Maximilian Hünenberger via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:

Am 31.03.2016 um 20:14 schrieb Dave Abrahams via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org>:

on Tue Mar 29 2016, Jason Sadler <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:

Kind regards
- Maximilian

(For more background, my full use case can be seen in this gist: https://gist.github.com/sadlerjw/2cc16b4375b02fe7f400\)

I’ve asked about this on swift-users
(https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-users/Week-of-Mon-20160321/001560.html\)
and got some good workarounds but no one was able to provide me with
information on any future plans in swift to address this issue -
whether that’s making protocols conform to themselves, or some other
improved approach to heterogeneous collections. I wonder if anyone
here can shed some light on this? (I’m new to the mailing lists,
sorry!)

--
Dave

_______________________________________________
swift-evolution mailing list
swift-evolution@swift.org
https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution

_______________________________________________
swift-evolution mailing list
swift-evolution@swift.org
https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution

See inline

Hi folks,

I have an issue with using a heterogeneous array of objects conforming
to a protocol - I want to write an extension on Array (or
CollectionType) that applies only when Element : MyProtocol, but I
can’t call methods in that extension from an instance of [MyProtocol]
because "Using ‘MyProtocol' as a concrete type conforming to protocol
‘MyProtocol' is not supported”

Hint: write your extension so it applies when Element == MyProtocol instead.

Why don't we also imply `Element == MyProtocol` when using `Element:
MyProtocol` ?

Because Element == MyProtocol is more restrictive; it doesn't allow
arbitrary types that conform to—but are not—MyProtocol.

···

on Fri Apr 01 2016, Maximilian Hünenberger <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:

Am 31.03.2016 um 20:14 schrieb Dave Abrahams via swift-evolution <swift-evolution@swift.org>:

on Tue Mar 29 2016, Jason Sadler <swift-evolution@swift.org> wrote:

Both extensions can have the exact same functions/implementation.
Am I missing something?
I currently don't see why we are forced to distinguish between homogeneous and heterogeneous Collections.

Kind regards
- Maximilian

(For more background, my full use case can be seen in this gist: https://gist.github.com/sadlerjw/2cc16b4375b02fe7f400\)

I’ve asked about this on swift-users
(https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-users/Week-of-Mon-20160321/001560.html\)
and got some good workarounds but no one was able to provide me with
information on any future plans in swift to address this issue -
whether that’s making protocols conform to themselves, or some other
improved approach to heterogeneous collections. I wonder if anyone
here can shed some light on this? (I’m new to the mailing lists,
sorry!)

--
Dave

_______________________________________________
swift-evolution mailing list
swift-evolution@swift.org
https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution

_______________________________________________
swift-evolution mailing list
swift-evolution@swift.org
https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution

--
Dave