If you ever got in touch with template meta programming in C++ you will be relieved what tools D offers to make your life easier. Template meta programming is a technique that enables decision-making depending on template type properties and thus allows to make generic types even more flexible based on the type they are going to be instantiated with.
static if & isLike the normal if, static if conditionally
compiles a code block based on a condition that can
be evaluated at compile time:
static if(is(T == int))
writeln("T is an int");
static if (is(typeof(x) : int))
writeln("Variable x implicitely converts to int");
The is expression is
a generic helper that evaluates conditions at compile time.
static if(is(T == int)) { // T is template parameter
int x = 10;
}
Braces are omitted if the condition is true - no new scope is created.
{ { and } } explicitely create a new block.
static if can be used anywhere in the code - in functions,
at global scope or within type definitions.
mixin templateAnywhere you see boiler plate, mixin template
is your friend:
mixin template Foo(T) {
T foo;
}
...
mixin Foo!int; // int foo available from here on.
mixin template might contain any number of
complex expressions that are inserted at the instantiation
point. Say good-bye to the
pre-processor if you're coming from C!
A template might be defined with any number of constraints that enforce what properties a type must have:
void foo(T)(T value)
if (is(T : int)) { // foo!T only valid if T
// converts to int
}
Constraints can be combined in boolean expression
and might even contain function calls that can be evaluated
at compile-time. For example std.range.primitives.isRandomAccessRange
checks whether a type is a range that supports
the [] operator.