Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!softrue!kearns
From: kearns@softrue.UUCP (Steven Kearns)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: overloading operator . and ->
Message-ID: <14.UUL1.3#8618@softrue.UUCP>
Date: 12 Mar 91 14:26:41 GMT
Organization: Software Truth
Lines: 22


I know it is too late now, but here is my opinion on how operator .
and operator -> should have been overloadable:'


Notice that in the current definition, X->f is really short for
(X->) ->f   .  I find this strange to say the least.  

Really, we should be able to overload not operator ->, but 
operator ->f and operator->g(int x) etc...  In other words, the 
real operation being applied to X in X->f  is "arrow f".  

This provides more flexibility than the current system because you
are not restricted to eventually returning something for which ->f 
makes sense.  It also seems more intuitive to me.  

-steve

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* Steven Kearns            ....uunet!softrue!kearns    *
* Software Truth           softrue!kearns@uunet.uu.net *
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