Re: C/C++ extensions for array notations

[Joe Buck <Joe dot Buck at synopsys dot COM>]

On Mon, Dec 13, 2010 at 09:08:39AM -0800, Sebastian Pop wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I would like to ask the opinion of C/C++ maintainers about the extension
> that the Intel compiler proposes for array notations:
> http://software.intel.com/sites/products/documentation/studio/composer/en-us/2011/compiler_c/index.htm#optaps/common/optaps_par_cean_prog.htm
> 
> Are there strong opinions against this extension?

It's an interesting concept, looks especially useful for parallel
programming.  It looks like a very complex set of features; I don't
know whether Intel has a document elsewhere that specifies the details.
Because of the high complexity, it could be quite a maintainance burden,
especially if there isn't a rigorous spec.

Interaction with other C++ language features doesn't seem to be described.
I can't think of a standard C++ program that would change meaning with
this extension.  But it's not stated whether there can be a reference to
an array section, what the ABI looks like when an array section is
passed as a C++ function argument, whether there are any issues when the
base type of the array we're taking a section of has constructors and
destructors, etc.

If someone is interested in producing an experimental gcc extension,
great.  But there would be a lot of questions to be answered before
it would be appropriate to accept as a supported feature of GCC.