return-value policy question

[Phil Edwards]

On Mon, Apr 28, 2003 at 10:30:12PM -0700, Nathan Myers wrote:
> In much of the library implementation I find code like that in
> streambuf::sputc :
> 
>       int_type __ret;
[assign in multiple branches]
>       return __ret;
> 
> instead of the simpler and more elegant
> 
>       if (_M_out_cur < _M_out_end)
>         {
>           *_M_out_cur = __c;
>           _M_move_out_cur(1);
>           return traits_type::to_int_type(__c);
>         }
>       return this->overflow(traits_type::to_int_type(__c));

I find the former /much/ easier to debug, but that's personal preference.
Also, the optimizations being implemented and planned for SSA form tend
to make this sort of thing a moot point.  So, *shrug*, whichever.


> or the even simpler and more traditional
> 
>       return (_M_out_cur < _M_out_end) ?
>         traits_type::to_int_type(*_M_out_cur++ = __c) :
>         this->overflow(traits_type::to_int_type(__c));

Normally I'm not a style bigot, but Sweet Lord, that's hideously ugly.


Phil

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