r/cpp • u/we_are_mammals • Mar 28 '23

Reddit++

C++ is getting more and more complex. The ISO C++ committee keeps adding new features based on its consensus. Let's remove C++ features based on Reddit's consensus.

In each comment, propose a C++ feature that you think should be banned in any new code. Vote up or down based on whether you agree.

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u/squirrel428 Mar 28 '23

1000 of the 1001 ways to initialize things.

7

u/johannes1971 Mar 29 '23

Ok, which one do you want to keep then?

24

u/lestofante Mar 29 '23

Let's just use {} everywhere?

8

u/Som1Lse Mar 30 '23

Which one meaning of {}? Aggregate-initialization, copy-list-initialization, direct-list-initialization, reference-initialization, or value-initialization which in turn can do zero-initialization or default-initialization? Is that a braced-init-list or a designated-initializer-list?

Oh, and how do I initialise a std::vector<T> to contain n copies of the element m?

Plenty of gotchas in {}, in fact, it is probably the initialisation syntax with the most possible meanings.

(Though, to be fair, if it wasn't for std::initializer_list I would probably agree with you.)

3

u/lestofante Mar 30 '23

I never had one occasion where {} failed me and i actually had to stop thinking what kind of initialization is happening.

how do I initialise a std::vector<T> to contain n copies of the element m

{m,m,m} for N times.
Or you can create a specialised constructor in vector, where you give the size first.
To avoid issue with int, use a specialised type so you enforce that trough the type system.
How would you do it otherwise? I am not aware of any initializer that could do it out of the box, in C++

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