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Newsgroups: comp.lang.java.programmer
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2013 11:31:14 -0800 (PST)
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Subject: Re: How to get from A to B (actually, from type "A" to type "B")
From: "Aryeh M. Friedman" <Aryeh.Friedman@gmail.com>
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Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.java.programmer:21057

On Sunday, January 6, 2013 2:22:55 PM UTC-5, Ramon F Herrera wrote:
> I was flabbergasted the first time I used an IDE that had the "period
> 
> completion" feature (or the similar, "left parenthesis"). It made me
> 
> considering leaving old trusted "vi".
> 
> 
> 
> The problem with the period is that it only goes one step deep: more
> 
> steps are needed! Additionally, sometimes the period is not the answer
> 
> to your travails, when a non-member function is the one that will
> 
> convert from type "A" to type "B".
> 
> 
> 
> When I was learning Java, a large number of questions (and time
> 
> wasted) that I posted were of the form:
> 
> 
> 
>       "How do I convert [some type] to [some other type]?"
> 
> 
> 
> The text conversions alone occupy an inordinate amount of time to
> 
> programmers (just try Google to see what I mean).
> 
> 
> 
> Some C++ examples:
> 
> 
> 
> I had been using for a long time this (from Boost::Filesystem):
> 
> 
> 
>     string somestring = "abc/de";
> 
>     path p = path(somestring);
> 
> 
> 
> Only to realize, accidentally, that the conversion is done
> 
> automatically. The IDE should help you in those cases:
> 
> 
> 
>     path p = somestring;
> 
> 
> 
> This one made me kick myself. I used this many, many times:
> 
> 
> 
>     const char* sometext = somestring.string().c_str();
> 
> 
> 
> Well, it turns out that this one is just as good:
> 
> 
> 
>     const char* sometext = somestring.c_str();
> 
> 
> 
> My question is about R&D done in this particular field. I tried Google
> 
> but the word "type" is too ambiguous.
> 
> 
> 
> This problem is very similar to the resolution of Rubik's Cube. Your
> 
> expression is in some "scrambled" state and you need the computer to
> 
> tell you -not only any path! mind you- but the shortest path (known as
> 
> God's algorithm) to the desired type. Exhaustive, aka brute force
> 
> search can be used: after all, we are not talking Rubik type of steps,
> 
> most of the time we are 1 or 2 steps away from the conversion.
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 
> 
> -Ramon

whats your point/question?