overuse of auto is dangerous

From	jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c++
Subject	overuse of auto is dangerous
Date	2020-03-13 00:27 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<r4eghj$j17$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)

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Consider:

auto f = foo();

What is "f"?

Ahhh you have to figure out the return type of foo() of course. Great, 
there you go to your favorite IDE and try to jump to the correct 
definition of the foo() method in the correct class with the correct 
overload resolution...

Even worst... when you change the return type of foo() from type A to 
type Z, all the "auto" constructs will continue to compile AUTOmatically 
of course. Problem is, the type of "f" will have changed and that can 
provoke incomprehensible compile time errors further down or even run 
time errors in the form of access violation or whatever!

Wouldn't it be better to write:

TYPE_A F = foo();

????

If the return type of foo() changes, an easy to catch compile time error 
will inform us that a change happened and that we have to revise the 
code according to the new interface of foo().

Besides, the maintenance programmer doesn't need to figure out anything: 
the type of "f" is there, for all to see.

WATCH THAT AUTO!

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overuse of auto is dangerous jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2020-03-13 00:27 +0100
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-03-13 00:27 +0000
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2020-03-13 13:57 +1300
    Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Daniel <danielaparker@gmail.com> - 2020-03-12 18:16 -0700
      Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2020-03-13 16:17 +1300
        Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Daniel <danielaparker@gmail.com> - 2020-03-12 20:48 -0700
          Re: overuse of auto is dangerous "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach+usenet@gmail.com> - 2020-03-13 21:27 +0100
            Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Daniel <danielaparker@gmail.com> - 2020-03-13 13:35 -0700
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Cholo Lennon <chololennon@hotmail.com> - 2020-03-12 22:06 -0300
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bo Persson <bo@bo-persson.se> - 2020-03-13 03:17 +0100
    Re: overuse of auto is dangerous jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2020-03-13 08:51 +0100
    Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2020-03-13 01:14 -0700
      Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Vir Campestris <vir.campestris@invalid.invalid> - 2020-03-16 21:35 +0000
        Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2020-03-17 11:49 +1300
    Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2020-03-13 21:27 +0100
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-13 11:07 +0100
    Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-03-13 10:39 +0000
      Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-13 14:26 +0100
        Re: overuse of auto is dangerous jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2020-03-14 09:20 +0100
          Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Sam <sam@email-scan.com> - 2020-03-14 10:12 -0400
          Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-14 16:12 +0100
            Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-03-14 17:23 +0000
              Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-15 12:27 +0100
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-03-15 15:41 -0700
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2020-03-16 13:37 +1300
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-03-16 07:26 +0000
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Sam <sam@email-scan.com> - 2020-03-16 07:05 -0400
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-16 12:32 +0100
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Sam <sam@email-scan.com> - 2020-03-16 08:21 -0400
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-03-16 11:27 +0000
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-16 09:11 +0100
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-03-16 11:44 +0000
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-16 13:29 +0100
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2020-03-16 05:35 -0700
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-03-16 09:16 -0400
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-04-02 07:13 -0700
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-04-02 07:45 -0700
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-04-02 10:25 -0700
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-04-04 12:49 -0700
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-04-05 14:15 +0200
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Paavo Helde <myfirstname@osa.pri.ee> - 2020-04-02 19:20 +0300
                Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-04-02 10:19 -0700
        Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2020-03-15 16:26 +0100
    Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Daniel <danielaparker@gmail.com> - 2020-03-13 07:27 -0700
      Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-03-13 21:22 +0000
      Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Melzzzzz <Melzzzzz@zzzzz.com> - 2020-03-14 04:53 +0000
        Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2020-03-14 03:23 -0700
          Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Melzzzzz <Melzzzzz@zzzzz.com> - 2020-03-14 13:20 +0000
            Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2020-03-14 09:20 -0700
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Paavo Helde <myfirstname@osa.pri.ee> - 2020-03-13 13:53 +0200
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Mr Flibble <flibbleREMOVETHISBIT@i42.co.uk> - 2020-03-13 15:46 +0000
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Sam <sam@email-scan.com> - 2020-03-13 23:09 -0400
  Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2020-03-14 08:06 +0100
    Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Melzzzzz <Melzzzzz@zzzzz.com> - 2020-03-14 13:16 +0000
      Re: overuse of auto is dangerous Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2020-03-16 15:31 +0100

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