Re: [boost] Proposal: force_cast<>

From: Mac Murrett (mmurrett_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-01-16 11:39:50

On 1/16/02 2:20 AM, "jk_at_[hidden]" <jk_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> 16 Jan 2002 06:52:11 +0300 Mac Murrett ???????:
>> Its purpose is to convert anything to anything, and it looks like this:
>> 
>> // force_cast will convert anything to anything.
>> 
>> template<class Return_Type, class Argument_Type>
>> inline Return_Type force_cast(const Argument_Type &rSrc)
>>    {    return(*reinterpret_cast<const Return_Type *>(&rSrc));    }
> 
> Then copying will occur. Wouldn't it be better to return by reference,
> like below?
> 
> template<class Return_Type, class Argument_Type>
> inline const Return_Type& force_cast(const Argument_Type &rSrc)
>   {    return(*reinterpret_cast<const Return_Type *>(&rSrc));    }

If a user wants this, (s)he can use force_cast<Type &>.  Also, I don't think
that returning a const & by default is fair, as users should have the right
to modify their data :).

Mac Murrett.