[webkit-dev] Should we recommend explicit constructors as part of WebKit style?

[Darin Fisher]

On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 4:26 PM, David Levin <levin at google.com> wrote:

> This came up before:
> https://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-dev/2010-May/012873.html but I'd
> like to understand it a bit better.
>
> It feels there were two points of view:
>
>    1. Use explicit only when necessary to prevent an undesirable implicit
>    conversion like int to vector.
>    2. Use explicit except when it is desirable to allow an implicit
>    conversion that makes the code simpler. For example, the String <->
>    AtomicString makes the bindings generator code simpler since it doesn't need
>    to know which the underlying method takes.
>
> Are there any reasons beyond personal preference to select either of these?
>
> Starting list:
>
> Pro's for #1
>   It is a pain to remember to put explicit every time you have a
> constructor with one argument.
>
> Pro's for #2
>    It would prevent accidental mistakes that happen with implicit
> constructors.
>
>
We're there some recent mishaps with implicit constructors that motivate
this thread?
-Darin
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