[webkit-dev] When to use "auto"? (I usually consider it harmful)

[Simon Fraser]

On Jan 3, 2014, at 10:11 AM, Alexey Proskuryakov <ap at webkit.org> wrote:

> I'm not Geoff, yet I'd like to offer my perspective on the specific examples you provided.
> 
> 03 янв. 2014 г., в 4:12, Antti Koivisto <koivisto at iki.fi> написал(а):
> 
>> auto& cell = toRenderTableCell(*renderer); // right
>> RenderTableCell& cell = toRenderTableCell(*renderer);  // wrong
> 
> I can't agree with this example. With auto, I don't know if it's a raw pointer, a reference, or a smart pointer (we have toXXX functions that return all of those). I also cannot Cmd+click on anything to go to the class definition, and when I Cmd-click on toRenderTableCell, I presumably get into some unreadable macro.
> 
> Overall, auto makes the code very opaque here.

I agree. I think use of auto makes code you’re unfamiliar with much harder to follow, and makes getting to the type declaration one more Command-click away. Better tools integration would help; if I could hover over the “auto” had have Xcode show me, in a tooltip, what type the compiler will infer, then I’d be more willing to see wider use of auto.

Simon

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