[webkit-dev] Should we ever use std::function instead of WTF::Function?

[Filip Pizlo]

I like these renamings. I’m also ok with renaming Function to UniqueFunction but I’m also ok with keeping the current name. 

-Filip

> On Jun 13, 2017, at 10:12 AM, Konstantin Tokarev <annulen at yandex.ru> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> 13.06.2017, 20:08, "Maciej Stachowiak" <mjs at apple.com>:
>> In case it turns out not to be possible to reduce the number of concepts (besides eliminating std::function), maybe it would help to change the names and behaviors of these classes to match better. Function, SharedFunction and ScopedFunction would have a much more obvious relationship to each other than Function, SharedTask and ScopedLambda.
> 
> Maybe rename Function to UniqueFunction?
> 
>> 
>> (I'm not sure if the direct assignment from a lambda is an incidental difference or one that's required by the different ownership semantics.)
>> 
>>  - Maciej
>> 
>>>  On Jun 13, 2017, at 9:34 AM, Filip Pizlo <fpizlo at apple.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>  We should have a better story here. Right now the story is too complicated. We have:
>>> 
>>>  - ScopedLambda or ScopedLambdaRef if you have a stack-allocated function that outlives its user
>>>  - SharedTask if you have a heap-allocated function that you want to share and ref-count
>>>  - WTF::Function if you have a heap-allocated function that you want to transfer ownership (move yes, copy no)
>>>  - std::function if you have a heap-alloated function that you want to pass by copy
>>> 
>>>  Only std::function and WTF::Function do the magic that lets you say:
>>> 
>>>  std::function f = <lambda>
>>> 
>>>  Also, std::function has the benefit that it does copying. None of the others do that.
>>> 
>>>  ScopedLambda serves a specific purpose: it avoids allocation. Probably we want to keep that one even if we merge the others.
>>> 
>>>  IMO SharedTask has the nicest semantics. I don’t ever want the activation of the function to be copied. In my experience I always want sharing if more than one reference to the function exists. I think that what we really want in most places is a WTF::Function that has sharing semantics like SharedTask. That would let us get rid of std::function and SharedTask.
>>> 
>>>  In the current status quo, it’s not always correct to convert std::function to the others because:
>>> 
>>>  - Unlike ScopedLambda and SharedTask, std::function has the magic constructor that allows you to just assign a lambda to it.
>>>  - Unlike ScopedLambda, std::function is safe if the use is not scoped.
>>>  - Unlike WTF::Function, std::function can be copied.
>>> 
>>>  -Filip
>>> 
>>>>  On Jun 13, 2017, at 9:24 AM, Darin Adler <darin at apple.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>  I’ve noticed many patches switching us from std::function to WTF::Function recently, to fix problems with copying and thread safety.
>>>> 
>>>>  Does std::function have any advantages over WTF::Function? Should we ever prefer std::function, or should we use WTF::Function everywhere in WebKit where we would otherwise use std::function?
>>>> 
>>>>  — Darin
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> -- 
> Regards,
> Konstantin