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reflect: Elem() is overloaded between different Value kinds #4503

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skelterjohn opened this issue Dec 7, 2012 · 5 comments
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reflect: Elem() is overloaded between different Value kinds #4503

skelterjohn opened this issue Dec 7, 2012 · 5 comments
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@skelterjohn
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in the reflect package, the Value.Elem() method is used both for finding the concrete
value within an interface and for dereferencing a pointer.

Perhaps anInterface.Concrete() and aPointer.Elem()?
@remyoudompheng
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Comment 1:

Elem doesn't make any more sense for a pointer than for an interface. A pointer doesn't
have elements.
It's used for interface, pointer, maps, slices, arrays, channels, pretty much everything
and that seems reasonable: it's hard enough to remember these method names, having tons
of subtly differently named method doesn't bring something better IMO.

@remyoudompheng
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Comment 2:

Also, that cannot be for Go 1 since any change would be incompatible.

Labels changed: removed go1.1.

@ianlancetaylor
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Comment 3:

What would be the advantage of changing the method?

@rsc
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rsc commented Dec 7, 2012

Comment 4:

The API is frozen. Even in Go 2 we aren't going to break compatibility without a very
good reason.

Status changed to WorkingAsIntended.

@skelterjohn
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Comment 5:

Oh, certainly I don't expect any change in Go 1. More of a comment about something that
makes the reflect API tough to grok for new people sometimes.

@golang golang locked and limited conversation to collaborators Jun 24, 2016
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@rsc @remyoudompheng @skelterjohn @ianlancetaylor @gopherbot