[New DIP] Multiple Template constraints

DIPs/DIP1xxx.md

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+# Expression and Block Statement Template Constraints
+
+| Field           | Value                                                           |
+|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
+| DIP:            | (number/id -- assigned by DIP Manager)                          |
+| Review Count:   | 0                                                               |
+| Author:         | Nicholas Wilson                                                 |
+| Implementation: | https://github.com/thewilsonator/dmd/tree/template-constraint-dip |
+| Status:         | Draft                                                           |
+
+## Abstract
+
+Allow multiple `if` template constraints, for the expression form allow an optional message to be printed in the 
+event that overload resolution fails (similar to `static assert`), as well as a block statement
+form of template constraint that allows the use of `static foreach`.
+That is to say, template constraint `if` becomes the static form of contract precondition `in`.
+
+The template is considered a valid overload iff each of the constraints is satified.
+
+Expression form:
+```D
+template all(alias pred)
+{
+    bool all(Range)(Range range)
+    if (isInputRange!Range)
+    if (is(typeof(unaryFun!pred(range.front))),
+        "`" ~ pred.stringof[1..$-1] ~ "` isn't a unary predicate function for range.front"))
+    {
+    }
+}
+```
+
+Block statement form:
+```D
+ptrdiff_t countUntil(alias pred = "a == b", R, Rs...)(R haystack, Rs needles)
+if 
+{
+    static assert(isForwardRange!R);
+    static assert(Rs.length > 0, "need a needle to countUntil with");
+    static foreach (alias N; Rs) 
+        static assert(isForwardRange!(N) == isInputRange!(N), "needles that are ranges must be forward ranges");
+    static foreach (n; needles)
+        static assert(is(typeof(startsWith!pred(haystack, n))), 
+                      "predicate `" ~ pred.stringof "` must be valid for `startsWith!pred(haystack, "~n.stringof~"`));
+}
+```
+
+Mixed:
+
+```D
+ptrdiff_t countUntil(alias pred = "a == b", R, Rs...)(R haystack, Rs needles)
+if (isForwardRange!R)
+if (Rs.length > 0, "need a needle to countUntil with")
+if 
+{
+    static foreach (alias N; Rs) 
+        static assert(isForwardRange!(N) == isInputRange!(N), "needles that are ranges must be forward ranges");
+    static foreach (n; needles)
+        static assert(is(typeof(startsWith!pred(haystack, n))), 
+                "predicate `" ~ pred.stringof "` must be valid for `startsWith!pred(haystack, "~n.stringof~"`));
+}
+```
+
+### Reference
+
+https://github.com/dlang/phobos/pull/6607
+
+https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13683
+
+## Contents
+* [Rationale](#rationale)
+* [Description](#description)
+* [Breaking Changes and Deprecations](#breaking-changes-and-deprecations)
+* [Copyright & License](#copyright--license)
+* [Reviews](#reviews)
+
+## Rationale
+
+It is well known that compilation error messages due to template contraint overload resolution 
+are particularly difficult to decipher. This is not helped by the number of overloads and very 
+precice (and thus complex) constraints placed on the overloads. When overload resolution fails
+the compiler will print out all the in scope overloads and their constraints, without indication
+of which constraints have failed.
+
+While it is not possible in the general case to provide useful information as to what constraints
+have failed and why, because a constraint may have an arbitrary combination of logic, the vast 
+majority of constraints are expressed in Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF). In this case it is definitely 
+possible to provide better daignostics as to which clauses have failed. However the current grammar
+provides no way to translate particularly verbose constraints to a user not intimately familiar with 
+the constraint.
+
+This DIP therefore proposes to formalise the use of CNF constraints by allowing multiple `if` constraints,
+the expression form with an optional message (similar to what was done with contracts in DIP1009), as well as block statements that 
+allows the use of `static foreach` and to declare `alias`es and `enum`s to eliminate the need for recursive templates in template constraints 
+(similar to the `in` contract form prior to DIP1009).
+This will put the compiler in a much better position to provide useful diagnostics, such as indicating which clauses are not satisfied 
+and allowing the template author to provide messages in the case of non-intuitive formulations of constraints
+e.g. `if (isForwardRange!(R) == isInputRange!(R), "needles that are ranges must be forward ranges")`.
+
+Using the particularly egregious example of the first overload of `std.algorithm.searching.countUntil`,
+its current signature of
+
+```D
+ptrdiff_t countUntil(alias pred = "a == b", R, Rs...)(R haystack, Rs needles)
+if (isForwardRange!R
+&& Rs.length > 0
+&& isForwardRange!(Rs[0]) == isInputRange!(Rs[0])
+&& is(typeof(startsWith!pred(haystack, needles[0])))
+&& (Rs.length == 1
+|| is(typeof(countUntil!pred(haystack, needles[1 .. $])))))
+```
+
+would be be written using the block statement form to eliminate the recursive constraint as  
+
+```D
+ptrdiff_t countUntil(alias pred = "a == b", R, Rs...)(R haystack, Rs needles)
+if (isForwardRange!R)
+if (Rs.length > 0, "need a needle to countUntil with") // example message, probably not needed for something this simple
+if 
+{
+    static foreach (n; needles)
+    {
+        static assert(isForwardRange!(typeof(n)) == isInputRange!(typeof(n)), 
+                        "`"~n.stringof ~"`: needles that are ranges must be forward ranges");
+        static assert(is(typeof(startsWith!pred(haystack, n))), 
+                        "predicate `" ~ pred.stringof "` must be valid for"~
+                        "`startsWith!pred(haystack, "~n.stringof~"`));
+    }
+}
+```
+the first two constraints do not require the use of the block statement form to use a static foreach so 
+they can be done in the expression style.
+
+This could print on error using `countUntil("foo", inputRangeOfInt)` 
+```
+example.d(42): Error: template `std.algorithm.searching.countUntil` cannot deduce function from argument types !()(string,NotARange), candidates are: 
+/path/to/std/algorithm/searching.d(747): std.algorithm.searching.countUntil(alias pred = "a == b", R, Rs...)(R haystack, Rs needles)
+        not satisfied: `inputRangeOfInt`: needles that are ranges must be forward ranges
+        not satisfied: predicate `a == b` must be valid for `startsWith!pred(haystack, inputRangeOfInt)`
+/path/to/std/algorithm/searching.d(835): std.algorithm.searching.countUntil(alias pred = "a == b", R, N)(R haystack, N needle) if (isInputRange!R && is(typeof(binaryFun!pred(haystack.front, needle)) : bool))
+/path/to/std/algorithm/searching.d(913): std.algorithm.searching.countUntil(alias pred, R)(R haystack) if (isInputRange!R && is(typeof(unaryFun!pred(haystack.front)) : bool))
+```
+
+## Description
+
+Template constraints are changed to allow multiple `if` template constraints. 
+All constraints must be satisfied for the template to be viable.
+Examples given are for `template`s but also apply to constraints on template mixins, functions, methods, classes, 
+interfaces, structs and unions.
+
+### Expression Form
+
+The expression form is:
+```D
+template foo(T) 
+if (constraint1!T) 
+if (constraint2!T)
+if (constraint3!T) { ... }
+```
+
+An optional constraint message can be used to provide a more easily understood description of why a 
+constraint has not been met.
+
+```D
+template foo(T) 
+if (isForwardRange!T == isInputRange!T, T.stringof ~" must be a forward range if it is a range") 
+```
+### Block Statement Form
+
+The block statement form is:
+```D
+template foo(T) 
+if 
+{
+   ...constraints...
+}
+```
+where `...constraints...` may contain only `static assert`, `static foreach` and `static if` statements and `enum` and `alias` declarations. 
+The declarations are local to the scope of the constraint or `static foreach` or `static if` they are declared in.
+Each `static assert` in the block statement in satisfied `static if` statements,
+including those in unrolled `static foreach` statements, must pass for the constraint to be satisfied.
+
+### Grammar changes
+
+```diff
++Constraints:
++   Constraint
++   Constraint Constraints
+
+Constraint:
+-  if ( Expression )
++   if ( AssertArguments )
++   if BlockStatement
+
+FuncDeclaratorSuffix:
+    Parameters MemberFunctionAttributes[opt]
+-   TemplateParameters Parameters MemberFunctionAttributes[opt] Constraint[opt]
++   TemplateParameters Parameters MemberFunctionAttributes[opt] Constraints[opt]
+
+TemplateDeclaration:
+-   template Identifier TemplateParameters Constraint[opt] { DeclDefs[opt] }
++   template Identifier TemplateParameters Constraints[opt] { DeclDefs[opt] }
+
+ConstructorTemplate:
+-   this TemplateParameters Parameters MemberFunctionAttributes[opt] Constraint[opt] :
+-   this TemplateParameters Parameters MemberFunctionAttributes[opt] Constraint[opt] FunctionBody
++   this TemplateParameters Parameters MemberFunctionAttributes[opt] Constraints[opt] :
++   this TemplateParameters Parameters MemberFunctionAttributes[opt] Constraints[opt] FunctionBody
+
+ClassTemplateDeclaration:
+-   class Identifier TemplateParameters Constraint[opt] BaseClassList[opt] AggregateBody
+-   class Identifier TemplateParameters BaseClassList[opt] Constraint[opt] AggregateBody
++   class Identifier TemplateParameters Constraints[opt] BaseClassList[opt] AggregateBody
++   class Identifier TemplateParameters BaseClassList[opt] Constraints[opt] AggregateBody
+
+InterfaceTemplateDeclaration:
+-   interface Identifier TemplateParameters Constraint[opt] BaseInterfaceList[opt] AggregateBody
+-   interface Identifier TemplateParameters BaseInterfaceList Constraint AggregateBody
++   interface Identifier TemplateParameters Constraints[opt] BaseInterfaceList[opt] AggregateBody
++   interface Identifier TemplateParameters BaseInterfaceList Constraints AggregateBody
+
+StructTemplateDeclaration:
+-   struct Identifier TemplateParameters Constraint[opt] AggregateBody
++   struct Identifier TemplateParameters Constraints[opt] AggregateBody
+
+UnionTemplateDeclaration:
+-   union Identifier TemplateParameters Constraint[opt] AggregateBody
++   union Identifier TemplateParameters Constraints[opt] AggregateBody
+
+TemplateMixinDeclaration:
+-   mixin template Identifier TemplateParameters Constraint[opt] { DeclDefs[opt] }
++   mixin template Identifier TemplateParameters Constraints[opt] { DeclDefs[opt] }
+```
+
+
+## Breaking Changes and Deprecations
+
+N/A. The current template constraint syntax becomes a single expression constraint.
+
+## Copyright & License
+
+Copyright (c) 2018 by the D Language Foundation
+
+Licensed under [Creative Commons Zero 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.txt)
+
+## Reviews
+
+The DIP Manager will supplement this section with a summary of each review stage
+of the DIP process beyond the Draft Review.