Aliases

Basic Usage

An alias is used to give a symbol a new name. The two names can be used interchangeably and will behave identically. An example of an alias is below.

	alias languages::vitrualmachine::java::files::jar::Jar as JJar;

Now you may use JJar in place of languages::vitrualmachine::java::files::jar. This allows the following code:

	// main.pool

	import containers::jar;
	import languages::vitrualmachine::java::files::jar;

	int main ( String[] arg )
	{
		mutable jars = new containers::jar::Jar();

		jars.insert(new languages::vitrualmachine::java::files::jar::Jar(arg[1]));
	}

becomes:

	// main.pool

	import containers::jar;
	import languages::vitrualmachine::java::files::jar;

	alias containers::jar::Jar as GJar;
	alias languages::vitrualmachine::java::files::jar::Jar as JJar;

	int main ( String[] arg )
	{
		mutable jars = new GJar();

		jars.insert(new JJar(arg[1]));
	}

Allowing you to use both your glass jars and .jars with ease.

Disambiguating Aliases

Sometimes, like in the previous examples you get two symbols with the same name from two different modules. If you want to use one without having to fully qualify paths you can alias the symbol over itself.

	alias containers::jar::Jar as Jar;

Now, any reference to Jar will refer to containers::jar::Jar without needing to be fully qualified.

Scoped Aliases

Aliases are only valid in the scope in which they are declared and only below where they exist in the source file.

	mutable score :Score = 1_000_000; // ERROR: Score is undefined.

	alias uint as Score;

	mutable score :Score = 1_000_000; // Good.

	{
		alias uint32 as Timeval;

		immutable t :Timeval = 779573880;
	}

	mutable curTime :Timeval = 779573880; // ERROR: Timeval undefined.

This is a recommended way of using aliases as shortcuts as the definition is close to the use. This prevents confusion when unreadable names are used.