Paul Isaacs wrote:
How is the production type-inquiry used?
var p : integer;
type q = type of p;
How would it be possible that inquiring as to the type of p is useful? Under what circumstances would the type of p not be already known?
Even if the type of p were not known, how would q be usable if its type were not fixed?
It seems that if you want you can replace type-inquiry by explicit definition. However, type-inquiry may be preferable:
- for several purposes it does not matter which type you use, it matters that types are the same. The simplest case is swaping variables: you need temporary of the same type. - type-inquiry may be useful if you generate program via textual maniputation. Then "the same" program fragment may be better reusable, in a sense adapting to types from outside.
In other words, it looks like feature supporting specific style, if you do not like this style do not use it.