Re: Should object values be captured?

The results from 387 responses (to a Twitter poll) show a 2:1 preference for the value being read at the time the deferred statements are executed (66.9%) rather than when the defer statement encountered(33.1%).

Since both options - by value and by reference - may be viewed as reasonable or desirable, neither should be a default. Instead, they both should be using a special syntax. So if you write something likes this -

  guard {
    void * p = malloc(...);
    defer free(p);
  }

it simply won't compile. Instead you'd need to say something like this -

  guard {
    void * p = malloc(...);
    defer free(^p); // evaluate now
  }

  guard {
    void * p = malloc(...);
    defer free(p^); // evaluate later
  }

This may also be reused later for specifying lambda captures... should lambdas ever make their way into C.