Convert standard/internal/package modules to initializers

[bradcray]

This issue is intended to capture the work remaining to convert the modules/ directory's contents over from constructors to initializers. This is an effort I've been working on during spare-time cycles over the past month or so and have gotten pretty close on. Here are cases that still need work:

Internal

• [x] OwnedObject.chpl: In its purest form, this is failing because the compiler-provided chpl__autoCopy/initCopy() routines don't support passing RHS arguments by ref to copy initializers. We could work around this if necessary, but I've been dragging my feet in hopes of not requiring this to be a special-case. See issue #8234.
• [x] first-class functions #9535
• [x] Array, Domain, and Distribution record wrappers: Tricky due to existing initCopies returning a different type. (#9313)
• [x] Reductions (#9315)
• [x] Atomics
• [x] Tuples
• [x] SharedObject.chpl: This is ready to go in PR #8170
• [x] all modules supporting domain maps, domains, arrays: These ran afoul of limitations in our current initializer story, being discussed in issue #8283.
• [x] Range.chpl: Originally ran into a promotionType issue that BHarsh resolved, and is ready for another look. In its current form, likely to run into limitations relating to conditional expressions and compiler-provided initializers, but the conditional expression has also been noted as being arguably illegal (due to calling a method), so needs a look.
• [x] ChapelSyncVar.chpl: Originally ran into an issue with calling new on the result of a type function (issue #7935), now believed to be fixed for this case and ready for another look.
• [x] String.chpl: These run into a number of tricky cases due to the compiler's built-in support for strings (e.g., string literals like "hello" get special treatment in the compiler). Resolved by #9217.

Standard

• [x] IO.file and other miscellaneous records in IO module
• [x] List
• [x] Regexp.regexp
• [x] Random
• [x] Loc* classes in distributions (#9314)
• [x] Buffers.chpl: Simply needs post-review edits and merge; however, current testing is arguably insufficient to have confidence in copy initializers.

Package

• [x] DistributedBag.chpl / DistributedQueue.chpl: Same as above.

[bradcray]

Filtering out the cases known not to be converted above (domain maps, OwnedObject, string), I got failures for the following tests, some of which are designed to ensure constructors are still working. The only case I think I detected which was left unconverted in modules was RecordParser which I'll take a quick look at:

• classes/constructors/base-class-generic-args.chpl
• classes/constructors/base-initializer.chpl
• classes/constructors/brad-dispatch.chpl
• classes/constructors/error-constructor-return-type.chpl
• classes/constructors/generic-uninit-field-constructors.chpl
• classes/constructors/record-var-invokes-user-constructor.chpl
• classes/dinan/generic_constructor.chpl
• classes/dinan/init_before_userdef_constructor.chpl
• classes/dinan/user_def_default_constructor.chpl
• classes/dinan/user_def_default_constructor_const.chpl
• classes/dinan/user_def_unique_constructor.chpl
• classes/dinan/user_def_unique_constructor_const.chpl
• classes/hilde/inheritance/constructors.chpl
• classes/initializers/record-with-call-init.chpl
• classes/initializers/compilerGenerated/had_constructor.chpl
• classes/initializers/compilerGenerated/inherits_constructor.chpl
• classes/initializers/compilerGenerated/parent_inherits_constructor.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/bothGeneric-lhsConsRhsInit.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/bothGeneric-lhsInitRhsCons.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsConsRhsInit.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsConsRhsInit2.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsInitRhsCons.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsInitRhsCons2.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/lhsConsRhsInit.chpl
• classes/initializers/errors/lhsInitRhsCons.chpl
• classes/moduleScope/mod-init.chpl
• classes/stonea/constAndParamInConstructor.chpl
• classes/vass/old-destructor-name.chpl
• compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/noinitSkippedCase (compopts: 1).chpl
• compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/noinitSkippedCase (compopts: 2).chpl
• compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/noinitSkippedCase (compopts: 3).chpl
• compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/recordHasClassField.chpl
• distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-array-domain-zipper.chpl
• distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-array-noelt.chpl
• distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-array-priv-check.chpl
• distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-basic-array.chpl
• distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-basic-domain.chpl
• distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-dom-operations.chpl
• distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-domain-priv-check.chpl
• errhandling/ferguson/err-return-default.chpl
• functions/iterators/bharshbarg/recurseHeapBug.chpl
• io/tzakian/recordReader/test.chpl
• reductions/diten/deleteReductionClass.chpl
• release/examples/spec/Classes/simpleConstructors.chpl
• release/examples/spec/Generics/constructorsForGenericFields.chpl
• release/examples/spec/Records/recordCreation.chpl
• release/examples/spec/Records/recordDeinitializer.chpl
• studies/amr/advection/amr/AMR_AdvectionCTU_driver.chpl
• studies/comd/elegant/arrayOfStructs/CoMD.chpl
• studies/comd/llnl/CoMD.chpl
• studies/labelprop/labelprop-tweets.chpl
• studies/shootout/submitted/chameneosredux.chpl
• studies/shootout/submitted/chameneosredux2.chpl
• types/records/const-checking/modifies-const-fields-of-this.chpl
• types/records/ferguson/copy-report.chpl
• types/records/ferguson/copy-init/old-ctor-concrete.chpl
• users/shetag/objRefAsFormArg.chpl
• users/vass/km/array-of-records-crash-1.chpl
• users/vass/km/array-of-records-crash-2.chpl
• users/vass/km/array-of-records-crash-2.explicit-type.chpl

[lydia-duncan]

The following have a counterpart in the initializers directory:

• [ ] classes/constructors/base-class-generic-args.chpl
• [ ] classes/constructors/base-initializer.chpl
• [ ] classes/constructors/brad-dispatch.chpl
• [ ] classes/constructors/error-constructor-return-type.chpl
• [ ] classes/constructors/generic-uninit-field-constructors.chpl
• [ ] classes/constructors/record-var-invokes-user-constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/dinan/generic_constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/dinan/init_before_userdef_constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/dinan/user_def_default_constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/dinan/user_def_default_constructor_const.chpl
• [ ] classes/dinan/user_def_unique_constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/dinan/user_def_unique_constructor_const.chpl
• [ ] classes/hilde/inheritance/constructors.chpl
• [ ] classes/stonea/constAndParamInConstructor.chpl

The following are initializer tests with intentional constructors, that should be removed when constructors are fully deprecated and removed.

• [ ] classes/initializers/record-with-call-init.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/compilerGenerated/had_constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/compilerGenerated/inherits_constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/compilerGenerated/parent_inherits_constructor.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/bothGeneric-lhsConsRhsInit.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/bothGeneric-lhsInitRhsCons.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsConsRhsInit.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsConsRhsInit2.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsInitRhsCons.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/generic-lhsInitRhsCons2.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/lhsConsRhsInit.chpl
• [ ] classes/initializers/errors/lhsInitRhsCons.chpl
• [ ] classes/moduleScope/mod-init.chpl (This one should have parts of it removed but not all)

The following were intentionally skipped in #6530, some to intentionally remove later and the others to update when other features were added (noinit in this case)

• [ ] classes/vass/old-destructor-name.chpl
• [ ] compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/noinitSkippedCase (compopts: 1).chpl
• [ ] compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/noinitSkippedCase (compopts: 2).chpl
• [ ] compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/noinitSkippedCase (compopts: 3).chpl
• [ ] compflags/lydia/noUseNoinit/recordHasClassField.chpl
• [ ] types/records/const-checking/modifies-const-fields-of-this.chpl
• [ ] types/records/ferguson/copy-init/old-ctor-concrete.chpl

These rely on domains/distributions/arrays getting updated for initializers

• [ ] distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-array-domain-zipper.chpl
• [ ] distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-array-noelt.chpl
• [ ] distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-array-priv-check.chpl
• [ ] distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-basic-array.chpl
• [ ] distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-basic-domain.chpl
• [ ] distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-dom-operations.chpl
• [ ] distributions/bradc/assoc/userAssoc-domain-priv-check.chpl
• [ ] studies/labelprop/labelprop-tweets.chpl

I think this one would work once reductions explicitly use default initializers, so would wait until then

• [ ] reductions/diten/deleteReductionClass.chpl

Should be updated once we decide to deprecate constructors

• [ ] release/examples/spec/Classes/simpleConstructors.chpl
• [ ] release/examples/spec/Generics/constructorsForGenericFields.chpl
• [ ] release/examples/spec/Records/recordCreation.chpl
• [ ] release/examples/spec/Records/recordDeinitializer.chpl
• [ ] studies/shootout/submitted/chameneosredux.chpl
• [ ] studies/shootout/submitted/chameneosredux2.chpl

Issue with nested records and classes with generics

• [ ] studies/amr/advection/amr/AMR_AdvectionCTU_driver.chpl

Needs support of error handling statements in initializers

• [ ] studies/comd/elegant/arrayOfStructs/CoMD.chpl
• [ ] studies/comd/llnl/CoMD.chpl

Has a version of the constructors that are initializers commented out, probably ready for the switch.

• [ ] types/records/ferguson/copy-report.chpl

Bug with nil as the default value for a class initializers

• [ ] users/shetag/objRefAsFormArg.chpl

Semantic question on how to update this test prevented it from getting updated earlier.

• [ ] users/vass/km/array-of-records-crash-2.chpl
• [ ] users/vass/km/array-of-records-crash-2.explicit-type.chpl

I don't see any reason why these couldn't be updated now

• [ ] errhandling/ferguson/err-return-default.chpl
• [ ] functions/iterators/bharshbarg/recurseHeapBug.chpl
• [ ] users/vass/km/array-of-records-crash-1.chpl

[benharsh]

Closing now that initializers are on by default and a warning is emitted for constructors.