proposal: Go 2: permit converting a string constant to a byte array type

[jfcg]

byte slices and strings are convertable to each other:

var bs = []byte("şevkı")
fmt.Println(len(bs), string(bs))

I propose to extend this by allowing to convert:

• string constants to byte arrays:

  var ba = [...]byte("şevkı")

• byte arrays to strings

  var ba = [...]byte{20, 40, 60}
  var s = string(ba)

  Also:

  
  // should not compile
  var ba = [6]byte("şevkı")

// ok var ba = [7]byte("şevkı")

// pad with zeros var ba = [8]byte("şevkı")

I believe this is backward-compatible with Go 1. What do you think?

[ianlancetaylor]

No change in consensus.

[gopherbot]

Change https://golang.org/cl/245099 mentions this issue: compiler,runtime: pass only ptr and len to some runtime calls