Automatic functionality a la FixedSizeArrays

[dpsanders]

With FixedSizeArrays, writing

immutable IntervalBox{N, T} <: FixedVector{N, Interval{T}}
    _ :: NTuple{N, Interval{T}}
end

generated a type that had a lot of functionality already generated.

It would be great to have this functionality also in StaticArrays.

[andyferris]

This is a tough one. There are three methods that we require.

1. Size is put into the supertype FixedVector{N} and similarly FixedArray{Tuple{N}}. I'm not sure if using Tuple types in this way is a good idea or not. In AbstractArray you define a size method and for StaticArray you define a Size method.
2. It assumes _ for the data so you don't have provide a getindex method yourself.
3. There is some magic going on with FixedVector constructors. Perhaps we could try replicate this. ("magic" that relies on interpretting the type tree and so-on seemed unpopular more recently...)

Note that these methods are required by new AbstractArrays which are not StaticArrays.

[SimonDanisch]

I've been working around this by creating a macro to construct the type!
With the recent changes of generated functions, I have the feeling that this macro needs to turn into an almost complete implementation of the fixed size array though :D

2.) shouldn't be correct for FixedSizeArrays anymore ;)

[SimonDanisch]

The macro:
https://github.com/JuliaArrays/StaticArrays.jl/blob/master/src/FixedSizeArrays.jl#L86
Not enabled on 0.6 right now:
https://github.com/JuliaArrays/StaticArrays.jl/blob/master/src/StaticArrays.jl#L57
Usage example:
https://github.com/JuliaGeometry/GeometryTypes.jl/blob/sd/staticarrays/src/types.jl#L51

[andyferris]

What is missing from FieldVector that stops it being awesome?

[andyferris]

BTW, after #127 merges we may be putting the size parameter into StaticArray.

This means at the very least Size won't ever need to be defined by the user, except in the struct definition itself.

[SimonDanisch]

Cool!
Also BTW, I think i got the FixedSizeArray port back to work locally :)

[c42f]

Seems like this issue is a relic of times past, so I'll close this.

However, if there's anything actionable we can do to make FieldVector more usable please do tell :-)