[Interest] Why no T& QVariant::value()?

[Hamish Moffatt]

On 24/05/18 00:16, Jason H wrote:
> Really wishing this function existed. Can someone explain why it doesnt' exist?

QVariant::value<T>() converts to value T (as per the documentation). How 
could it return an lvalue then, as the value returned may not be of the 
same type?

>
> I'm using it in conjunction with QVariantMap and QVariant list, where I want to change the value held at key or index. But in a nested map or list, since value() returns a copy, the change does not persist in the container.
>
> QVariantMap mapOfMap;
> QVariantMap map {{"key", QRect(0,0,5,5)}};
> mapOfMap["map"]=map;
> mapOfMap["map"].toMap()["key"] = QRect(1,1,6,6); // copies all the way down, changed a copy of mapOfMap["map"].toMap()["key"], gets discarded
> map = mapOfMap["map"].toMap();
> map["key"] = QRect(1,1,6,6); // changed a copy of mapOfMap["map"].toMap()["key"]
> mapOfMap["map"]=map // but we set the copy to be in the original map, so it'll stay
>
> Help?

Use a different map? There must be some other reason you are using 
QVariantMap because there doesn't seem to be any need from this code.


Hamish