Bug 18906 – Template specialisations should not be stripped if they're not called

extern(C++) class C { T t(T)(T x); int t(T : int)(int x) { return x * 2; } } Given the code above, the symbol `t!int` will NOT be emit to the object unless something somewhere calls that instantiation. I think this is wrong, an explicit specialisation like this needs to go in the object file regardless, it was hand-written, and it might be used externally (in my case, it is used externally). Likewise, we should have a method to force an instantiation of a template into the object like C++ has. For instance, C++ for the above: `template float C::t<float>(float);` Causes explicit instantiation of the template for float. Perhaps D already has this syntax, but I don't know what it is?

``` int t(T : int)(int x) { return x * 2; } ``` What is the point of the template?

It's a specialisation. Someone might call `t!(IDontKnowWhat)(value);`, and if IDontKnowWhat is int, it should use that specialisation, and if it's not, it should instantiate the generic unspecialised one. It also affects function mangling, and extern linkage.

This is actually pretty problematic issue...

Why is this problematic? That is a template specialization for types that convert to int so adding the symbol t!int to the object file would not be very accurate.

Sorry, it should probably be '=', not ':'...

But you get the idea...