Rename allocate_for -> similar. Fixes #17124.

base/abstractarray.jl

@@ -326,7 +326,6 @@ different element type it will create a regular `Array` instead:
      2.18425e-314  2.18425e-314  2.18425e-314  2.18425e-314
      2.18425e-314  2.18425e-314  2.18425e-314  2.18425e-314
 
-See also `allocate_for`.
 """
 similar{T}(a::AbstractArray{T})                          = similar(a, T)
 similar(   a::AbstractArray, T::Type)                    = similar(a, T, to_shape(indices(a)))
@@ -347,44 +346,34 @@ to_shape(r::OneTo) = Int(last(r))
 to_shape(r::UnitRange) = convert(UnitRange{Int}, r)
 
 """
-    allocate_for(storagetype, referencearray, [shape])
+    similar(storagetype, indices)
 
 Create an uninitialized mutable array analogous to that specified by
-`storagetype`, but with type and shape specified by the final two
-arguments. The main purpose of this function is to support allocation
-of arrays that may have unconventional indexing (starting at other
-than 1), as determined by `referencearray` and the optional `shape`
-information.
+`storagetype`, but with `indices` specified by the last
+argument. `storagetype` might be a type or a function.
 
     **Examples**:
 
-    allocate_for(Array{Int}, A)
+    similar(Array{Int}, indices(A))
 
 creates an array that "acts like" an `Array{Int}` (and might indeed be
 backed by one), but which is indexed identically to `A`. If `A` has
-conventional indexing, this will likely just call
+conventional indexing, this will be identical to
 `Array{Int}(size(A))`, but if `A` has unconventional indexing then the
 indices of the result will match `A`.
 
-    allocate_for(BitArray, A, (indices(A, 2),))
+    similar(BitArray, (indices(A, 2),))
 
 would create a 1-dimensional logical array whose indices match those
 of the columns of `A`.
 
-The main purpose of the `referencearray` argument is to select a
-particular array type supporting unconventional indexing (as it is
-possible that several different ones will be simultaneously in use).
+    similar(dims->zeros(Int, dims), indices(A))
 
-See also `similar`.
+would create an array of `Int`, initialized to zero, matching the
+indices of `A`.
 """
-allocate_for(f, a, shape::Union{DimOrInd,DimsOrInds}) = f(to_shape(shape))
-allocate_for(f, a) = allocate_for(f, a, indices(a))
-# allocate_for when passed multiple arrays. Necessary for broadcast, etc.
-function allocate_for(f, as::Tuple, shape::Union{DimOrInd,DimsOrInds})
-    @_inline_meta
-    a = promote_indices(as...)
-    allocate_for(f, a, shape)
-end
+similar(f, shape::Tuple) = f(to_shape(shape))
+similar(f, dims::DimOrInd...) = similar(f, dims)
 
 promote_indices(a) = a
 function promote_indices(a, b, c...)

base/broadcast.jl

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 module Broadcast
 
 using Base.Cartesian
-using Base: promote_op, promote_eltype, promote_eltype_op, @get!, _msk_end, unsafe_bitgetindex, linearindices, to_shape, allocate_for, tail, dimlength, OneTo
+using Base: promote_op, promote_eltype, promote_eltype_op, @get!, _msk_end, unsafe_bitgetindex, linearindices, to_shape, tail, dimlength, OneTo
 import Base: .+, .-, .*, ./, .\, .//, .==, .<, .!=, .<=, .÷, .%, .<<, .>>, .^
 export broadcast, broadcast!, bitbroadcast
 export broadcast_getindex, broadcast_setindex!
@@ -142,9 +142,9 @@ end
     B
 end
 
-@inline broadcast(f, As...) = broadcast!(f, allocate_for(Array{promote_eltype_op(f, As...)}, As, broadcast_shape(As...)), As...)
+@inline broadcast(f, As...) = broadcast!(f, similar(Array{promote_eltype_op(f, As...)}, broadcast_shape(As...)), As...)
 
-@inline bitbroadcast(f, As...) = broadcast!(f, allocate_for(BitArray, As, broadcast_shape(As...)), As...)
+@inline bitbroadcast(f, As...) = broadcast!(f, similar(BitArray, broadcast_shape(As...)), As...)
 
 broadcast_getindex(src::AbstractArray, I::AbstractArray...) = broadcast_getindex!(Array{eltype(src)}(to_shape(broadcast_shape(I...))), src, I...)
 @generated function broadcast_getindex!(dest::AbstractArray, src::AbstractArray, I::AbstractArray...)
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ for (f, scalarf) in ((:.==, :(==)),
         shape = :(indices($active))
         @eval begin
             function ($f)(A::$sigA, B::$sigB)
-                P = allocate_for(BitArray, $active, $shape)
+                P = similar(BitArray, $shape)
                 F = parent(P)
                 l = length(F)
                 l == 0 && return F

base/exports.jl

@@ -484,7 +484,6 @@ export
     zeta,
 
 # arrays
-    allocate_for,
     bitbroadcast,
     broadcast!,
     broadcast,

base/multidimensional.jl

@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ If `dim` is specified, returns unique regions of the array `itr` along `dim`.
 @generated function unique{T,N}(A::AbstractArray{T,N}, dim::Int)
     quote
         1 <= dim <= $N || return copy(A)
-        hashes = allocate_for(inds->zeros(UInt, inds), A, indices(A, dim))
+        hashes = similar(inds->zeros(UInt, inds), indices(A, dim))
 
         # Compute hash for each row
         k = 0
@@ -790,15 +790,15 @@ If `dim` is specified, returns unique regions of the array `itr` along `dim`.
         end
 
         # Collect index of first row for each hash
-        uniquerow = allocate_for(Array{Int}, A, indices(A, dim))
+        uniquerow = similar(Array{Int}, indices(A, dim))
         firstrow = Dict{Prehashed,Int}()
         for k = indices(A, dim)
             uniquerow[k] = get!(firstrow, Prehashed(hashes[k]), k)
         end
         uniquerows = collect(values(firstrow))
 
         # Check for collisions
-        collided = allocate_for(falses, A, indices(A, dim))
+        collided = similar(falses, indices(A, dim))
         @inbounds begin
             @nloops $N i A d->(if d == dim
                 k = i_d
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ If `dim` is specified, returns unique regions of the array `itr` along `dim`.
         end
 
         if any(collided)
-            nowcollided = allocate_for(BitArray, A, indices(A, dim))
+            nowcollided = similar(BitArray, indices(A, dim))
             while any(collided)
                 # Collect index of first row for each collided hash
                 empty!(firstrow)

base/sort.jl

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 module Sort
 
-using Base: Order, copymutable, linearindices, allocate_for, linearindexing, viewindexing, LinearFast
+using Base: Order, copymutable, linearindices, linearindexing, viewindexing, LinearFast
 
 import
     Base.sort,
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ function sortperm(v::AbstractVector;
                   by=identity,
                   rev::Bool=false,
                   order::Ordering=Forward)
-    p = Base.allocate_for(Vector{Int}, v, indices(v, 1))
+    p = similar(Vector{Int}, indices(v, 1))
     for (i,ind) in zip(eachindex(p), indices(v, 1))
         p[i] = ind
     end
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ end
 function sortrows(A::AbstractMatrix; kws...)
     inds = indices(A,1)
     T = slicetypeof(A, inds, :)
-    rows = allocate_for(Vector{T}, A, indices(A, 1))
+    rows = similar(Vector{T}, indices(A, 1))
     for i in inds
         rows[i] = view(A, i, :)
     end
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ end
 function sortcols(A::AbstractMatrix; kws...)
     inds = indices(A,2)
     T = slicetypeof(A, :, inds)
-    cols = allocate_for(Vector{T}, A, indices(A, 2))
+    cols = similar(Vector{T}, indices(A, 2))
     for i in inds
         cols[i] = view(A, :, i)
     end

test/offsetarray.jl

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 module OAs
 
-using Base: DimOrInd, Indices, LinearSlow, LinearFast
+using Base: DimOrInd, DimsOrInds, Indices, LinearSlow, LinearFast
 
 export OffsetArray
 
@@ -47,13 +47,12 @@ Base.indices1{T}(A::OffsetArray{T,0}) = 1:1
 function Base.similar(A::OffsetArray, T::Type, dims::Dims)
     B = similar(parent(A), T, dims)
 end
-function Base.similar(A::AbstractArray, T::Type, inds::Tuple{Vararg{DimOrInd}})
+function Base.similar(A::AbstractArray, T::Type, inds::DimsOrInds)
     B = similar(A, T, map(Base.dimlength, inds))
     OffsetArray(B, map(indsoffset, inds))
 end
 
-Base.allocate_for(f, A::OffsetArray, shape::DimOrInd) = OffsetArray(f(Base.dimlength(shape)), (indsoffset(shape),))
-Base.allocate_for(f, A::OffsetArray, shape::Tuple{Vararg{DimOrInd}}) = OffsetArray(f(map(Base.dimlength, shape)), map(indsoffset, shape))
+Base.similar(f::Union{Function,Type}, shape::Tuple{Vararg{UnitRange}}) = OffsetArray(f(map(Base.dimlength, shape)), map(indsoffset, shape))
 Base.promote_indices(a::OffsetArray, b::OffsetArray) = a
 
 Base.reshape(A::AbstractArray, inds::Indices) = OffsetArray(reshape(A, map(Base.dimlength, inds)), map(indsoffset, inds))