Protocol func returning Self

Question

I have a protocol P that returns a copy of the object:

protocol P {
    func copy() -> Self
}

and a class C that implements P:

Answer 1

Swift 5.1 now allow a forced cast to Self, as! Self

  1> protocol P { 
  2.     func id() -> Self 
  3. } 
  9> class D : P { 
 10.     func id() -> Self { 
 11.         return D()
 12.     } 
 13. } 
error: repl.swift:11:16: error: cannot convert return expression of type 'D' to return type 'Self'
        return D()
               ^~~
                   as! Self


  9> class D : P { 
 10.     func id() -> Self { 
 11.         return D() as! Self
 12.     } 
 13. } //works