Automatic dereferencing is removed (#20531)

compiler/options.nim

@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ type
     ideRecompile, ideChanged, ideType, ideDeclaration
 
   Feature* = enum  ## experimental features; DO NOT RENAME THESE!
-    implicitDeref,
+    implicitDeref, # deadcode; remains here for backwards compatibility
     dotOperators,
     callOperator,
     parallel,

compiler/semcall.nim

@@ -580,27 +580,6 @@ proc semOverloadedCall(c: PContext, n, nOrig: PNode,
               "Non-matching candidates for " & renderTree(n) & "\n" &
               candidates)
     result = semResolvedCall(c, r, n, flags)
-  elif implicitDeref in c.features and canDeref(n):
-    # try to deref the first argument and then try overloading resolution again:
-    #
-    # XXX: why is this here?
-    # it could be added to the long list of alternatives tried
-    # inside `resolveOverloads` or it could be moved all the way
-    # into sigmatch with hidden conversion produced there
-    #
-    n[1] = n[1].tryDeref
-    var r = resolveOverloads(c, n, nOrig, filter, flags, errors, efExplain in flags)
-    if r.state == csMatch: result = semResolvedCall(c, r, n, flags)
-    else:
-      # get rid of the deref again for a better error message:
-      n[1] = n[1][0]
-      #notFoundError(c, n, errors)
-      if efExplain notin flags:
-        # repeat the overload resolution,
-        # this time enabling all the diagnostic output (this should fail again)
-        discard semOverloadedCall(c, n, nOrig, filter, flags + {efExplain})
-      elif efNoUndeclared notin flags:
-        notFoundError(c, n, errors)
   else:
     if efExplain notin flags:
       # repeat the overload resolution,

compiler/semexprs.nim

@@ -932,12 +932,6 @@ proc resolveIndirectCall(c: PContext; n, nOrig: PNode;
                          t: PType): TCandidate =
   initCandidate(c, result, t)
   matches(c, n, nOrig, result)
-  if result.state != csMatch:
-    # try to deref the first argument:
-    if implicitDeref in c.features and canDeref(n):
-      n[1] = n[1].tryDeref
-      initCandidate(c, result, t)
-      matches(c, n, nOrig, result)
 
 proc bracketedMacro(n: PNode): PSym =
   if n.len >= 1 and n[0].kind == nkSym: