Partial template instanciation - c++

If I have this two template classes:
template<int a, typename V>
class A {
};
template<template<int, typename> typename V>
class B {
};
I can write something like B<A> a;.
How can I achieve a similar thing for this two classes:
template<int a, typename V>
class A {
};
template<template<typename> typename V>
class B {
};
I want to declare a variable like this B<A<1>> a;, but it says that A needs 2 parameters, which would be correct for an instance of A, but I only want to create a new template with a smaller number of parameters.
How can I achieve this?

You can't do this directly, but you can create a helper template using and pass it to B.
template <int N>
struct foo
{
template <typename T>
using type = A<N, T>;
};
B<foo<42>::type> x;

Related

Shortcuts for repeated template arguments

Let's say I have a class:
template <typename A, typename B, typename C>
class Foo {
};
in which usually A and B are the same type, but I'd like to keep the option to define B separately. I'd like to define an additional template, say,
template <typename A, typename C>
class Foo {
};
that is just a wrapper for Foo<A, A, C>. Is this common practice? If so, what's the simplest way to do it?
Not the only solution, but if it is viable it is the simplest: Change order of B and C and provide a default for B:
#include <type_traits>
template <typename A, typename C, typename B = A>
class Foo {
};
int main(){
using Foo1 = Foo<int,double,int>;
using Foo2 = Foo<int,double>;
static_assert( std::is_same<Foo1, Foo2>::value);
}
I understand your question this way (based on comment, question is composed with two problems, both get answered seperetly): If A and B represent same type use alternative version of template.
So looks like actually you are trying to do is partial template specialization.
Example:
template <typename A, typename B, typename C>
class Foo {
public:
using type = B;
};
template <typename A, typename C>
class Foo<A, A, C> {
public:
using type = C;
};
simple demo: https://godbolt.org/z/KPz4jj

If template parameter AA is a templatized class A<T> itself, is it possible to get the template parameter (T) of this templatized class?

Consider the code below:
template <typename T>
class A{
...
}
template <class U>
class B{
...
}
int main {
B<A<int>> a;
...
}
How can I get the template parameter of A (int in this case) inside B, if A<int> is the template parameter for B?
I could parametrize B as follows, but I feel like I am sending an unnecessary piece of information.
template <class AA, typename T>
class B { ... }
The reason I do not simply use template <typename T> for class B is that I have a pointer to class A inside B, and I want to use the template parameter class AA to see if that pointer is const or not, hence have the correct type for the member pointer in B.
There are several ways, depending of that you might change:
Quick way, specialize B
template <class> class B;
template <class T>
class B<A<T>>
{
// Use directly T
//...
};
Add info in A directly (as std containers do with value_type)
template <typename T>
struct A
{
using my_type = T;
};
// Then in `B<U>`, use `typename U::my_type`
Use external traits to extract information from A (as std::iterator_traits) (that also allows to handle built-in types):
template <typename T>
struct ATrait;
template <typename T>
struct ATrait<A<T>>
{
using my_type = T;
};
// Possibly a generic one
template <template <typename> class C, typename T>
struct ATrait<C<T>>
{
using my_type = T;
};
// Then in `B<U>`, use `typename ATrait<U>::my_type`
I think the following does what you want:
#include<type_traits>
template<class>
class A{};
template<class>
struct get_inner;
template<template<class> class TT, class T>
struct get_inner<TT<T>> {
using outer = TT<T>;
using inner = T;
};
template<class TT>
struct B {
using A = TT;
using inner = typename get_inner<std::decay_t<A>>::inner;
};
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
static_assert(std::is_const_v<typename B<const A<int>>::A>);
static_assert(!std::is_const_v<typename B<A<int>>::A>);
}
Note the std::decay_t, it wouldn't work with the const parameter directly (hence we cannot just specialize B in this way). Maybe decay_t is a bit strong but it works^^
Try this
template <typename X> class B;
template <template <typename> class XX, typename T>
class B<XX<T>>
{
// your implementation
};
B<A<int>> a;

Template template and partial specialization: a puzzle

Consider the following code:
template<typename>
struct S { };
template<typename, typename>
struct B;
template <typename R, typename... Args, template<class> class C>
struct B<R(Args...), C<R>> {
void f() { }
};
int main() {
B<void(), S<void>> b;
b.f();
}
It compiles and has no problem.
Anyway, whenever one decides to use B, it has to provide two types.
What I'd like to achieve is to default somehow the second parameter (I know, partial specializations do not accept a default for their parameters) and let an user define it's type as B<void()> instead of B<void(), S<void>>.
Unfortunately, because of template template, partial specialization and the dependency existent between the parameters, all together they lead to a puzzle against which I'm struggling since a couple of hours.
Is there any clever solution to do that?
So far, I have been able to solve it with intermediate structures, but I don't like it so much...
Partial specializations don't accept default parameters, but the primary does. You can just add it there:
template<typename Sig, typename X = S<return_type_t<Sig>>>
struct B;
Then all you need to do is implement a return type metafunction for a signature. Something like:
template <class Sig>
struct return_type;
template <class Sig>
using return_type_t = typename return_type<Sig>::type;
template <class R, class... Args>
struct return_type<R(Args...)> {
using type = R;
};
You may create an helper class for that:
template <typename T> struct default_arg;
template <typename R, typename... Args>
struct default_arg<R(Args...)>
{
using type = S<R>;
};
template<typename Sign, typename T = typename default_arg<Sign>::type>
struct B;
Demo
Here we change B into a template alias.
B_t does the default arg work.
B_impl is the implementation of B without any default args.
B is a using alias that gets the result of B_t.
template<class> struct S {};
template<class, class>
struct B_impl;
template<class R, class... Args, template<class...> class C>
struct B_impl<R(Args...), C<R>> {
void f() { }
};
template<class, class=void>
struct B_t;
template<class R, class...Args>
struct B_t<R(Args...), void>:
B_t<R(Args...),S<R>>
{};
template<class R, class... Args, template<class...> class C>
struct B_t<R(Args...), C<R>> {
using type=B_impl<R(Args...), C<R>>;
};
template<class Sig, class Z=void>
using B=typename B_t<Sig,Z>::type;
The downside is that pattern-matching on B won't work well.

Partial default specialization of multiple parameter template

Is there a way to extract a partial default specialization from the compiler?
Say that I have this two parameter template:
template<typename A, typename B>
struct X {
A a;
B b;
};
and I also have some code that makes use of a single parameter template, like this:
template<template<typename> class T, typename B>
struct make_T_of_B {
T<B> member;
};
I'd like to be able to say:
make_T_of_B<X<int>, double> dummy;
where X<int> is taken as a single parameter template. It would be equivalent to this template:
template<typename B>
struct Y {
int a;
B b;
};
which looks like how one would specialize X<int, B> without actually changing anything. It's in a way similar to a default specialization -- except that a default specialization doesn't produce another template but rather an actual type (in other words, it's always total).
I realize that I can cascade the template arguments
template<typename A>
struct Z1 {
// start from scratch
template<typename B>
struct Z2 {
A a;
B b;
};
// inherit from double template above
template<typename B>
struct X: ::X<A, B> {};
};
make_T_of_B<Z1<int>::Z2, double> dummy1;
make_T_of_B<Z1<int>::X, double> dummy2;
but I find that to be rather hard to read and not communicate my intentions clearly.
Thank you.
I misunderstood your question. All you want is a way to bind the first template parameter, which you can do easily like this:
template <typename T> using Foo = X<int, T>;
Now Foo<double> is the same as X<int, double>.
Without C++11-style aliases, you can achieve the same with a bit more boilerplate:
template <typename T> struct Foo
{
typedef X<int, T> type;
};
Now you use Foo<double>::type.
I'd use a trait:
template <typename> struct applicator;
template <template <typename> class Tmpl, typename T>
struct applicator<Tmpl<T>>
{
template <typename A>
using rebind = make_T_of_B<Tmpl, A>;
};
Now you can say:
applicator<X<int>>::rebind<double> dummy;
You can of course also move the second argument, A, into the main template:
template <typename, typename> bpplicator;
template <template <typename> class Tmpl, typename T, typename A>
struct bpplicator<Tmpl<T>, A>
{
using type = make_T_of_B<Tmpl, A>; // or "typedef make_T_of_B<Tmpl, A> type;"
};
bpplicator<X<int>, double>::type dummy;
This has the advantage that it works in C++03, too.

Applying partially applied template

Having a class like the A, is there a way to apply it to a template like this of B, with T2 set to some type C? But without creating another template class inheriting from A.
template<typename T1, typename T2>
class A
{ };
template<template <typename T1> class T3>
class B
{ };
With C++11 using a template alias works:
template<typename T1, typename T2>
class A
{ };
template<template <typename T1> class T3>
class B
{ };
class C
{ };
template< typename T > using A1 = A< T, C >;
int main()
{
B< A1 > b;
}
without C++11, you are left with what you probably already know:
template< typename T > class A1 : A< T, C > {};
I will propose an alternative solution: do not use template template parameters.
If you write:
template <typename T> struct B {};
Then it can be used with A<int, int> or C<3> or even plain D.
Whilst it is possible to use template template parameters, it is general a bad idea. You should treat the template parameter of a class as an implementation detail and apply the golden rule: do not rely on implementation details.
If you need access to the type, somehow, then use an associated type (aka T::AssociatedType) or a trait (BTraits<T>::AssociatedType).
EDIT: dealing with multiple instantiations of the template template parameter.
Suppose we want to "erase" the template template parameter of such a class:
template <template <typename> class A>
struct Something {
template <typename T>
void doit() { A<T>::doit(); }
};
The C++ standard allocation model is to use an inner rebind structure:
template <typename T>
struct Simple {
template <typename U>
struct rebind { typedef Simple<U> type; };
};
template <typename T0, typename T1>
struct Multi {
template <typename U>
struct rebind { typedef Multi<U, T1> type; };
};
template <typename A>
struct Something {
template <typename T>
void doit() { typedef typename A::rebind<T>::type B; B::doit(); }
};
Note how you can use complex computations in rebind and nothing forces you in blindly passing the type received as parameter.
Whilst another (similar) solution is to ask for a factory (aka, the object passed itself cannot be used but it can build useful objects); for ease of use the C++ containers ask of their allocators that they be both usable in themselves and factories for other types.
Yes, you can do it using C++11's alias template:
template <typename T>
using AA = A<T, C>;
B<AA> b;
Live example