Template specialization with non-empty template parameter list - c++

I have difficulties to understand the following code
template <typename T>
struct function_traits
: public function_traits<decltype(&T::operator())>
{};
// For generic types, directly use the result of the signature of its 'operator()'
template <typename ClassType, typename ReturnType, typename... Args>
struct function_traits<ReturnType(ClassType::*)(Args...) const>
// we specialize for pointers to member function
{
// ...
}
int main()
{
auto lambda = [](int i) { return long(i*10); };
typedef function_traits<decltype(lambda)> traits;
// ...
return 0;
}
which occurs in the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/7943765/7006673.
Here,
template <typename ClassType, typename ReturnType, typename... Args>
struct function_traits<ReturnType(ClassType::*)(Args...) const>
seems to indicate a specialization of the template class
template <typename T>
struct function_traits
however, the template parameter list of the specialization template <typename ClassType, typename ReturnType, typename... Args> is not empty (i.e., is not equal to template <>).
Can someone please help me to understand, what kind of specialization this is and how the template parameters ClassType, ReturnType, and Args are deduced?
Many thanks in advance.

What kind of specialization this is?
This is a partial specialization. type_traits is explicitly instantiated with:
T = ReturnType(ClassType::*)(Args...) const
But this T is dependent on ReturnType, ClassType, and Args. That is why you don't have template <> in the declaration (that would be a full specialization), but a template declaration with new parameters describing a particular kind of T.
How the template parameters ClassType, ReturnType, and Args are deduced?
They are deduced when the template is instantiated with an expression that suits this specialization. Here, ReturnType(ClassType::*)(Args...) const can only be substituted with a pointer to a method.
This is an example of SFINAE.

This is a partial specialization. It can't be an "anything" like something that just takes typename T, but it still has some variability in it, so it's not a full specialization.
Also, the things that you're looking to match up are the number of types in the original struct/class's template line and the <...> after the name in the specializations. It's kind of weird because it's asymmetrical.
In your partial specialization:
struct function_traits<ReturnType(ClassType::*)(Args...) const>
All three of the templated types combined still only create a single type - a pointer to member function. That is the same number of types as the "parent" templated type, even though that single type is broken down into 3 additional templated types in the specialization.
// this is what I'm calling the "master template", this isn't an official term
template<class A, class B, ......., class N>
class Foo{};
template</*...This can have as many (or 0) entries as you need for this specialization...*/>
class Foo</*...This must have the same number as master template above, but can be broken down into as many smaller pieces as you want...*/> {};

Related

How can I specialize this template class?

Suppose I have a class
template<template<typename, std::size_t> class Child, typename T, std::size_t D>
class tuple;
How can I specialize this for D = 2 with a Child type which has only one typename template argument?
I've tried
template<template<typename> class Child>
struct foo
{
template<typename U, typename V>
using type = Child<U>;
};
template<template<typename> class Child, typename T>
class tuple<typename foo<Child>::type, T, 2>;
by the compiler says that the template argument Child is not deducible ...
with a Child type which has only one typename template argument?
You can't. Your original template requires a template template parameter with two template parameters, one a type parameter and the other a non-type parameter. A template that can take only one parameter does not match that (and neither would template<typename U, typename V> which takes two type template parameters).
Trying to indirect through an alias template member in a class also can't work, because nested names are non-deduced contexts.
(Also Child is not a type, it is a template.)

Is this partial template specialization?

I am trying to understand type function in template metaprogramming trough some examples.
I have created one example that removes the reference from a type.
template <class T>
struct remove_reference
{ using type = T; };
template <class T>
struct remove_reference<T&>
{ using type = T; };
int main(){
typename remove_reference<int&>::type a;
}
My question is if this is implemented using partial template specialization of if we call it something else?
I feel it is partial because we have not defined it for a specific type but I also feel it isn't because we have just as many template arguments.
The naming may not be important to understanding type functions but I don't want to teach other people the wrong names if I explain it.
Yes, it is partial specialisation, because you have restricted to just things that match the pattern T&.
You don't need to have fewer template parameters, you can even have more. E.g.
template <typename Callable>
struct function_something { ... }; // Any functor type
template <typename Ret, typename Args...>
struct function_something<Ret(Args...)> { ... }; // Specialises free functions
template <typename Class, typename Ret, typename Args...>
struct function_something<Ret(Class::*)(Args...)> { ... }; // Specialises member functions

Is it possible to create a template template parameter list?

I was wondering whether it's possible to make a list containing template template parameters, like
template <
template <typename...> class TTP0,
template <typename...> class... TTPs
>
struct TTP_List : TTP_List<TTPs...> {};
A problem I encountered is that I did not know a good way to access the elements of the list, that is, TTP0. I would like to use type aliases, typedef or using. I however know this is not possible, because the template template parameters are not types and must therefor not be treated as such.
A approach I could imagine working is making explicit structs to read the data and make it use specializations, such as:
template <template <typename...> class>
struct container_TTPs;
template <template <typename...> class TTP>
struct container_TTPs<std::vector> {};
However, this approach seems very explicit. Is there a way to accomplish this recognition without this use of template specialization?
Feel free to ask if I need to elaborate.
EDIT: For example, I want to be able to use certain expressions for every held type, such as TestClass<TTP_List<std::vector, std::list>>::value, where TestClass uses the std::vector and the std::list, without requiring a variadic template within TestClass, so that multiple TTP_Lists can be passed.
I don't understand what do you mean with "access the elements of the list".
It seems to me that you should give us an example of what do you want, concretely, do accessing elements of the list.
Anyway, as you can use using to "access" (?) typenames
template <typename T0, typename ... Ts>
struct foo
{
using type = T0;
};
you can use a template using to "access" (?) a template-template parameter as follows
template <template <typename...> class T0,
template <typename...> class ... Ts>
struct foo
{
template <typename ... As>
using templ_type = T0<As...>;
};
and you can use it in this way
// vi is a std::vector<int>
foo<std::vector, std::set, std::map>::templ_type<int> vi { 0, 1, 2 };
The problem (a problem) is that a template parameter variadic list (isn't important if of typenames, of values or of template-templates) must be in last position.
So
template <typename ... Ts, typename T0>
struct foo
{ };
is wrong, because Ts... must be in last position, and
template <typename T0, typename ... Ts>
struct foo
{ };
is correct.
With template-template parameters,
template <template <typename ...> class ... Ts,
template <typename ...> class T0>
struct foo
{ };
is wrong where
template <template <typename ...> class T0,
template <typename ...> class ... Ts>
struct foo
{ };
is correct.

Variadically templated use of std::conditional where one type is an instantiation failure

I am attempting to build a variadically templated class. As is common, each level of the instantiation needs to instantiate the "next level" by slicing off one type and then using the remainder. For my final level, rather than specialize on one type, I'd rather give some base case type and keep from duplicating the actual logic.
I've added a std::conditional to switch on the BaseCase when the rest of the types consists of an empty parameter pack.
class BaseCase { };
template <typename T, typename... Ts>
class VariadicClass;
template <typename... Ts>
using NextLevel = typename std::conditional<
sizeof...(Ts) != 0, VariadicClass<Ts...>, BaseCase>::type;
template <typename T, typename... Ts>
class VariadicClass {
T this_level; // whatever
NextLevel<Ts...> next_level; // fails when Ts is empty
};
The problem is that VariadicClass is templated on at least one type parameter, so when it hits the base case (Ts is empty), trying to use std::conditional uses VariadicClass<>, which fails of course.
The solution I've managed is to write some specific functions and use decltype along with overloads, and not use std::conditional at all.
template <typename... Ts>
VariadicClass<Ts...> type_helper(Ts&&...);
BaseCase type_helper();
template <typename... Ts>
using NextLevel = decltype(type_helper(std::declval<Ts>()...));
Now, this works, but if I want to keep up this practice every time I have a variadic class, it seems tedious. Is there a way to use std::conditional or something similar to achieve this effect without having to write out so much problem-specific code?
Defer evaluation.
template<class T>struct identity{
template<class...>using result=T;
};
template<template<class...>class src>
struct delay{
template<class...Ts>using result=src<Ts...>;
};
template <typename... Ts>
using NextLevel =
typename std::conditional<
sizeof...(Ts) != 0, delay<VariadicClass>, identity<BaseCase>
>::type::template result<Ts...>;
identity ignores the Ts... and returns its argument. delay takes a template and applies the Ts.... While the signature looks suspicious, it works.
Why not just
class BaseCase { };
template <typename... Ts>
class VariadicClass; // undefined base template
template <typename... Ts>
using NextLevel = typename std::conditional<
sizeof...(Ts) != 0, VariadicClass<Ts...>, BaseCase>::type;
template <typename T, typename... Ts>
class VariadicClass<T, Ts...> { // partial specialization for having at least 1 type parameter
T this_level; // whatever
NextLevel<Ts...> next_level;
};
After reading T.C.'s answer and Yakk's comment, I realized I could write this as one templated class with two specializations, rather than write another BaseClass and the type alias.
template <typename... Ts>
class VariadicClass;
// specialization gets everything but an empty Ts
template <typename T, typename... Ts>
class VariadicClass<T, Ts...> {
VariadicClass<Ts...> next_level;
// normal case
};
template <>
class VariadicClass<> { // instead of class BaseCase
// base case
};
Alternatively, you may specialize VariadicClass<T>
class BaseCase {};
// general case
template <typename T, typename... Ts>
class VariadicClass {
T this_level; // whatever
VariadicClass<Ts...> next_level;
};
// specialization
template <typename T>
class VariadicClass<T> {
T this_level; // whatever
BaseClass next_level;
};

C++ template partial specialization

I cant figure out how to specialize partially this template. compiler complains that template parameter N is not used in partial specialization
#include <boost/multi_array.hpp>
template<typename T, class A>
struct adaptable;
template<typename T, size_t N>
struct adaptable<T,
// line below is the problem
typename boost::multi_array<T,N>::template array_view<2>::type>
{
typedef typename boost::multi_array<T,N>::template array_view<2>::type type;
};
I can add dummy template parameter just to silence compiler.
template<typename T, class A, class A0 = A>
struct adaptable;
template<typename T, size_t N>
struct adaptable<T,
typename boost::multi_array<T,N>::template array_view<2>::type,
boost::multi_array<T,N> >
{
typedef typename boost::multi_array<T,N>::template array_view<2>::type type;
};
is there more straightforward way?
I don't see anything in your example that looks like partial specialization. A partial specialization is a specialization that specifies exact types for some if the base template parameters, but leaves others open. For example:
template <class T, class U>
struct my_template {
// the base template where both T and U are generic
};
template <class T>
struct my_template<int> {
// A partial specialization where T is still generic, but U == int
};
To support partial specialization, the base template has to have at least two template parameters (call the number N). The partially specialized template can have 1..N-1 template parameters. The partial specialization must be located where the compiler will already have "seen" the base template before attempting to compile the partial specialization. The partial specialization is written as a completely separate template from the base template (though the base template and all specializations must have the same name, of course).