Decltype of member functions - c++

class A {
int f(int x, int j) { return 2;}
decltype(f)* p;
};
Gives me the error:
error: decltype cannot resolve address of overloaded function
I can't understand why that error is even speaking of overloaded functions. Similarly I thought that maybe I needed to use the scope operator to access the function:
class A {
int f(int x, int j) { return 2;}
decltype(A::f)* p;
};
Which still gives me an error but a clearer description:
error: invalid use of non-static member function 'int A::f(int, int)'
Why is it that I'm not allowed to use decltype to find the type of a member function? Alternatively setting the member function to static removes the error in either case.

What you really want is:
struct a {
int f(int x, int j) { return 2;}
decltype(&a::f) p;
};
Live demo
Since the f you are referring to is a member function. The deduced type is:
int(a::*)(int, int)
Without the & the compiler is assuming that you are trying to call the function without providing arguments to it. Perhaps Clang's error message is clearer about this:
error: call to non-static member function without an object argument
decltype(a::f) p;
If you really don't want the pointer type you can later apply std::remove_pointer_t from <type_traits>.

Related

compile error about template deduction on c++

#include <iostream>
template <int N>
class X {
public:
using I = int;
void f(I i) {
std::cout << "i: " << i << std::endl;
}
};
template <int N>
void fppm(void (X<N>::*p)(typename X<N>::I)) {
p(0);
}
int main() {
fppm(&X<33>::f);
return 0;
}
I just don't understand the compile error message of the code.
error: called object type 'void (X<33>::*)(typename X<33>::I)' is not a function or function pointer
p(0);
I think p is a function which returns void and takes int as its argument. But apparently, it's not. Could somebody give me clue?
Since p is a pointer to a nonstatic member function, you need an instance to call it with. Thus, first instantiate an object of X<33> in main:
int main() {
X<33> x;
fppm(x, &X<33>::f); // <-- Signature changed below to accept an instance
Then in your function, change the code to accept an instance of X<N> and call the member function for it:
template <int N>
void fppm(X<N> instance, void (X<N>::*p)(typename X<N>::I)) {
(instance.*p)(0);
}
The syntax may look ugly but the low precedence of the pointer to member operator requires the need for the parentheses.
As denoted in the comments already, p is a pointer to member function, but you call it like a static function (p(0);). You need a concrete object to call p on:
X<N> x;
(x.*p)(0);
// or:
X<N>* xx = new X<N>();
(xx->*p)(0);
delete xx;
Be aware that the .*/->* operators have lower precedence than the function call operator, thus you need the parentheses.
Side note: Above is for better illustration, modern C++ might use auto keyword and smart pointers instead, which could look like this:
auto x = std::make_unique<X<N>>();
(x.get()->*p)(0);

called object type 'void (B::*)(int)' is not a function or function pointer

I am trying to wrap my head around passing method as function argument. Here is a simplified example which returns a compilation error that I don't understand
class B
{
private:
int j;
public:
void foo(int i){std::cout << i + this->j << std::endl;}
void setj(int J){j=J;}
};
class A
{
private:
B b;
public:
void call(void (B::*fun)(int i), int i) { b.*fun(i); }
void setBj(int j){b.setj(j);}
};
int main()
{
A a;
a.setBj(40);
a.call(B::foo, 2);
}
When compiled with
g++ -std=c++11 b.cpp -o b
I get
b.cpp:22:50: error: called object type 'void (B::*)(int)' is not a function or
function pointer
void call(void (B::*fun)(int i), int i) { b.*fun(i); }
~~~^
b.cpp:31:12: error: call to non-static member function without an object
argument
a.call(B::foo, 2);
~~~^~~
2 errors generated.
I don't understand the first error message. I understand that I am calling foo as if it was a static method, which it is not but I don't understand how to pass a non-static method.
Two problems.
To invoke a pointer to a member function, you need to first apply a pointer to member access operator, that obtains a callable expression. Then you add a call. Now it just so happens that .* is of lower precedence than the function call operator. So the first fix:
(b.*fun)(i)
A a pointer to member function can only be obtained by applying unary & on the fully qualified function name. So the second fix:
a.call(&B::foo, 2);

What's the function signature of a member function?

I'm having trouble understanding function signatures and pointers.
struct myStruct
{
static void staticFunc(){};
void nonstaticFunc(){};
};
int main()
{
void (*p)(); // Pointer to function with signature void();
p = &myStruct::staticFunc; // Works fine
p = &myStruct::nonstaticFunc; // Type mismatch
}
My compiler says that the type of myStruct::nonstaticFunc() is void (myStruct::*)(), but isn't that the type of a pointer pointing to it?
I'm asking because when you create an std::function object you pass the function signature of the function you want it to point to, like:
std::function<void()> funcPtr; // Pointer to function with signature void()
not
std::function<void(*)()> funcPtr;
If I had to guess based on the pattern of void() I would say:
void myStruct::();
or
void (myStruct::)();
But this isn't right. I don't see why I should add an asterisk just because it's nonstatic as opposed to static. In other words, pointer void(* )() points to function with signature void(), and pointer void(myStruct::*)() points to function with signature what?
To me there seems to be a basic misunderstanding of what a member pointer is. For example if you have:
struct P2d {
double x, y;
};
the member pointer double P2d::*mp = &P2d::x; cannot point to the x coordinate of a specific P2d instance, it is instead a "pointer" to the name x: to get the double you will need to provide the P2d instance you're looking for... for example:
P2d p{10, 20};
printf("%.18g\n", p.*mp); // prints 10
The same applies to member functions... for example:
struct P2d {
double x, y;
double len() const {
return sqrt(x*x + y*y);
}
};
double (P2d::*f)() const = &P2d::len;
where f is not a pointer to a member function of a specific instance and it needs a this to be called with
printf("%.18g\n", (p.*f)());
f in other words is simply a "selector" of which of the const member functions of class P2d accepting no parameters and returning a double you are interested in. In this specific case (since there is only one member function compatible) such a selector could be stored using zero bits (the only possible value you can set that pointer to is &P2d::len).
Please don't feel ashamed for not understanding member pointers at first. They're indeed sort of "strange" and not many C++ programmers understand them.
To be honest they're also not really that useful: what is needed most often is instead a pointer to a method of a specific instance.
C++11 provides that with std::function wrapper and lambdas:
std::function<double()> g = [&](){ return p.len(); };
printf("%.18g\n", g()); // calls .len() on instance p
std::function<void()> funcPtr = std::bind(&myStruct::nonstaticFunc, obj);
Is how you store a member function in std::function. The member function must be called on a valid object.
If you want to delay the passing of an object until later, you can accomplish it like this:
#include <functional>
#include <iostream>
struct A {
void foo() { std::cout << "A::foo\n"; }
};
int main() {
using namespace std::placeholders;
std::function<void(A&)> f = std::bind(&A::foo, _1);
A a;
f(a);
return 0;
}
std::bind will take care of the details for you. std::function still must have the signature of a regular function as it's type parameter. But it can mask a member, if the object is made to appear as a parameter to the function.
Addenum:
For assigning into std::function, you don't even need std::bind for late binding of the object, so long as the prototype is correct:
std::function<void(A&)> f = &A::foo;
p = &myStruct::staticFunc; // Works fine
p = &myStruct::nonstaticFunc; // Type mismatch
Reason : A function-to-pointer conversion never applies to non-static member functions because an lvalue that refers to a non-static member function
cannot be obtained.
pointer void(* )() points to function with signature void(), and pointer void(myStruct::*)() points to function with signature what?
myStruct:: is to make sure that the non-static member function of struct myStruct is called (not of other structs, as shown below) :
struct myStruct
{
static void staticFunc(){};
void nonstaticFunc(){};
};
struct myStruct2
{
static void staticFunc(){};
void nonstaticFunc(){};
};
int main()
{
void (*p)(); // Pointer to function with signature void();
void (myStruct::*f)();
p = &myStruct::staticFunc; // Works fine
p = &myStruct2::staticFunc; // Works fine
f = &myStruct::nonstaticFunc; // Works fine
//f = &myStruct2::nonstaticFunc; // Error. Cannot convert 'void (myStruct2::*)()' to 'void (myStruct::*)()' in assignment
return 0;
}
When you use a pointer, std::function or std::bind to refer to a non-static member function (namely, "method" of class Foo), the first param must be a concrete object of class Foo, because non-static method must be called by a concrete object, not by Class.
More details: std::function and
std::bind.
The answer is in the doc.
Pointer to member declarator: the declaration S C::* D; declares D as
a pointer to non-static member of C of type determined by
decl-specifier-seq S.
struct C
{
void f(int n) { std::cout << n << '\n'; }
};
int main()
{
void (C::* p)(int) = &C::f; // pointer to member function f of class C
C c;
(c.*p)(1); // prints 1
C* cp = &c;
(cp->*p)(2); // prints 2
}
There are no function with signature void (). There are void (*)() for a function or void (foo::*)() for a method of foo. The asterisk is mandatory because it's a pointer to x. std::function has nothing to do with that.
Note: Your confusion is that void() is that same signature that void (*)(). Or even int() <=> int (*)(). Maybe you think that you can write int (foo::*) to have a method pointer. But this is a data member pointer because the parenthesis are optional, int (foo::*) <=> int foo::*.
To avoid such obscure syntax you need to write your pointer to function/member with the return type, the asterisk and his parameters.

C++ Pointer to member function, member

I want to have a member that is a pointer to member function. Then I can set this pointer to point at one of the other member functions and use it to call the function I really want. Essentially I have different ways to implement a function and I want to set a pointer to call the appropriate one. Also the class is a template class.
I can't find a way call the function via the function pointer.
For example:
template <typename T> class C
{
public:
typedef void(C<T>::*Cfunc)(int);
Cfunc cf;
void p1(int i) {
}
C (int i)
{
cf = &C<T>::p1;
}
};
int main ()
{
C<int> Try1(1);
(Try1.*C<int>::cf)(10);
return 0;
}
I get the error:
tc.cpp: In function ‘int main()’:
tc.cpp:5:11: error: invalid use of non-static data member ‘C<int>::cf’
Cfunc cf;
^
tc.cpp:16:16: error: from this location
(Try1.*C<int>::cf)(10);
Your pointer to member function is not a static variable and therefore you need an instance of C to access it
int main()
{
C<int> Try1(1);
(Try1.*Try1.cf)(10);
return 0;
}

Not allowed to return a function from a function. How could I?

8.3.5/8 Functions [dcl.fct] says
[...] Functions shall not have a return type of
type array or function, although they may have a return type of type pointer or reference to such things. [...]
Why so explicit of a rule? Is there some syntax that would even allow returning a function as opposed to a function pointer?
Am I miss-interpreting the quote?
typedef void (*fp)();
void foo(){}
fp goo()
{
return foo; //automatically converted to function pointer
}
This is quite a contrived example of a function trying to return a function:
void foo() { }
template<typename T>
T f() { return foo; }
int main(){
f<decltype(foo)>();
}
This is the error I get from Clang 3.2:
Compilation finished with errors:
source.cpp:7:5: error: no matching function for call to 'f'
f<decltype(foo)>();
^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
source.cpp:4:3: note: candidate template ignored: substitution failure
[with T = void ()]: function cannot return function type 'void ()'
T f() { return foo; }
~ ^
1 error generated.
Is there some syntax that would even allow returning a function as opposed to a function pointer?
A syntax? Sure there is:
using fun = int (int);
fun function_that_returns_a_function();
That doesn’t compile because the rule in §8.3.5/8 forbids it. I don’t know why the rule specifically exists – but consider that the type “function” doesn’t have any size so you cannot create objects of function type in C++.
I know this probably does not answer your question completely but it does so partially
You can return a function from another function (that's what lambdas are)
std::function<int (int)> retLambda() {
return [](int x) { return x; };
}