Using a boost::fusion::map in boost::spirit::karma - c++

Question

I am using boost spirit to parse some text files into a data structure and now I am beginning to generate text from this data structure (using spirit karma).
One attempt at a data structure is a boost::fusion::map (as suggested in an answer to
this question). But although I can use boost::spirit::qi::parse() and get data in it easily, when I tried to generate text from it using karma, I failed.
Below is my attempt (look especially at the "map_data" type). After some reading and playing around with other fusion types, I found boost::fusion::vector and BOOST_FUSION_DEFINE_ASSOC_STRUCT. I succeeded to generate output with both of them, but they don't seem ideal: in vector you cannot access a member using a name (it is like a tuple) -- and in the other solution, I don't think I need both ways (member name and key type) to access the members.
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <boost/spirit/include/karma.hpp>
#include <boost/fusion/include/map.hpp>
#include <boost/fusion/include/make_map.hpp>
#include <boost/fusion/include/vector.hpp>
#include <boost/fusion/include/as_vector.hpp>
#include <boost/fusion/include/transform.hpp>
struct sb_key;
struct id_key;
using boost::fusion::pair;
typedef boost::fusion::map
< pair<sb_key, int>
, pair<id_key, unsigned long>
> map_data;
typedef boost::fusion::vector < int, unsigned long > vector_data;
#include <boost/fusion/include/define_assoc_struct.hpp>
BOOST_FUSION_DEFINE_ASSOC_STRUCT(
(), assocstruct_data,
(int, a, sb_key)
(unsigned long, b, id_key))
namespace karma = boost::spirit::karma;
template <typename X>
std::string to_string ( const X& data )
{
std::string generated;
std::back_insert_iterator<std::string> sink(generated);
karma::generate_delimited ( sink, karma::int_ << karma::ulong_, karma::space, data );
return generated;
}
int main()
{
map_data d1(boost::fusion::make_map<sb_key, id_key>(234, 35314988526ul));
vector_data d2(boost::fusion::make_vector(234, 35314988526ul));
assocstruct_data d3(234,35314988526ul);
std::cout << "map_data as_vector: " << boost::fusion::as_vector(d1) << std::endl;
//std::cout << "map_data to_string: " << to_string(d1) << std::endl; //*FAIL No 1*
std::cout << "at_key (sb_key): " << boost::fusion::at_key<sb_key>(d1) << boost::fusion::at_c<0>(d1) << std::endl << std::endl;
std::cout << "vector_data: " << d2 << std::endl;
std::cout << "vector_data to_string: " << to_string(d2) << std::endl << std::endl;
std::cout << "assoc_struct as_vector: " << boost::fusion::as_vector(d3) << std::endl;
std::cout << "assoc_struct to_string: " << to_string(d3) << std::endl;
std::cout << "at_key (sb_key): " << boost::fusion::at_key<sb_key>(d3) << d3.a << boost::fusion::at_c<0>(d3) << std::endl;
return 0;
}
Including the commented line gives lots of pages of compilation errors, among which notably something like:
no known conversion for argument 1 from ‘boost::fusion::pair’ to ‘double’
no known conversion for argument 1 from ‘boost::fusion::pair’ to ‘float’
Might it be that to_string needs the values of the map_data, and not the pairs? Though I am not good with templates, I tried to get a vector from a map using transform in the following way
template <typename P>
struct take_second
{
typename P::second_type operator() (P p)
{
return p.second;
}
};
// ... inside main()
pair <char, int> ff(32);
std::cout << "take_second (expect 32): "
<< take_second<pair<char,int>>()(ff) << std::endl;
std::cout << "transform map_data and to_string: "
<< to_string(boost::fusion::transform(d1, take_second<>())); //*FAIL No 2*
But I don't know what types am I supposed to give when instantiating take_second and anyway I think there must be an easier way to get (iterate over) the values of a map (is there?)
If you answer this question, please also give your opinion on whether using an ASSOC_STRUCT or a map is better.

Answer 1

I think I noticed your question on the [spirit-general] list earlier.
It got 14 views there - and I did some fairly deep investigation. Sadly, to the best of my knowledge I don't think Spirit has any support for associate Fusion structures.
In fact, outside MSM and Phoenix, there was no place in boost where I see fusion::map being used.
Is there a chance you could just use std::map/std::pair instead? Here's a tiny proof of concept:
#include <boost/spirit/include/karma.hpp>
#include <boost/fusion/adapted.hpp>
int main()
{
const auto data = std::map<std::string, double> {
{ "pi", 3.1415925 },
{ "e", 2.718281828 },
{ "Answer", 42 } };
namespace karma = boost::spirit::karma;
std::cout << karma::format((karma::string << " = " << karma::double_) % karma::eol, data)
<< std::endl;
}
Output:
Answer = 42.0
e = 2.718
pi = 3.142