Calling a function for each variadic template argument and an array - c++

Question

So I have some type X:
typedef ... X;
and a template function f:
class <typename T>
void f(X& x_out, const T& arg_in);
and then a function g:
void g(const X* x_array, size_t x_array_size);
I need to write a variadic template function h that does this:
template<typename... Args>
void h(Args... args)
{
constexpr size_t nargs = sizeof...(args); // get number of args
X x_array[nargs]; // create X array of that size
for (int i = 0; i < nargs; i++) // foreach arg
f(x_array[i], args[i]); // call f (doesn't work)
g(x_array, nargs); // call g with x_array
}
The reason it doesn't work is because you can't subscript args like that at runtime.
What is the best technique to replace the middle part of h?
And the winner is Xeo:
template<class T> X fv(const T& t) { X x; f(x,t); return x; }
template<class... Args>
void h(Args... args)
{
X x_array[] = { fv(args)... };
g(x_array, sizeof...(Args));
}
(Actually in my specific case I can rewrite f to return x by value rather than as an out parameter, so I don't even need fv above)

Answer 1

You could refactor or wrap f to return a new X instead of having it passed, since this would play pack expansion into the hand and make the function really concise:
template<class T>
X fw(T const& t){ X x; f(x, t); return x; }
template<class... Args>
void h(Args... args){
X xs[] = { fw(args)... };
g(xs, sizeof...(Args));
}
Live example.
And if you could change g to just accept an std::initializer_list, it would get even more concise:
template<class... Args>
void h(Args... args){
g({f(args)...});
}
Live example. Or (maybe better), you could also provide just a wrapper g that forwards to the real g:
void g(X const*, unsigned){}
void g(std::initializer_list<X> const& xs){ g(xs.begin(), xs.size()); }
template<class... Args>
void h(Args... args){
g({f(args)...});
}
Live example.
Edit: Another option is using a temporary array:
template<class T>
using Alias = T;
template<class T>
T& as_lvalue(T&& v){ return v; }
template<class... Args>
void h(Args... args){
g(as_lvalue(Alias<X[]>{f(args)...}), sizeof...(Args));
}
Live example. Note that the as_lvalue function is dangerous, the array still only lives until the end of the full expression (in this case g), so be cautious when using it. The Alias is needed since just X[]{ ... } is not allowed due to the language grammar.
If all of that's not possible, you'll need recursion to access all elements of the args pack.
#include <tuple>
template<unsigned> struct uint_{}; // compile-time integer for "iteration"
template<unsigned N, class Tuple>
void h_helper(X (&)[N], Tuple const&, uint_<N>){}
template<unsigned N, class Tuple, unsigned I = 0>
void h_helper(X (&xs)[N], Tuple const& args, uint_<I> = {}){
f(xs[I], std::get<I>(args));
h_helper(xs, args, uint_<I+1>());
}
template<typename... Args>
void h(Args... args)
{
static constexpr unsigned nargs = sizeof...(Args);
X xs[nargs];
h_helper(xs, std::tie(args...));
g(xs, nargs);
}
Live example.
Edit: Inspired by ecatmur's comment, I employed the indices trick to make it work with just pack expansion and with f and g as-is, without altering them.
template<unsigned... Indices>
struct indices{
using next = indices<Indices..., sizeof...(Indices)>;
};
template<unsigned N>
struct build_indices{
using type = typename build_indices<N-1>::type::next;
};
template <>
struct build_indices<0>{
using type = indices<>;
};
template<unsigned N>
using IndicesFor = typename build_indices<N>::type;
template<unsigned N, unsigned... Is, class... Args>
void f_them_all(X (&xs)[N], indices<Is...>, Args... args){
int unused[] = {(f(xs[Is], args), 1)...};
(void)unused;
}
template<class... Args>
void h(Args... args){
static constexpr unsigned nargs = sizeof...(Args);
X xs[nargs];
f_them_all(xs, IndicesFor<nargs>(), args...);
g(xs, nargs);
}
Live example.

Answer 2

Nice template as answer for first part of question:
template <class F, class... Args>
void for_each_argument(F f, Args&&... args) {
[](...){}((f(std::forward<Args>(args)), 0)...);
}

Answer 3

It's obvious: you don't use iteration but recursion. When dealing with variadic templates something recursive always comes in. Even when binding the elements to a std::tuple<...> using tie() it is recursive: It just happens that the recursive business is done by the tuple. In your case, it seems you want something like this (there are probably a few typos but overall this should work):
template <int Index, int Size>
void h_aux(X (&)[Size]) {
}
template <int Index, int Size, typename Arg, typename... Args>
void h_aux(X (&xs)[Size], Arg arg, Args... args) {
f(xs[Index], arg);
h_aux<Index + 1, Size>(xs, args...);
}
template <typename... Args>
void h(Args... args)
{
X xs[sizeof...(args)];
h_aux<0, sizeof...(args)>(xs, args...);
g(xs, sizeof...(args));
}
I think you won't be able to use nargs to define the size of the array either: Nothing indicates to the compiler that it should be a constant expression.

Answer 4

It's fairly simple to do with parameter pack expansion, even if you can't rewrite f to return the output parameter by value:
struct pass { template<typename ...T> pass(T...) {} };
template<typename... Args>
void h(Args... args)
{
const size_t nargs = sizeof...(args); // get number of args
X x_array[nargs]; // create X array of that size
X *x = x_array;
int unused[]{(f(*x++, args), 1)...}; // call f
pass{unused};
g(x_array, nargs); // call g with x_array
}
It should be possible just to write
pass{(f(*x++, args), 1)...}; // call f
but it appears g++ (4.7.1 at least) has a bug where it fails to order the evaluation of brace-initializer-list parameters as class initialisers. Array initialisers are OK though; see Sequencing among a variadic expansion for more information and examples.
Live example.
As an alternative, here's the technique mentioned by Xeo using a generated index pack; unfortunately it does require an extra function call and parameter, but it is reasonably elegant (especially if you happen to have an index pack generator lying around):
template<int... I> struct index {
template<int n> using append = index<I..., n>; };
template<int N> struct make_index { typedef typename
make_index<N - 1>::type::template append<N - 1> type; };
template<> struct make_index<0> { typedef index<> type; };
template<int N> using indexer = typename make_index<N>::type;
template<typename... Args, int... i>
void h2(index<i...>, Args... args)
{
const size_t nargs = sizeof...(args); // get number of args
X x_array[nargs]; // create X array of that size
pass{(f(x_array[i], args), 1)...}; // call f
g(x_array, nargs); // call g with x_array
}
template<typename... Args>
void h(Args... args)
{
h2(indexer<sizeof...(args)>(), std::forward<Args>(args)...);
}
See C++11: I can go from multiple args to tuple, but can I go from tuple to multiple args? for more information.
Live example.

Answer 5

Xeo is onto the right idea- you want to build some kind of "variadic iterator" that hides a lot of this nastiness from the rest of the code.
I'd take the index stuff and hide it behind an iterator interface modeled after std::vector's, since a std::tuple is also a linear container for data. Then you can just re-use it all of your variadic functions and classes without having to have explicitly recursive code anywhere else.