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+<html>
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
+<title>Chapter&#160;31.&#160;Boost.Typeof</title>
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+<div class="chapter">
+<div class="titlepage"><div>
+<div><h2 class="title">
+<a name="typeof"></a>Chapter&#160;31.&#160;Boost.Typeof</h2></div>
+<div><div class="author"><h3 class="author">
+<span class="firstname">Arkadiy</span> <span class="surname">Vertleyb</span>
+</h3></div></div>
+<div><div class="author"><h3 class="author">
+<span class="firstname">Peder</span> <span class="surname">Holt</span>
+</h3></div></div>
+<div><p class="copyright">Copyright &#169; 2004, 2005 Arkadiy Vertleyb, Peder Holt</p></div>
+<div><div class="legalnotice">
+<a name="typeof.legal"></a><p>
+ Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
+ file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at <a href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt" target="_top">
+ http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt </a>)
+ </p>
+</div></div>
+</div></div>
+<div class="toc">
+<p><b>Table of Contents</b></p>
+<dl>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof.html#typeof.moti">Motivation</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/tuto.html">Tutorial</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html">Reference</a></span></dt>
+<dd><dl>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.auto">AUTO, AUTO_TPL</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.compl">COMPLIANT</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.incr">INCREMENT_REGISTRATION_GROUP</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.inte">INTEGRAL</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.limit_func">LIMIT_FUNCTION_ARITY</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.messages">MESSAGES</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.limit_size">LIMIT_SIZE</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.regtype">REGISTER_TYPE</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.regtemp">REGISTER_TEMPLATE</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.temp">TEMPLATE</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.typo">TYPEOF, TYPEOF_TPL</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/refe.html#typeof.typn">TYPEOF_NESTED_TYPEDEF, TYPEOF_NESTED_TYPEDEF_TPL</a></span></dt>
+</dl></dd>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/other.html">Other considerations and tips</a></span></dt>
+<dd><dl>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/other.html#typeof.natem">Native typeof support and emulation</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/other.html#typeof.parties">The three participating parties</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/other.html#typeof.features">Supported features</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/other.html#typeof.what">What needs to be registered?</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/other.html#typeof.limi">Limitations</a></span></dt>
+</dl></dd>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/cont.html">Contributed By:</a></span></dt>
+<dt><span class="section"><a href="typeof/ackn.html">Acknowledgements</a></span></dt>
+</dl>
+</div>
+<div class="section">
+<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">
+<a name="typeof.moti"></a>Motivation</h2></div></div></div>
+<p>
+ Today many template libraries supply object generators to simplify object creation
+ by utilizing the C++ template argument deduction facility. Consider <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">std</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">pair</span></code>.
+ In order to instantiate this class template and create a temporary object of
+ this instantiation, one has to supply template parameters, as well as parameters
+ to the constructor:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">std</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">pair</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="keyword">double</span><span class="special">&gt;(</span><span class="number">5</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="number">3.14159</span><span class="special">);</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ To avoid this duplication, STL supplies the <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">std</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">make_pair</span></code>
+ object generator. When it is used, the types of template parameters are deduced
+ from supplied function arguments:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">std</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">make_pair</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="number">5</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="number">3.14159</span><span class="special">);</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ For the temporary objects it is enough. However, when a named object needs
+ to be allocated, the problem appears again:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">std</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">pair</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="keyword">double</span><span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">p</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="number">5</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="number">3.14159</span><span class="special">);</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ The object generator no longer helps:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">std</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">pair</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="keyword">double</span><span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">p</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">std</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">make_pair</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="number">5</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="number">3.14159</span><span class="special">);</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ It would be nice to deduce the type of the object (on the left) from the expression
+ it is initialized with (on the right), but the current C++ syntax does not
+ allow for this.
+ </p>
+<p>
+ The above example demonstrates the essence of the problem but does not demonstrate
+ its scale. Many libraries, especially expression template libraries, create
+ objects of really complex types, and go a long way to hide this complexity
+ behind object generators. Consider a nit Boost.Lambda functor:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">_1</span> <span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="number">15</span> <span class="special">&amp;&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">_2</span> <span class="special">&lt;</span> <span class="number">20</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ If one wanted to allocate a named copy of such an innocently looking functor,
+ she would have to specify something like this:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">lambda_functor</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">lambda_functor_base</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">logical_action</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">and_action</span><span class="special">&gt;,</span>
+ <span class="identifier">tuple</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">lambda_functor</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">lambda_functor_base</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">relational_action</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">greater_action</span><span class="special">&gt;,</span>
+ <span class="identifier">tuple</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">lambda_functor</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">placeholder</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="number">1</span><span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="special">&gt;,</span>
+ <span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="keyword">const</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;,</span>
+ <span class="identifier">lambda_functor</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">lambda_functor_base</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">relational_action</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">less_action</span><span class="special">&gt;,</span>
+ <span class="identifier">tuple</span><span class="special">&lt;</span>
+ <span class="identifier">lambda_functor</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">placeholder</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="number">2</span><span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="special">&gt;,</span>
+ <span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="keyword">const</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;</span>
+ <span class="special">&gt;</span>
+<span class="special">&gt;</span>
+<span class="identifier">f</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">_1</span> <span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="number">15</span> <span class="special">&amp;&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">_2</span> <span class="special">&lt;</span> <span class="number">20</span><span class="special">;</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ Not exactly elegant. To solve this problem (as well as some other problems),
+ the C++ standard committee is considering a few additions to the standard language,
+ such as <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">typeof</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">decltype</span></code> and <code class="computeroutput"><span class="keyword">auto</span></code>
+ (see <a href="http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2004/n1607.pdf" target="_top">http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2004/n1607.pdf</a>).
+ </p>
+<p>
+ The <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">typeof</span></code> operator (or <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">decltype</span></code>, which is a slightly different flavor
+ of <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">typeof</span></code>) allows one to determine
+ the type of an expression at compile time. Using <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">typeof</span></code>,
+ the above example can be simplified drastically:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">typeof</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">_1</span> <span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="number">15</span> <span class="special">&amp;&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">_2</span> <span class="special">&lt;</span> <span class="number">20</span><span class="special">)</span> <span class="identifier">f</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">_1</span> <span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="number">15</span> <span class="special">&amp;&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">_2</span> <span class="special">&lt;</span> <span class="number">20</span><span class="special">;</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ Much better, but some duplication still exists. The <code class="computeroutput"><span class="keyword">auto</span></code>
+ type solves the rest of the problem:
+ </p>
+<pre class="programlisting"><span class="keyword">auto</span> <span class="identifier">f</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">_1</span> <span class="special">&gt;</span> <span class="number">15</span> <span class="special">&amp;&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">_2</span> <span class="special">&lt;</span> <span class="number">20</span><span class="special">;</span>
+</pre>
+<p>
+ The purpose of the Boost.Typeof library is to provide a library-based solution,
+ which could be used until the language-based facility is added to the Standard
+ and becomes widely available.
+ </p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<table xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" width="100%"><tr>
+<td align="left"><p><small>Last revised: January 31, 2012 at 02:30:03 +0000</small></p></td>
+<td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer"></div></td>
+</tr></table>
+<hr>
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