CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++templates
jack_carver
jack_carver

Reputation: 1526

C++ enable_if_t SFINAE

I am trying to understand why this piece is code isn't working as expected

#include <cstdio>
#include <vector>
#include <type_traits>
using namespace std;

struct Foo {

};

template<typename T, typename = void>
void compare(const T&a, const T&b) {
    cout << "default" << endl;
}

template<typename T, std::enable_if_t<std::is_same<T, Foo>::value>>
void compare(const T& a, const T &b) {
    cout << "In object" << endl;
}

int main(int argc, char const *argv[]) {
    compare(1, 2);

    {
        vector<int> a, b;
        compare(a, b);
    }

    {
        Foo a, b;
        compare(a, b);
    }

    return 0;
}

In all cases "default" is printed. For the last case I would expect that the 2nd function to get invoked.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 447

Answers (3)

SirGuy
SirGuy

Reputation: 10770

Using a class template is a valid solution, here's another way to achieve this result with tag dispatching:

    template <class T>
    void compare(const T & l, const T & r, std::true_type)
    {
      cout << "In object" << endl;
    }

    template <class T>
    void compare(const T & l, const T & r, std::false_type)
    {
      cout << "default" << endl;
    }

    template <class T>
    void compare(const T & l, const T & r)
    {
      compare(l, r, std::is_same<T, Foo>{});
    }

Upvotes: 2

StoryTeller - Unslander Monica
StoryTeller - Unslander Monica

Reputation: 170065

You didn't specialize compare (it's impossible to partially specialize a function template anyway). Instead you provide an overload.

And the overload is always illegal:

  1. Either enable_if_t is not defined.
  2. Or it specifies a non-type template parameter of type void.

So it's never going to be called, because SFINAE discards it in favor of the always valid overload at the top.

Specialization is usually the wrong answer for function templates. Instead you should delegate to a class template, which will behave as expected upon true specialization:

template<typename T, typename = void>
struct compare_impl { 
  static void execute(T const& l, T const& r) { /*Base case code*/ }
};

template<typename T>
struct compare_impl<T, std::enable_if_t<std::is_same<T, Foo>::value>> {
   static void execute(T const& l, T const& r) { /*Special case code*/ }
};

template<typename T>
void compare (T const& l, T const& r) { compare_impl<T>::execute(a, b); }

Upvotes: 3

Richard Hodges
Richard Hodges

Reputation: 69864

Deferring to a specialised function object allows a lot of flexibility on how argument types and/or whether they are rvalues or lvalues. 

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <type_traits>
using namespace std;


// general case
template<class T> 
struct compare_impl
{
    template<class U, class V>
    auto operator()(U&& a, V&& b) const {
        cout << "default" << endl;
    }
};

// compare interface
template<class T, class U>
auto compare(T && a, U && b)
{
    using ctype = std::common_type_t<std::decay_t<T>, std::decay_t<U>>;
    auto impl = compare_impl<ctype>();
    return impl(a, b);
}


// now specialise for objects for which we want custom behaviour
struct Foo {

};

template<>
struct compare_impl<Foo>
{
    template<class U, class V>
    auto operator()(U&& a, V&& b) const {
        cout << "In object" << endl;
    }
};


int main(int argc, char const *argv[]) {

    compare(1, 2);

    {
        vector<int> a, b;
        compare(a, b);
    }

    {
        Foo a, b;
        compare(a, b);
    }

    return 0;
}

Upvotes: 1

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