Logo Questions Linux Laravel Mysql Ubuntu Git Menu
 

ADL fails (or not done?) for function with additional (non deduced) template parameter

namespace N {
    class C {};

    template<typename X>
    char const * found(X && x) {
        return "found";
    }

    template<typename, typename X>
    char const * notfound(X && x) {
        return "not found";
    }
}

This defines a namespace N with a class C and two function templates. found has a single template parameter, which can be deduced from the function argument. notfound has an additional template parameter which cannot be deduced.

Given following test code (on ideone):

#include <iostream>
int main() {
    N::C object;
    std::cout
        << found(object) << std::endl
        << notfound<bool>(object) << std::endl  // ERROR
        << notfound<bool, N::C>(object) << std::endl; // ERROR
}

I assumed that argument dependent lookup would find both found and notfound through the innermost enclosing namespace (which is N) of the argument type N::C.

However:

prog.cpp: In function ‘int main()’:
prog.cpp:21:6: error: ‘notfound’ was not declared in this scope
   << notfound<bool>(object) << std::endl
      ^~~~~~~~
prog.cpp:21:6: note: suggested alternative:
prog.cpp:12:15: note:   ‘N::notfound’
  char const * notfound(X && x) {
               ^~~~~~~~

(same error for notfound<bool, N::C>(object) after commenting out the notfound<bool>(object) call)

Why is notfound not found through ADL?


Background: I'm implementing a get function for some wrapper class, all in all relatively similar to std::get(std::tuple). The wrapper class, being an implementation detail, lives in some namespace lib::aspect::part::impl. I don't want users of the library to specify using lib::aspect::part::impl::get for obvious reasons.

like image 767
Daniel Jour Avatar asked Jun 12 '17 01:06

Daniel Jour


People also ask

Which parameter is allowed for non-type template?

Which parameter is legal for non-type template? Explanation: The following are legal for non-type template parameters:integral or enumeration type, Pointer to object or pointer to function, Reference to object or reference to function, Pointer to member.

How does ADL work C++?

In the C++ programming language, argument-dependent lookup (ADL), or argument-dependent name lookup, applies to the lookup of an unqualified function name depending on the types of the arguments given to the function call.

What is template argument deduction?

Template argument deduction is used in declarations of functions, when deducing the meaning of the auto specifier in the function's return type, from the return statement.

What is the role of parameter in a template?

An identifier that names a non-type template parameter of class type T denotes a static storage duration object of type const T, called a template parameter object, whose value is that of the corresponding template argument after it has been converted to the type of the template parameter.


1 Answers

Because a function call to a function template with explicitly-specified template arguments requires the name of the template must be found by ordinary lookup; until that ADL can't kick in.

From the standard: $17.8.1/8 Explicit template argument specification [temp.arg.explicit]

(emphasis mine)

[ Note: For simple function names, argument dependent lookup applies even when the function name is not visible within the scope of the call. This is because the call still has the syntactic form of a function call ([basic.lookup.unqual]). But when a function template with explicit template arguments is used, the call does not have the correct syntactic form unless there is a function template with that name visible at the point of the call. If no such name is visible, the call is not syntactically well-formed and argument-dependent lookup does not apply. If some such name is visible, argument dependent lookup applies and additional function templates may be found in other namespaces. [ Example:

namespace A {
  struct B { };
  template<int X> void f(B);
}
namespace C {
  template<class T> void f(T t);
}
void g(A::B b) {
  f<3>(b);          // ill-formed: not a function call
  A::f<3>(b);       // well-formed
  C::f<3>(b);       // ill-formed; argument dependent lookup applies only to unqualified names
  using C::f;
  f<3>(b);          // well-formed because C​::​f is visible; then A​::​f is found by argument dependent lookup
}

— end example ] — end note ]

The last sentence gives a possible workaround; you can add the declaration of the function template anywhere to make the name visible for being called. e.g.

template<typename>
void notfound();

int main() {
    N::C object;
    std::cout
        << found(object) << std::endl
        << notfound<bool>(object) << std::endl
        << notfound<bool, N::C&>(object) << std::endl; // btw the 2nd template argument should be N::C&
}

LIVE

like image 195
songyuanyao Avatar answered Sep 23 '22 06:09

songyuanyao