C++: Is there a way to define a static array inline?

Question

I would like to define a simple template function which takes a runtime value and determines if it is a member of some set of possible values.

Usage:

int x;  // <- pretend this came from elsewhere...
if (isoneof(x, {5,3,9,25}) ...

Something like:

template <typename T, size_t size>
bool isoneof(T value, T (&arr)[size])
{
    for (size_t i = 0; i < size; ++i)
        if (value == arr[i])
            return true;
    return false;
}

I assume that this is doomed to failure, as I don't see how one can create a static array inline.

I can use:

int kPossibilities[] = {5,3,9,25};
if (isoneodf(6, kPossibilities)) ...

With a minor change to isoneof:

template <typename T1, typename T2, size_t size>
bool isoneof(T1 value, const T2 (&arr)[size])
{
    for (size_t i = 0; i < size; ++i)
        if (value == arr[i])
            return true;
    return false;
}

Which also makes it a tad more flexible.

Does anyone have an improvement to offer? A better way to define a "set of static values inline"?

Answer 1

If you like such things, then you will be a very happy user of Boost.Assign.

Boost.Assign actually proves that such semantics are possible, however one look at the source of assign will convince you that you don't want to do that by yourself :)

You will be able to create something like this however:

if (isoneof(x, list_of(2)(3)(5)(7)(11)) { ...

... the downside being you'd have to use boost::array as the parameter instead of a built-in array (thanks, Manuel) -- however, that's a nice moment to actually start using them :>

Answer 2

It's possible in the next C++ standard.

Up till then, you can work around it by e.g. overloading operator, for a static object that starts a static array.

Note: this implementation is O(n^2) and may be optimized - it's just to get the idea.

using namespace std;

template< typename T, size_t N > 
struct CHead {
    T values[N];
    template< typename T > CHead<T,N+1> operator,( T t ) { 
      CHead<T,N+1> newhead;
      copy( values, values+N, newhead.values);
      newhead.values[N]=t;
      return newhead;
    }
    bool contains( T t ) const { 
       return find( values, values+N, t ) != values+N; 
    }
};

struct CHeadProto {
  template< typename T > 
  CHead<T,1> operator,( T t ) { 
     CHead<T,1> h = {t}; 
     return h; 
  }
} head;



int main()
{
  assert( (head, 1,2,3,4).contains(1) );
  return 0;
}