std::initializer_list as right hand argument for overloaded operator?

Question

I want to use something like the "in" operator available in other programming languages. I read many posts about that already. But, nothing that fits my needs.

What I wanted to do is a little bit different. Please see the following first example:

#include <iostream>
#include <initializer_list>
#include <algorithm>

bool operator ==(const int lhs, std::initializer_list<int>& il) {
    return std::find(il.begin(), il.end(), lhs) != il.end();
}
int main() {
    
    std::initializer_list<int> il{1,2,3,4,5};
    std::cout << (3 == il) << '\n';
    
    // std::cout << (3 == {1,2,3,4,5}) << '\n';   // Does not compile
}

But this does not compile. Presumably, because an initalizer list is no expression. Although there are exceptions. A std::initializer_list maybe a function parameter, although also here expressions are expected.

And since any operator is basically also a function, my hope was, that I also can use std::initalizer_list as argument.

But I cannot.

I tried the same approach by defining an own operator with a name by misusing overloading of 2 operators. See below:

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>

// New operator: is_in
enum { is_in };

int operator < (const int& lhs, decltype(is_in)) { return lhs; }
int operator > (int lhs, std::vector<int>& rhs) { return std::find(rhs.begin(), rhs.end(), lhs) != rhs.end();}
int operator > (int lhs, std::initializer_list<int>& rhs) { return std::find(rhs.begin(), rhs.end(), lhs) != rhs.end(); }

int main() {
    std::vector validValues{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };

    bool b = (5 <is_in> validValues);

    // bool b = (5 <is_in> { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 });  // Does not compile

    std::cout << b << '\n';
}

Same principle, same problem . . .

Is there any way to make this happen?

Answer 1

You need to take the initializer_list by const&:

bool operator==(const int lhs, const std::initializer_list<int>& il)

std::cout << (3 == std::initializer_list{1,2,3,4,5}) << '\n';

For the is_in test you could overload the comma operator and do something like this:

template<class T>
struct is_in {
    is_in(const std::initializer_list<T>& il) : ref(il) {}
    const std::initializer_list<T>& ref;
};

template<class T>
bool operator,(const T& lhs, const is_in<T>& rhs) {
    return std::find(rhs.ref.begin(), rhs.ref.end(), lhs) != rhs.ref.end();
}

int main() {
    bool b = (5, is_in{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 });

    std::cout << b << '\n';
}