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c++templatesc++-concepts

Deduce template parameter value from concept


I continue my C++20 concept(ual) jourrney... I would like to simplify the following code by deducing the template parameter T from the predicate argument, so that the client code does not have to precise the type of T if it can be deduced from P1.

I guess it is possible, I just don't know the syntax: I tried various forms of template template + requires clause, but without having a successful compilation.

Any lead?

#include<concepts>
#include<utility>
#include<string>

template<class T, std::predicate<T> P1>
struct Foo
{
    P1 _f;
    Foo(P1 &&f): _f(std::forward<P1>(f)) {}
};

template<class T, std::predicate<T> P1>
auto make_foo(P1 &&f)
{
return Foo<T, P1>(std::forward<P1>(f));
}

int main()
{
    auto fun = [](const std::string &s){return s == "toto";};
    // auto my_foo = make_foo(fun); // candidate template ignored: couldn't infer template argument 'T'
    auto my_foo = make_foo<std::string>(fun);
    return 0;
}

Solution

  • std::function has good deduction guides to get the type of a callable:

    // Replacement for `std::function<T(U)>::argument_type`
    template<typename T> struct single_function_argument;
    template<typename Ret, typename Arg> struct single_function_argument<std::function<Ret(Arg)>> { using type = Arg; };
    
    // Deduction guide
    template<class P1>
    Foo(P1 &&) -> Foo<typename single_function_argument<decltype(std::function{std::declval<P1>()})>::type, P1>;
    
    template<class P1>
    auto make_foo(P1 &&f)
    {
        // Use CTAD
        return Foo(std::forward<P1>(f));
    }
    
    // Can still specify type manually if you want
    template<class T, std::predicate<T> P1>
    auto make_foo(P1 &&f)
    {
        return Foo<T, P1>(std::forward<P1>(f));
    }
    
    int main() {
        auto fun = [](const std::string &s){return s == "toto";};
        auto my_foo1 = Foo(fun);
        auto my_foo2 = make_foo(fun);
    }
    

    The reason you have to go this round-about way is that the type of fun satisfies all of std::predicate<const std::string&>, std::predicate<const char*>, std::predicate<TypeImplicitlyConveribleToString>, there's no unique way to get a type for T. This approach also fails with generic lambdas [](const auto& s) { return s == "toto"; }, so you would need to use make_foo<std::string>(fun).