Re: Templated Casting operators

From:
Narinder <narinder.claire@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Fri, 8 Jul 2011 06:28:11 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID:
<146d31d3-4f14-4be7-a2eb-65e0440b71ea@v7g2000vbk.googlegroups.com>
On Jul 8, 9:37 am, Narinder <narinder.cla...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Jul 8, 8:42 am, Kai-Uwe Bux <jkherci...@gmx.net> wrote:

Narinder wrote:

[...]

Consider the following code:

-------------------------------------------------------------

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;

double pi =3.142;

struct klass
{

template<class T>
operator T&()
{
cout << "I am NON-const version\n";
return pi;
}

template<class T>
operator const T&()const
{
cout << "I am CONST version\n";
return pi;
}

};

template<class T>
T& show(T &t)
{
cout << "NON-CONST show\n";
return t;
}

template<class T>
const T& show(const T &t)
{
cout << "CONST show\n";
return t;
}

int main()
{

klass k;
show(k);
show(klass());

double x1 = k;
double x2 = klass();

}

-----------------------------------------------------

Output from msvc :
NON-CONST show
CONST show
I am CONST version
I am CONST version

Output from gcc
NON-CONST show
CONST show
I am NON-CONST version
I am NON-CONST version

To me the msvc appears 'correct' or at least self-consistent. Or
perhaps I am missing something.

Any thoughts ?


I think, gcc gets it right and lets you observe a language quirk: In th=

is

version, the two conversion operators differ by constness. Thus, overlo=

ad

resolution should be based on constness of the klass object being conve=

rted:

  klass k; // declares a non-const klass object k
  show(k); // should choose the T& version
  show( klass() ); // should choose the T const & version because of =

8.5.3/5

  double x1 = k; // should choose the non-const member as k is non-=

const

  double x2 = klass(); // should choose the non-const member as the
                       // temporary klass() is =

non-const

The last issue is an inconsistency in the language: though klass() is n=

on-

const, the temporary cannot be used to initialize a non-const reference=

..

Best,

Kai-Uwe Bux


Hi,

Thanks for the reply,

For the following code:

---------------------------------

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;

double pi = 3.142;
struct klass
{

       template<class T>
       operator T&()
       {
               cout << "I am NON-const vers=

ion\n";

               return pi;
       }

       template<class T>
       operator const T&()
       {
               cout << "I am CONST version\=

n";

               return pi;
       }

};

int main()
{

       klass k;
       double x = k;
       double x2 = klass();

}

---------------------------------

msvc =>
I am CONST version
I am CONST version

and gcc =>
I am NON-const version
I am NON-const version

Which one would you say adhere's to language correctness and which one
is
desired ?

N


Hello,

To elaborate on this a little more, I'll put the issue that I have in
a
context more closer to my actual scenario.
The following code compiles and executes fine under msvc but throws
under
gcc. I think the behaviour under gcc is much less desirable. I am
curious
about the language's rationale behind this:

---------------------------------------------------
#include<iostream>
#include<boost/ref.hpp>
#include<boost/variant.hpp>
using namespace std;

double pi = 3.142;

typedef boost::reference_wrapper<double> ref;
typedef boost::reference_wrapper<const double> const_ref;

struct klass
{
       klass(double & x):innerVariant(boost::ref(x)){}
       klass(const double & x):innerVariant(boost::cref(x)){}

       template<class T>
       operator T&()
       {
               cout << "Attempting non-con=
st cast .... ";
               return boost::get<ref >(innerV=
ariant);
       }

       template<class T>
       operator const T&()
       {
               cout << "Attempting const c=
ast .... ";
               if(boost::get<ref >(&innerVari=
ant))
               {
                       return=
 boost::get<ref >(innerVariant);
               }
               return boost::get<const_ref >(=
innerVariant);
       }

private:
       boost::variant<ref,const_ref > innerVariant;
};

void f(double &x)
{
       cout << "double &x\n";
}
void fc(const double &x)
{
       cout << "const double &x\n";
}
void ft(double x)
{
       cout << "double\n";
}
int main()
{

       try
       {
       double x(3.142);
       klass k_non_const(x);
       klass k_const(3.142);

       f(k_non_const);
       fc(k_non_const);
       ft(k_non_const);

       fc(k_const);
       ft(k_const); // this one throws with gcc
       }
       catch(const std::exception &err)
       {
               cout << err.what() << "\n";
       }

}

-----------------------------------------------

N

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