Question

For creating algorithm template function I need to know whether x or X (and y or Y) in class that is template argument. It may by useful when using my function for MFC CPoint class or GDI+ PointF class or some others. All of them use different x in them. My solution could be reduces to the following code:

template<int> struct TT {typedef int type;};
template<class P> bool Check_x(P p, typename TT<sizeof(&P::x)>::type b = 0) { return true; }
template<class P> bool Check_x(P p, typename TT<sizeof(&P::X)>::type b = 0) { return false; }

struct P1 {int x; };
struct P2 {float X; };
// it also could be struct P3 {unknown_type X; };

int main()
{
    P1 p1 = {1};
    P2 p2 = {1};

    Check_x(p1); // must return true
    Check_x(p2); // must return false

    return 0;
}

But it does not compile in Visual Studio, while compiling in the GNU C++. With Visual Studio I could use the following template:

template<class P> bool Check_x(P p, typename TT<&P::x==&P::x>::type b = 0) { return true; }
template<class P> bool Check_x(P p, typename TT<&P::X==&P::X>::type b = 0) { return false; }

But it does not compile in GNU C++. Is there universal solution?

UPD: Structures P1 and P2 here are only for example. There are could be any classes with unknown members.

P.S. Please, do not post C++11 solutions here because they are obvious and not relevant to the question.

Answer 1

Another way is this one, which relies on SFINAE for expressions too. If the name lookup results in ambiguity, the compiler will reject the template

template<typename T> struct HasX { 
    struct Fallback { int x; }; // introduce member name "x"
    struct Derived : T, Fallback { };

    template<typename C, C> struct ChT; 

    template<typename C> static char (&f(ChT<int Fallback::*, &C::x>*))[1]; 
    template<typename C> static char (&f(...))[2]; 

    static bool const value = sizeof(f<Derived>(0)) == 2;
}; 

struct A { int x; };
struct B { int X; };

int main() { 
    std::cout << HasX<A>::value << std::endl; // 1
    std::cout << HasX<B>::value << std::endl; // 0
}

It’s based on a brilliant idea of someone on usenet.

Note: HasX checks for any data or function member called x, with arbitrary type. The sole purpose of introducing the member name is to have a possible ambiguity for member-name lookup – the type of the member isn’t important.