Question

I’m currently experiencing with the new c++0x variadic templates, and it’s quite fun, Although I have a question about the process of member instantiation.

in this example, I’m trying to emulate the strongly typed enum with the possibility of choose a random valid strong enum (this is used for unit testing).

#include<vector>
#include<iostream>

using namespace std;

template<unsigned... values> struct sp_enum;

/*
 this is the solution I found, declaring a globar var
 vector<unsigned> _data;

 and it work just fine

*/

template<> struct sp_enum<>{
  static const unsigned _count  = 0;
  static vector<unsigned> _data;
};

vector<unsigned> sp_enum<>::_data;

template<unsigned T, unsigned... values>
struct sp_enum<T, values...> : private sp_enum<values...>{
  static const unsigned _count = sp_enum<values...>::_count+1;
  static vector<unsigned> _data;

  sp_enum(                       ) : sp_enum<values...>(values...) {_data.push_back(T);}
  sp_enum(unsigned v             )                                 {_data.push_back(v);}
  sp_enum(unsigned v, unsigned...) : sp_enum<values...>(values...) {_data.push_back(v);}
};

template<unsigned T, unsigned... values> vector<unsigned> sp_enum<T, values...>::_data;

int main(){
  enum class t:unsigned{Default = 5, t1, t2};
  sp_enum<t::Default, t::t1, t::t2> test;
  cout <<test._count << endl << test._data.size() << endl;  
  for(auto i= test._data.rbegin();i != test._data.rend();++i){cout<< *i<< ":";}
}

the result I’m getting with this code is :

3
1
5:

can someone point me what I’m messing here ???

Ps: using gcc 4.4.3

---

I have reworked the code to be more generic and to reduce the hardcore coding as possible (@Matthieu M.). But I would like to explain why I’m doing all this before.

I have, as many developer embraced the new c++0x standard in my code and I’m quit happy about it. But I have an issue with the strongly typed enums when trying to write test units.

The problem is that you cannot generate a random strong typed enum (I know, that you can, but wanted to do it in a more elegant way). So, now with this code, I can, using variadic templates and variadic macro (yes old dirty macro) declare and randomly select a strongly typed and scoped enum.

here is the code:

#include<vector>
#include<iostream>

#include <boost/preprocessor/array/elem.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/repetition/repeat.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/repetition/repeat_from_to.hpp>

using namespace std;

template<typename T, T... values> class sp_enum;

template<typename T> class sp_enum<T>{
  protected: static const unsigned _count  = 0;
};

template<typename T, T head, T... values>
class sp_enum<T, head, values...> : public sp_enum<T, values...>{
protected:
  static const unsigned _count = sp_enum<T, values...>::_count+1;
  static vector<T> _data;

public:
  sp_enum(         ) : sp_enum<T, values...>(values...) {_data.push_back(head);for(auto i= sp_enum<T, values...>::_data.begin();i != sp_enum<T, values...>::_data.end();++i){_data.push_back(*i);}}
  sp_enum(T v      )                                    {_data.push_back(v   );}
  sp_enum(T v, T...) : sp_enum<T, values...>(values...) {_data.push_back(v   );for(auto i= sp_enum<T, values...>::_data.begin();i != sp_enum<T, values...>::_data.end();++i){_data.push_back(*i);}}

  vector<T> data()  const { return _data  ;}
  unsigned  count() const { return _count ;}

  static T randomEnum() { srand (time(NULL));return _data[rand()%_count];}

};

template<typename T, T head, T... values> vector<T> sp_enum<T, head, values...>::_data;

#define PP_NARG(...)  PP_NARG_(__VA_ARGS__,PP_RSEQ_N())
#define PP_NARG_(...) PP_ARG_N(__VA_ARGS__)

#define PP_ARG_N( \
         _1, _2, _3, _4, _5, _6, _7, _8, _9,_10, _11,_12,_13,_14,_15,_16,_17,_18,_19,_20, \
        _21,_22,_23,_24,_25,_26,_27,_28,_29,_30, _31,_32,_33,_34,_35,_36,_37,_38,_39,_40, \
        _41,_42,_43,_44,_45,_46,_47,_48,_49,_50, _51,_52,_53,_54,_55,_56,_57,_58,_59,_60, \
        _61,_62,_63,N,...) N

#define PP_RSEQ_N() \
        63,62,61,60,59,58,57,56,55,54,53,52,51,50,49,48,47,46,45,44,43,42,41,40, \
        39,38,37,36,35,34,33,32,31,30,29,28,27,26,25,24,23,22,21,20,19,18,17,16, \
        15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0

#define FOREACH_ARRAY( ... )  (PP_NARG(__VA_ARGS__) , ( __VA_ARGS__ ) )
#define FOREACH( Name, A, ... )     BOOST_PP_REPEAT_FROM_TO(1, PP_NARG(Name, __VA_ARGS__), A, FOREACH_ARRAY(Name, __VA_ARGS__) )
#define DECORATION(z,n,data)  ,BOOST_PP_ARRAY_ELEM( 0, data ) :: BOOST_PP_ARRAY_ELEM( n, data ) 

#define SP_ENUM(enumName, ...)                                \
  enum class _##enumName : unsigned { Default, __VA_ARGS__ }; \
  typedef sp_enum<_##enumName FOREACH( _##enumName, DECORATION, Default, __VA_ARGS__) > enumName;

SP_ENUM( xx, test1, test2, test3 )

int main(){
  xx test;
  cout <<test.count() << endl << test.data().size() << endl; 
  auto dt = test.data();
  for(auto i = dt.rbegin(); i != dt.rend();++i){ cout<< (unsigned)*i << ":" ; }
  cout << "random strongly typed enum : " << (unsigned) test.randomEnum() << endl;
}

What bother me now, is the limitation of the PP_NARG macro (I haven’t found any other way to count the number of argument).

I will gladly accept any pointer or hint to enhance this.

Answer 1

static vector<unsigned> _data; is not shared across sp_enum instantiations, only across instances of the template class with the same parameters.