std::enable_if to conditionally compile a member function

user_436853 0
Viewed 163336

I am trying to get a simple example to work to understand how to use std::enable_if. After I read this answer, I thought it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a simple example. I want to use std::enable_if to choose between two member-functions and allow only one of them to be used.

Unfortunately, the following doesn't compile with gcc 4.7 and after hours and hours of trying I am asking you guys what my mistake is.

#include <utility>
#include <iostream>

template< class T >
class Y {

    public:
        template < typename = typename std::enable_if< true >::type >
        T foo() {
            return 10;
        }
        template < typename = typename std::enable_if< false >::type >
        T foo() {
            return 10;
        }

};


int main() {
    Y< double > y;

    std::cout << y.foo() << std::endl;
}

gcc reports the following problems:

% LANG=C make CXXFLAGS="-std=c++0x" enable_if
g++ -std=c++0x    enable_if.cpp   -o enable_if
enable_if.cpp:12:65: error: `type' in `struct std::enable_if<false>' does not name a type
enable_if.cpp:13:15: error: `template<class T> template<class> T Y::foo()' cannot be overloaded
enable_if.cpp:9:15: error: with `template<class T> template<class> T Y::foo()'

Why doesn't g++ delete the wrong instantiation for the second member function? According to the standard, std::enable_if< bool, T = void >::type only exists when the boolean template parameter is true. But why doesn't g++ consider this as SFINAE? I think that the overloading error message comes from the problem that g++ doesn't delete the second member function and believes that this should be an overload.

g++ c++11 templates c++
8 Answers

Here is my minimalist example, using a macro. Use double brackets enable_if((...)) when using more complex expressions.

template<bool b, std::enable_if_t<b, int> = 0>
using helper_enable_if = int;

#define enable_if(value) typename = helper_enable_if<value>

struct Test
{
     template<enable_if(false)>
     void run();
}
user_65582990 
// Try this one:

#include <iostream>
#include <type_traits>

// suppose you want to disable certain member functions based on the tag
struct FooTag;
struct BarTag;

// macro to save some typings in the following
// note that a dummy typename is involved in both the 
// first and second parameters. 
// this should be different than the template parameter of the class (typename T for Widget below)

#define EnableIfFoo(T) \
template <typename Dummy = void, typename = \
          typename std::enable_if<std::is_same<FooTag, T>::value, Dummy>::type>

#define EnableIfBar(T) \
template <typename Dummy = void, typename = \
          typename std::enable_if<std::is_same<BarTag, T>::value, Dummy>::type>

template <typename T>
class Widget {
public:
    // enable this function only if the tag is Bar
    EnableIfFoo(T)
    void print() const { std::cout << "I am a Foo!" << std::endl; }
    
    // enable this function only if the tag is Foo
    EnableIfBar(T)
    void display() const { std::cout << "I am a Bar!" << std::endl; }
};


int main() {
    
    // instantiate a widget with tag Foo
    // only print is enabled; display is not
    Widget<FooTag> fw;
    fw.print();
    //fw.display(); // compile error !!
    
    // instantiate a Widget using tag Bar
    // only display is enabled; print is not
    Widget<BarTag> bw;
    bw.display();
    //bw.print(); // compile error !!
    
    return 0;
}
user_170747660
Related