boost.spirit "invalid static_cast" error when trying to count characters with phoenix bind

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This code is not my actual code, but just illustrates the issue. I have a rule that matches 0 or more digits, and an action that is supposed to count them and return that count as the synthesized attribute.

The attribute of *qi::ascii::digit should be a std::vector of the matched digits. So, I wrote the action so that it simply calls .size() and assigns the result to the synthesized attribute. To call .size(), I use boost.phoenix to bind a lambda that calls .size().

#include <boost/phoenix/bind/bind_function_object.hpp>
#include <boost/phoenix/core.hpp>
#include <boost/phoenix/operator.hpp>
#include <boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp>
#include <cstdint>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

namespace phx = boost::phoenix;
namespace qi = boost::spirit::qi;
using It = std::string::iterator;

struct Parser : qi::grammar<std::string::iterator, size_t()> {
    Parser() : Parser::base_type(r) {
        auto count = [](auto&& v) { return v.size(); };
        r %= (*qi::ascii::digit)[qi::_val = phx::bind(count, qi::_1)];
    }
    qi::rule<It, size_t()> r;
};

int main() {
    using namespace std;

    std::string s = "123";
    int c;
    Parser p;
    qi::parse(s.begin(), s.end(), p, c);
    std::cout << c << '\n';
} 

But it doesn't work. I expect this code to compile and print 3. Instead, I get a very long compile error. The error is roughly what I would expect if the action were simply qi::_val = qi::_1, which perplexes me.

In file included from /usr/local/include/boost/type_traits/is_convertible.hpp:20,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/type_traits/is_empty.hpp:12,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/mpl/empty_base.hpp:23,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/fusion/sequence/intrinsic/at.hpp:15,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/phoenix/core/expression.hpp:11,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/phoenix/bind/bind_function_object.hpp:17,
                 from spirit2.cpp:1:
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/parse.hpp: In instantiation of ‘bool boost::spirit::qi::parse(Iterator&, Iterator, const Expr&, Attr&) [with Iterator = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >; Expr = int; Attr = Parser]’:
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/parse.hpp:100:25:   required from ‘bool boost::spirit::qi::parse(const Iterator&, Iterator, const Expr&, Attr&) [with Iterator = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >; Expr = int; Attr = Parser]’
spirit2.cpp:27:39:   required from here
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/parse.hpp:85:9: error: static assertion failed: error_invalid_expression
         BOOST_SPIRIT_ASSERT_MATCH(qi::domain, Expr);
         ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/detail/parse_auto.hpp:14,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/auto.hpp:16,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi.hpp:15,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp:16,
                 from spirit2.cpp:4:
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/parse.hpp:88:42: error: request for member ‘parse’ in ‘boost::spirit::compile<boost::spirit::qi::domain, int>((* & expr))’, which is of non-class type ‘boost::spirit::result_of::compile<boost::spirit::qi::domain, boost::proto::exprns_::expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<int>, 0>, boost::spirit::unused_type, void>::type’ {aka ‘int’}
         return compile<qi::domain>(expr).parse(first, last, context, unused, attr);
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~
In file included from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/auxiliary/attr.hpp:18,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/auxiliary.hpp:19,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi.hpp:16,
                 from /usr/local/include/boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp:16,
                 from spirit2.cpp:4:
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/detail/assign_to.hpp: In instantiation of ‘static void boost::spirit::traits::assign_to_attribute_from_value<Attribute, T, Enable>::call(const T_&, Attribute&, mpl_::false_) [with T_ = std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >; Attribute = long unsigned int; T = std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >; Enable = void; mpl_::false_ = mpl_::bool_<false>]’:
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/detail/assign_to.hpp:171:17:   required from ‘static void boost::spirit::traits::assign_to_attribute_from_value<Attribute, T, Enable>::call(const T&, Attribute&) [with Attribute = long unsigned int; T = std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >; Enable = void]’
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/detail/assign_to.hpp:370:63:   required from ‘void boost::spirit::traits::detail::assign_to(const T&, Attribute&, mpl_::false_) [with T = std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >; Attribute = long unsigned int; mpl_::false_ = mpl_::bool_<false>]’
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/detail/assign_to.hpp:393:26:   required from ‘void boost::spirit::traits::assign_to(const T&, Attribute&) [with T = std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >; Attribute = long unsigned int]’
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/detail/attributes.hpp:27:30:   required from ‘static void boost::spirit::qi::default_transform_attribute<Exposed, Transformed>::post(Exposed&, const Transformed&) [with Exposed = long unsigned int; Transformed = std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >]’
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/action/action.hpp:71:36:   required from ‘bool boost::spirit::qi::action<Subject, Action>::parse(Iterator&, const Iterator&, Context&, const Skipper&, Attribute&) const [with Iterator = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >; Context = boost::spirit::context<boost::fusion::cons<long unsigned int&, boost::fusion::nil_>, boost::fusion::vector<> >; Skipper = boost::spirit::unused_type; Attribute = long unsigned int; Subject = boost::spirit::qi::kleene<boost::spirit::qi::char_class<boost::spirit::tag::char_code<boost::spirit::tag::digit, boost::spirit::char_encoding::ascii> > >; Action = boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::assign, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::attribute<0> >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::phoenix::detail::tag::function_eval, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<Parser::Parser()::<lambda(auto:1&&)> >, 0>, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::argument<0> > >, 2> > >, 2> >]’
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/nonterminal/detail/parser_binder.hpp:73:54:   [ skipping 3 instantiation contexts, use -ftemplate-backtrace-limit=0 to disable ]
/usr/local/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp:720:7:   required from ‘boost::function4<R, T1, T2, T3, T4>::function4(Functor, typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<Functor>::value), int>::type) [with Functor = boost::spirit::qi::detail::parser_binder<boost::spirit::qi::action<boost::spirit::qi::kleene<boost::spirit::qi::char_class<boost::spirit::tag::char_code<boost::spirit::tag::digit, boost::spirit::char_encoding::ascii> > >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::assign, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::attribute<0> >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::phoenix::detail::tag::function_eval, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<Parser::Parser()::<lambda(auto:1&&)> >, 0>, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::argument<0> > >, 2> > >, 2> > >, mpl_::bool_<true> >; R = bool; T0 = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&; T1 = const __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&; T2 = boost::spirit::context<boost::fusion::cons<long unsigned int&, boost::fusion::nil_>, boost::fusion::vector<> >&; T3 = const boost::spirit::unused_type&; typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<Functor>::value), int>::type = int]’
/usr/local/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp:1068:16:   required from ‘boost::function<R(T0, T1, T2, T3)>::function(Functor, typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<Functor>::value), int>::type) [with Functor = boost::spirit::qi::detail::parser_binder<boost::spirit::qi::action<boost::spirit::qi::kleene<boost::spirit::qi::char_class<boost::spirit::tag::char_code<boost::spirit::tag::digit, boost::spirit::char_encoding::ascii> > >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::assign, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::attribute<0> >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::phoenix::detail::tag::function_eval, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<Parser::Parser()::<lambda(auto:1&&)> >, 0>, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::argument<0> > >, 2> > >, 2> > >, mpl_::bool_<true> >; R = bool; T0 = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&; T1 = const __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&; T2 = boost::spirit::context<boost::fusion::cons<long unsigned int&, boost::fusion::nil_>, boost::fusion::vector<> >&; T3 = const boost::spirit::unused_type&; typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<Functor>::value), int>::type = int]’
/usr/local/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp:1121:5:   required from ‘typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<Functor>::value), boost::function<R(T0, T1, T2, T3)>&>::type boost::function<R(T0, T1, T2, T3)>::operator=(Functor) [with Functor = boost::spirit::qi::detail::parser_binder<boost::spirit::qi::action<boost::spirit::qi::kleene<boost::spirit::qi::char_class<boost::spirit::tag::char_code<boost::spirit::tag::digit, boost::spirit::char_encoding::ascii> > >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::assign, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::attribute<0> >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::phoenix::detail::tag::function_eval, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<Parser::Parser()::<lambda(auto:1&&)> >, 0>, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::argument<0> > >, 2> > >, 2> > >, mpl_::bool_<true> >; R = bool; T0 = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&; T1 = const __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&; T2 = boost::spirit::context<boost::fusion::cons<long unsigned int&, boost::fusion::nil_>, boost::fusion::vector<> >&; T3 = const boost::spirit::unused_type&; typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<Functor>::value), boost::function<R(T0, T1, T2, T3)>&>::type = boost::function<bool(__gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&, const __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >&, boost::spirit::context<boost::fusion::cons<long unsigned int&, boost::fusion::nil_>, boost::fusion::vector<> >&, const boost::spirit::unused_type&)>&]’
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/nonterminal/rule.hpp:185:19:   required from ‘static void boost::spirit::qi::rule<Iterator, T1, T2, T3, T4>::define(boost::spirit::qi::rule<Iterator, T1, T2, T3, T4>&, const Expr&, mpl_::true_) [with Auto = mpl_::bool_<true>; Expr = boost::proto::exprns_::expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::subscript, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<const boost::proto::exprns_::expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::dereference, boost::proto::argsns_::list1<const boost::proto::exprns_::expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<boost::spirit::tag::char_code<boost::spirit::tag::digit, boost::spirit::char_encoding::ascii> >, 0>&>, 1>&, const boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::assign, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::attribute<0> >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::phoenix::detail::tag::function_eval, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<Parser::Parser()::<lambda(auto:1&&)> >, 0>, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::argument<0> > >, 2> > >, 2> >&>, 2>; Iterator = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >; T1 = long unsigned int(); T2 = boost::spirit::unused_type; T3 = boost::spirit::unused_type; T4 = boost::spirit::unused_type; mpl_::true_ = mpl_::bool_<true>]’
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/nonterminal/rule.hpp:249:31:   required from ‘boost::spirit::qi::rule<Iterator, T1, T2, T3, T4>& boost::spirit::qi::operator%=(boost::spirit::qi::rule<Iterator, T1, T2, T3, T4>&, Expr&&) [with Expr = const boost::proto::exprns_::expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::subscript, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<const boost::proto::exprns_::expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::dereference, boost::proto::argsns_::list1<const boost::proto::exprns_::expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<boost::spirit::tag::char_code<boost::spirit::tag::digit, boost::spirit::char_encoding::ascii> >, 0>&>, 1>&, const boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::assign, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::attribute<0> >, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::phoenix::detail::tag::function_eval, boost::proto::argsns_::list2<boost::proto::exprns_::basic_expr<boost::proto::tagns_::tag::terminal, boost::proto::argsns_::term<Parser::Parser()::<lambda(auto:1&&)> >, 0>, boost::phoenix::actor<boost::spirit::argument<0> > >, 2> > >, 2> >&>, 2>; Iterator = __gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<char*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char> >; T1 = long unsigned int(); T2 = boost::spirit::unused_type; T3 = boost::spirit::unused_type; T4 = boost::spirit::unused_type]’
spirit2.cpp:16:69:   required from here
/usr/local/include/boost/spirit/home/qi/detail/assign_to.hpp:153:20: error: invalid static_cast from type ‘const std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >’ to type ‘long unsigned int’
             attr = static_cast<Attribute>(val);
                    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 Answers

The solution is to drop %:

r = (*qi::ascii::digit)[qi::_val = phx::bind(count, qi::_1)];

The important error message is in the last line: error: invalid static_cast from type ‘const std::vector<char, std::allocator<char> >’ to type ‘long unsigned int’

For why it produces vector<char> see here.

There is use of semantic action and:

r %= p and r = p are equivalent if there are no semantic actions associated with p.

Read more about it here.

The doqtor did an excellent job of introducing the relevant concepts. I'd just like to show some simplification if you have a recent compiler (which it looks like you do):

phx::function count { [](auto&& v) { return v.size(); } };
r = (*digit)[_val = count(_1)];

Live On Coliru

#include <boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp>
#include <boost/spirit/include/phoenix.hpp>
namespace phx = boost::phoenix;

namespace qi = boost::spirit::qi;
using It = std::string::const_iterator;

struct Parser : qi::grammar<It, size_t()> {
    Parser() : Parser::base_type(r) {
        using namespace qi;

        phx::function count { [](auto&& v) { return v.size(); } };
        r = (*digit)[_val = count(_1)];
    }

  private:
    qi::rule<It, size_t()> r;
};

int main() {
    std::string const s = "123";
    int c;
    Parser p;
    if (qi::parse(s.begin(), s.end(), p, c)) {
        std::cout << "Number of digits: " << c << "\n";
    }
} 

Prints

Number of digits: 3
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