C++ – Approaching STL algorithms, lambda, local classes and other approaches

clambdastl

One of the things that seems to be necessary with use of STL is a way to specify local functions.
Many of the functions that I would normally provide cannot be created using STL function object creation tools ( eg bind ), I have to hand roll my function object.

Since the C++ standard forbids local types to be used as arguments in template instantiations the best I was able to use was to create a small library, ( just showing relevant parts )

// library header
class MyFunctionBase<R,T>  
{  
 public:  
   virtual ~MyFunctionBase();  
   virtual R operator()(const T &) const=0;  
};    


class  MyFunction<R,T> 
{   
    MyFunctionBase<R,T> *b; 
 public: 
    ~MyFunction()
    {
       delete b;
    }
    virtual R operator()(const T &) const
    {
        return (*b)(T);
    } 
};


// source file
....

    class func: public MyFunctionBase  ...
    std::stl_alg(....    MyFunction(new funct));

This has always seemed unwieldly to me. I guess to the people on the ISO committee believe so too and added a lambda to C++.

In the meantime how have compilers addressed this problem? ( Especially Windows compilers. )

A correction which might clarify a bit.
Changelog:
Nov 2
replaced to clarify
Since the C++ standard forbids local classes as function objects

Best Answer

Boost.Bind, Boost.Function, and Boost.Lambda are your friends.

Related Solutions

The difference between a ‘closure’ and a ‘lambda’

A lambda is just an anonymous function - a function defined with no name. In some languages, such as Scheme, they are equivalent to named functions. In fact, the function definition is re-written as binding a lambda to a variable internally. In other languages, like Python, there are some (rather needless) distinctions between them, but they behave the same way otherwise.

A closure is any function which closes over the environment in which it was defined. This means that it can access variables not in its parameter list. Examples:

def func(): return h
def anotherfunc(h):
   return func()

This will cause an error, because func does not close over the environment in anotherfunc - h is undefined. func only closes over the global environment. This will work:

def anotherfunc(h):
    def func(): return h
    return func()

Because here, func is defined in anotherfunc, and in python 2.3 and greater (or some number like this) when they almost got closures correct (mutation still doesn't work), this means that it closes over anotherfunc's environment and can access variables inside of it. In Python 3.1+, mutation works too when using the nonlocal keyword.

Another important point - func will continue to close over anotherfunc's environment even when it's no longer being evaluated in anotherfunc. This code will also work:

def anotherfunc(h):
    def func(): return h
    return func

print anotherfunc(10)()

This will print 10.

This, as you notice, has nothing to do with lambdas - they are two different (although related) concepts.

C++ – Using local classes with STL algorithms

It's explicitly forbidden by the C++98/03 standard.

C++11 remove that restriction.

To be more complete :

The restrictions on types that are used as template parameters are listed in article 14.3.1 of the C++03 (and C++98) standard:

A local type, a type with no linkage, an unnamed type or a type compounded from any of these types shall not be used as a template-argument for a template type-parameter.

template <class T> class Y { /* ... */  }; 
void func() {   
      struct S { /* ... */ }; //local class   
      Y< S > y1; // error: local type used as template-argument  
      Y< S* > y2; // error: pointer to local type used as template-argument }

Source and more details : http://www.informit.com/guides/content.aspx?g=cplusplus&seqNum=420

To sum up, the restriction was a mistake that would have been fixed sooner if the standard was evolving faster...

That said today most last versions of common compilers does allow it, along with providing lambda expressions.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

The difference between a ‘closure’ and a ‘lambda’

C++ – Using local classes with STL algorithms

Related Topic