| <html> |
| <head> |
| <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> |
| <title>Chapter 1. The Type Traits Introspection Library</title> |
| <link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../../doc/src/boostbook.css" type="text/css"> |
| <meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.78.1"> |
| <link rel="home" href="index.html" title="Chapter 1. The Type Traits Introspection Library"> |
| <link rel="next" href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_reason.html" title="Why the TTI Library ?"> |
| </head> |
| <body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"> |
| <table cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr> |
| <td valign="top"><img alt="Boost C++ Libraries" width="277" height="86" src="../../../../boost.png"></td> |
| <td align="center"><a href="../../../../index.html">Home</a></td> |
| <td align="center"><a href="../../../../libs/libraries.htm">Libraries</a></td> |
| <td align="center"><a href="http://www.boost.org/users/people.html">People</a></td> |
| <td align="center"><a href="http://www.boost.org/users/faq.html">FAQ</a></td> |
| <td align="center"><a href="../../../../more/index.htm">More</a></td> |
| </tr></table> |
| <hr> |
| <div class="spirit-nav"><a accesskey="n" href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_reason.html"><img src="../../../../doc/src/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a></div> |
| <div class="chapter"> |
| <div class="titlepage"><div> |
| <div><h2 class="title"> |
| <a name="tti"></a>Chapter 1. The Type Traits Introspection Library</h2></div> |
| <div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"> |
| <span class="firstname">Edward</span> <span class="surname">Diener</span> |
| </h3></div></div> |
| <div><p class="copyright">Copyright © 2011-2013 Tropic Software |
| East Inc</p></div> |
| <div><div class="legalnotice"> |
| <a name="tti.legal"></a><p> |
| Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying |
| file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at <a href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt" target="_top">http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt</a>) |
| </p> |
| </div></div> |
| </div></div> |
| <div class="toc"> |
| <p><b>Table of Contents</b></p> |
| <dl class="toc"> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro">Introduction</a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers">Header |
| Files</a></span></dt></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_reason.html">Why the |
| TTI Library ?</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_terminology.html">Terminology</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_functionality.html">General |
| Functionality</a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_functionality.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_functionality.tti_functionality_nm_gen">Macro |
| metafunction name generation considerations</a></span></dt></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail.html">Macro |
| Metafunctions</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_type.html">Introspecting |
| an inner type</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_template.html">Introspecting |
| an inner class template</a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_template.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_detail_has_template.tti_detail_has_template_macro">Using |
| the BOOST_TTI_HAS_TEMPLATE macro</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_template/tti_detail_has_template_metafunction.html">Using |
| the has_template_(xxx) metafunction</a></span></dt> |
| </dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_member_data.html">Introspecting |
| member data</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_member_function.html">Introspecting |
| member function</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_static_member_data.html">Introspecting |
| static member data</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_static_member_function.html">Introspecting |
| static member function</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_data.html">Introspecting |
| inner data</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_function.html">Introspecting |
| an inner function</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_nested_type.html">Nested |
| Types</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_func_sig.html">Nested |
| Types and Function Signatures</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_enclosing_type.html">Enclosing |
| Type</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_usingMM.html">An example |
| using the Macro Metafunctions</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_func_templates.html">Introspecting |
| Function Templates</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="reference.html">Reference</a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="reference.html#header.boost.tti.gen.has_data_gen_hpp">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_data_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_function_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_function_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_member_data_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_member_data_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_member_function_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_member_function_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_data_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_data_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_function_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_function_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_template_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_template_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_type_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/has_type_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/member_type_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/member_type_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/namespace_gen_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/gen/namespace_gen.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_data_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_data.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_function_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_function.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_member_data_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_member_data.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_member_function_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_member_function.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_data_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_static_member_data.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_function_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_static_member_function.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_template_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_template.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_type_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/has_type.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/member_type_hpp.html">Header <boost/tti/member_type.hpp></a></span></dt> |
| <dd><dl></dl></dd> |
| </dl></dd> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_tests.html">Testing |
| TTI</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_history.html">History</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_todo.html">ToDo</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_acknowledgments.html">Acknowledgments</a></span></dt> |
| <dt><span class="section"><a href="index/s24.html">Index</a></span></dt> |
| </dl> |
| </div> |
| <div class="section"> |
| <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"> |
| <a name="the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro"></a><a class="link" href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro" title="Introduction">Introduction</a> |
| </h2></div></div></div> |
| <div class="toc"><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers">Header |
| Files</a></span></dt></dl></div> |
| <p> |
| Welcome to the Boost Type Traits Introspection library, abbreviated TTI. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| TTI is a library which provides the ability to introspect by name the elements |
| of a type at compile time. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| TTI works through macros generating metafunctions. Metafunctions are class |
| templates of a particular syntax, having a nested 'type' member. So wherever |
| in C++ class templates can occur, TTI macros can be used. The metafunctions |
| generated by TTI are no different from any other metafunction as defined by |
| the Boost MPL library. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| The metafunctions generated by TTI are used to introspect elements of a type |
| at compile time, always passing at minimum to each metafunction the enclosing |
| type being introspected. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| The name of the library has been chosen because the library offers compile |
| time functionality on a type, similar to the Boost Type Traits library, and |
| because the functionality the library offers is the ability to introspect a |
| type about the existence of a specific element within that type. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| I use the word "introspect" in a very broad sense here. Normally |
| computer language introspection means initially asking for information to be |
| returned by name, which can then further be used to introspect for more specific |
| information. In the TTI library one must always know and supply the name, and |
| use the functionality provided for the correct type of inner element to find |
| out if that particular named entity exists. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| You may prefer the term "query" instead of "introspection" |
| to denote what this library does, but I use terminology based on the word "introspect" |
| throughout this documentation. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| The functionality of the library may be summed up as: |
| </p> |
| <div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "> |
| <li class="listitem"> |
| Provide the means to introspect a type at compile time using a set of macros. |
| Each macro takes the name of the type's element and generates a metafunction |
| which can be subsequently invoked to determine whether or not the element |
| exists within the type. These generated metafunctions will be called "macro |
| metafunctions" in the documentation. |
| </li> |
| <li class="listitem"> |
| Provide the means to create a typedef for a type which may not exist. This |
| typedef type can be used as a type in the metafunctions of the library |
| without producing compile-time errors. |
| </li> |
| </ul></div> |
| <p> |
| The library is dependent on Boost PP, Boost MPL, Boost Type Traits, and Boost |
| Function Types. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| The library is also dependent on the variadic macro support of the Boost PP |
| library if the variadic macros in the library are used. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| The library is a header only library. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| Since the dependencies of the library are all header only libraries, there |
| is no need to build a library in order to use the TTI library. |
| </p> |
| <div class="section"> |
| <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"> |
| <a name="the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers"></a><a class="link" href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers" title="Header Files">Header |
| Files</a> |
| </h3></div></div></div> |
| <p> |
| There are is a single header file, <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">boost</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">tti</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">tti</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">hpp</span></code>, |
| which includes all the header files in the library. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| There are also separate specific header files for each of the elements to |
| be introspected by the library. This allows for finer-grained inclusion of |
| the nested elements to be introspected. These header files are: |
| </p> |
| <div class="table"> |
| <a name="the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers.tbhfiles"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 1.1. TTI Header Files</b></p> |
| <div class="table-contents"><table class="table" summary="TTI Header Files"> |
| <colgroup> |
| <col> |
| <col> |
| </colgroup> |
| <thead><tr> |
| <th> |
| <p> |
| Introspected Element |
| </p> |
| </th> |
| <th> |
| <p> |
| Specific Header File |
| </p> |
| </th> |
| </tr></thead> |
| <tbody> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Type |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_type_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_type.hpp>">has_type.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Class Template |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_template_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_template.hpp>">has_template.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Member data |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_member_data_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_member_data.hpp>">has_member_data.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Member function |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_member_function_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_member_function.hpp>">has_member_function.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Static member data |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_data_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_static_member_data.hpp>">has_static_member_data.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Static member function |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_function_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_static_member_function.hpp>">has_static_member_function.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Data |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_data_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_data.hpp>">has_data.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Function |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_function_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/has_function.hpp>">has_function.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| Member Type Creation |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| <td> |
| <p> |
| <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/member_type_hpp.html" title="Header <boost/tti/member_type.hpp>">member_type.hpp</a></code> |
| </p> |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| </table></div> |
| </div> |
| <br class="table-break"> |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| <table xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" width="100%"><tr> |
| <td align="left"><p><small>Last revised: April 07, 2015 at 22:46:07 GMT</small></p></td> |
| <td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer"></div></td> |
| </tr></table> |
| <hr> |
| <div class="spirit-nav"><a accesskey="n" href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_reason.html"><img src="../../../../doc/src/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a></div> |
| </body> |
| </html> |
