boost_1_45_0/libs/variant/doc/reference/recursive_variant.xml

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<!DOCTYPE header PUBLIC "-//Boost//DTD BoostBook XML V1.0//EN"
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<header name="boost/variant/recursive_variant.hpp">
  <namespace name="boost">

    <typedef name="recursive_variant_">
      <type><emphasis>unspecified</emphasis></type>
    </typedef>

    <class name="make_recursive_variant">
      <purpose>Simplifies declaration of recursive <code>variant</code> types.</purpose>

      <template>
        <template-type-parameter name="T1"/>
        <template-type-parameter name="T2">
          <default><emphasis>unspecified</emphasis></default>
        </template-type-parameter>
        <template-varargs/>
        <template-type-parameter name="TN">
          <default><emphasis>unspecified</emphasis></default>
        </template-type-parameter>
      </template>

      <description>
        <para><code>type</code> has behavior equivalent in every respect to
          some <code>variant&lt; U1, U2, ..., UN &gt;</code>, where each type
          <code>U<emphasis>i</emphasis></code> is the result of the
          corresponding type <code>T<emphasis>i</emphasis></code> undergone a
          transformation function. The following pseudo-code specifies the
          behavior of this transformation (call it <code>substitute</code>):

          <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>If <code>T<emphasis>i</emphasis></code> is
              <code>boost::recursive_variant_</code> then:
              <code>variant&lt; U1, U2, ..., UN &gt;</code>;</listitem>
            <listitem>Else if <code>T<emphasis>i</emphasis></code> is of the
              form <code>X *</code> then:
              <code>substitute(X) *</code>;</listitem>
            <listitem>Else if <code>T<emphasis>i</emphasis></code> is of the
              form <code>X &amp;</code> then:
              <code>substitute(X) &amp;</code>;</listitem>
            <listitem>Else if <code>T<emphasis>i</emphasis></code> is of the
              form <code>R (*)( X1, X2, ..., XN )</code> then:
              <code>substitute(R) (*)( substitute(X1), substitute(X2), ..., substitute(XN) )</code>;</listitem>
            <listitem>Else if <code>T<emphasis>i</emphasis></code> is of the
              form <code>F &lt; X1, X2, ..., XN &gt;</code> then:
              <code>F&lt; substitute(X1), substitute(X2), ..., substitute(XN) &gt;</code>;</listitem>
            <listitem>Else: <code>T<emphasis>i</emphasis></code>.</listitem>
          </itemizedlist>
        </para>

        <para>Note that cv-qualifiers are preserved and that the actual
          process is generally a bit more complicated. However, the above does
          convey the essential idea as well as describe the extent of the
          substititions.</para>

        <para>Use of <code>make_recursive_variant</code> is demonstrated in
          <xref linkend="variant.tutorial.recursive.recursive-variant"/>.</para>

        <para><emphasis role="bold">Portability</emphasis>: Due to standard
          conformance issues in several compilers,
          <code>make_recursive_variant</code> is not universally supported. On
          these compilers the library indicates its lack of support via the
          definition of the preprocessor symbol
          <code><macroname>BOOST_VARIANT_NO_FULL_RECURSIVE_VARIANT_SUPPORT</macroname></code>.</para>
      </description>

      <typedef name="type">
        <type><classname>boost::variant</classname>&lt; <emphasis>unspecified</emphasis> &gt;</type>
      </typedef>

    </class>
    
    <class name="make_recursive_variant_over">
      <purpose>
        <simpara>Exposes a recursive <code>variant</code> whose bounded types
          are the elements of the given type sequence.</simpara>
      </purpose>

      <template>
        <template-type-parameter name="Sequence"/>
      </template>

      <typedef name="type">
        <type>variant&lt; <emphasis>unspecified</emphasis> &gt;</type>
      </typedef>

      <description>
        <simpara><code>type</code> has behavior equivalent in every respect to
          <code><classname>make_recursive_variant</classname>&lt; Sequence[0], Sequence[1], ... &gt;::type</code>
          (where <code>Sequence[<emphasis>i</emphasis>]</code> denotes the
          <emphasis>i</emphasis>-th element of <code>Sequence</code>), except
          that no upper limit is imposed on the number of types.</simpara>

        <simpara><emphasis role="bold">Notes</emphasis>:</simpara>
        <itemizedlist>
          <listitem><code>Sequence</code> must meet the requirements of
            <libraryname>MPL</libraryname>'s <emphasis>Sequence</emphasis>
            concept.</listitem>
          <listitem>Due to standard conformance problems in several compilers,
            <code>make_recursive_variant_over</code> may not be supported on
            your compiler. See
            <code><macroname>BOOST_VARIANT_NO_TYPE_SEQUENCE_SUPPORT</macroname></code>
            for more information.</listitem>
        </itemizedlist>
      </description>
    </class>

  </namespace>
</header>