c++ - best way to do variant visitation with lambdas

Question

I want to inline visitation of variant types with lambdas. At the moment i have the following code:

struct Foo {
    boost::variant< boost::blank , int , string , vector< int >  > var;

    template <typename T, typename IL , typename SL , typename VL>
    void ApplyOptionals( T& ref, IL&& intOption , SL&& stringOption , VL&& vectorOption ) {
        if (var.which() == 1) {
            intOption( ref , boost::get< int >(var) );
        } else if (var.which() ==2) {
            stringOption( ref , boost::get< string>(var) );
        } else if (var.which() == 3) {
            vectorOption( ref , boost::get< vector< int > >(var) );
        }
    };
};
// ...
myFooV.ApplyOptionals(
    obj,
    [](Obj& o, int v) -> void { cout << "int: " << v << endl; o.value = v; },
    [](Obj& o, string v) -> void{ cout << "string: " << v << endl; o.name = v; },
    [](Obj& o, vector< int >& v) -> void{ v.push_back(257); cout << " vector.. has elements: " << v.size() << endl; o.ids = v; }
);

However the main drawback of this approach is that it depends on the order of variant type parameters and doesn't detect at compile-time unhandled types like boost::static_visitor would do

Can i get the best of both approaches?

---

Working on the excellent answer from RMartinho, i'm trying to work out this error, it seems that variant thinks the operator() calls are amibiguous (i'm using g++ 4.5.1, it's like it couldn't see the lambda operators.

looking at this question request for member `...' is ambiguous in g++, it seems that c++ doesn't like multiple inheritance as a way to provide multiple overloads (even if the calls are completely non-ambiguous because of different signature)

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <boost/variant.hpp>

using namespace std;

typedef boost::variant< boost::blank , int , string , vector< int >  > var_t;

template <typename ReturnType, typename... Lambdas>
struct lambda_visitor : public boost::static_visitor<ReturnType>, public Lambdas... {
    lambda_visitor(Lambdas... lambdas) : Lambdas(lambdas)... { }
};

template <typename ReturnType>
struct lambda_visitor<ReturnType> : public boost::static_visitor<ReturnType> {
    lambda_visitor() {}
};


template <typename ReturnType, typename... Lambdas>
lambda_visitor<ReturnType, Lambdas...> make_lambda_visitor(Lambdas... lambdas) {
    return { lambdas... };
    // you can use the following instead if your compiler doesn't
    // support list-initialization yet
    // return lambda_visitor<ReturnType, Lambdas...>(lambdas...);
}

int main() {
    vector< int > vit;
    vit.push_back(7);

    var_t myFooV = vit;

    auto visitor = make_lambda_visitor<void>(
        [](int v) -> void { cout << "int: " << v << endl; },
        [](string& v) -> void{ cout << "string: " << v << endl; },
        [](vector< int >& v) -> void{ v.push_back(27); boost::get< vector< int > >(myFooV).push_back(34);  cout << " vector.. has elements: " << v.size() << endl; }
    );

    cout << " and for the grand finale.. " << endl;

    boost::apply_visitor( visitor , myFooV );
};

This, gives me roughly a bunch of template boost errors, but the distinct part is:

boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp:832:32: error: request for member ‘operator()’ is ambiguous
test2.cpp:44:54: error: candidates are: main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)>
test2.cpp:43:47: error:                 main()::<lambda(std::string&)>
test2.cpp:42:55: error:                 main()::<lambda(int)>
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp:832:32: error: return-statement with a value, in function returning 'void'

This is the whole error, just in case i'm missing some other relevant info:

boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp: In member function ‘boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<Visitor>::result_type boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<Visitor>::internal_visit(T&, int) [with T = std::vector<int>, Visitor = lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> >, boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<Visitor>::result_type = void]’:
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/detail/visitation_impl.hpp:130:9:   instantiated from ‘typename Visitor::result_type boost::detail::variant::visitation_impl_invoke_impl(int, Visitor&, VoidPtrCV, T*, mpl_::true_) [with Visitor = boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> > >, VoidPtrCV = void*, T = std::vector<int>, typename Visitor::result_type = void, mpl_::true_ = mpl_::bool_<true>]’
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/detail/visitation_impl.hpp:173:9:   instantiated from ‘typename Visitor::result_type boost::detail::variant::visitation_impl_invoke(int, Visitor&, VoidPtrCV, T*, NoBackupFlag, int) [with Visitor = boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> > >, VoidPtrCV = void*, T = std::vector<int>, NoBackupFlag = boost::variant<boost::blank, int, std::basic_string<char>, std::vector<int> >::has_fallback_type_, typename Visitor::result_type = void]’
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/detail/visitation_impl.hpp:260:1:   instantiated from ‘typename Visitor::result_type boost::detail::variant::visitation_impl(int, int, Visitor&, VoidPtrCV, mpl_::false_, NoBackupFlag, Which*, step0*) [with Which = mpl_::int_<0>, step0 = boost::detail::variant::visitation_impl_step<boost::mpl::l_iter<boost::mpl::l_item<mpl_::long_<4l>, boost::blank, boost::mpl::l_item<mpl_::long_<3l>, int, boost::mpl::l_item<mpl_::long_<2l>, std::basic_string<char>, boost::mpl::l_item<mpl_::long_<1l>, std::vector<int>, boost::mpl::l_end> > > > >, boost::mpl::l_iter<boost::mpl::l_end> >, Visitor = boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> > >, VoidPtrCV = void*, NoBackupFlag = boost::variant<boost::blank, int, std::basic_string<char>, std::vector<int> >::has_fallback_type_, typename Visitor::result_type = void, mpl_::false_ = mpl_::bool_<false>]’
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp:1776:13:   instantiated from ‘static typename Visitor::result_type boost::variant<T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12, T13, T14, T15, T16, T17, T18, T19>::internal_apply_visitor_impl(int, int, Visitor&, VoidPtrCV) [with Visitor = boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> > >, VoidPtrCV = void*, T0_ = boost::blank, T1 = int, T2 = std::basic_string<char>, T3 = std::vector<int>, T4 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T5 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T6 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T7 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T8 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T9 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T10 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T11 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T12 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T13 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T14 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T15 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T16 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T17 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T18 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T19 = boost::detail::variant::void_, typename Visitor::result_type = void]’
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp:1787:13:   instantiated from ‘typename Visitor::result_type boost::variant<T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12, T13, T14, T15, T16, T17, T18, T19>::internal_apply_visitor(Visitor&) [with Visitor = boost::detail::variant::invoke_visitor<lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> > >, T0_ = boost::blank, T1 = int, T2 = std::basic_string<char>, T3 = std::vector<int>, T4 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T5 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T6 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T7 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T8 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T9 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T10 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T11 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T12 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T13 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T14 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T15 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T16 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T17 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T18 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T19 = boost::detail::variant::void_, typename Visitor::result_type = void]’
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp:1810:52:   instantiated from ‘typename Visitor::result_type boost::variant<T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12, T13, T14, T15, T16, T17, T18, T19>::apply_visitor(Visitor&) [with Visitor = lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> >, T0_ = boost::blank, T1 = int, T2 = std::basic_string<char>, T3 = std::vector<int>, T4 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T5 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T6 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T7 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T8 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T9 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T10 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T11 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T12 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T13 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T14 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T15 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T16 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T17 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T18 = boost::detail::variant::void_, T19 = boost::detail::variant::void_, typename Visitor::result_type = void]’
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/detail/apply_visitor_unary.hpp:60:43:   instantiated from ‘typename Visitor::result_type boost::apply_visitor(Visitor&, Visitable&) [with Visitor = lambda_visitor<void, main()::<lambda(int)>, main()::<lambda(std::string&)>, main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)> >, Visitable = boost::variant<boost::blank, int, std::basic_string<char>, std::vector<int> >, typename Visitor::result_type = void]’
test2.cpp:49:40:   instantiated from here
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp:832:32: error: request for member ‘operator()’ is ambiguous
test2.cpp:44:54: error: candidates are: main()::<lambda(std::vector<int>&)>
test2.cpp:43:47: error:                 main()::<lambda(std::string&)>
test2.cpp:42:55: error:                 main()::<lambda(int)>
boost_1_46_0/boost/variant/variant.hpp:832:32: error: return-statement with a value, in function returning 'void'

conclusion:

I want to add the final version of this utility, including tests:

lambda_visitor.h

Answer 1

You could use variadic templates to take the lambdas, and build a variant visitor using inheritance. That would retain the compile time checks.

template <typename ReturnType, typename... Lambdas>
struct lambda_visitor : public static_visitor<ReturnType>, public Lambdas... {
    lambda_visitor(Lambdas... lambdas) : Lambdas(lambdas)... {}
};

And a little helper function to use argument type deduction (required for lambdas):

template <typename ReturnType, typename... Lambdas>
lambda_visitor<ReturnType, Lambdas...> make_lambda_visitor(Lambdas... lambdas) {
    return { lambdas... };
    // you can use the following instead if your compiler doesn't
    // support list-initialization yet
    // return lambda_visitor<ReturnType, Lambdas...>(lambdas...);
}

Now you can make visitors like this:

auto visitor = make_lambda_visitor<int>([](int) { return 42; },
                                        [](std::string) { return 17; },
                                        [](std::vector<int>) { return 23; });

Note: due to a detail of the overload resolution process that I wasn't aware of, this elegant solution causes weird ambiguity errors :(

See the follow-up question for the fix.