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  25. <div class="section">
  26. <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
  27. <a name="boost_optional.tutorial.rebinding_semantics_for_assignment_of_optional_references"></a><a class="link" href="rebinding_semantics_for_assignment_of_optional_references.html" title="Rebinding semantics for assignment of optional references">Rebinding
  28. semantics for assignment of optional references</a>
  29. </h3></div></div></div>
  30. <p>
  31. If you assign to an <span class="emphasis"><em>uninitialized </em></span> <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">T</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span></code>
  32. the effect is to bind (for the first time) to the object. Clearly, there
  33. is no other choice.
  34. </p>
  35. <pre class="programlisting"><span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">x</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">1</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  36. <span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">rx</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">x</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  37. <span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">ora</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  38. <span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">orb</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">x</span><span class="special">)</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  39. <span class="identifier">ora</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">orb</span> <span class="special">;</span> <span class="comment">// now 'ora' is bound to 'x' through 'rx'</span>
  40. <span class="special">*</span><span class="identifier">ora</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">2</span> <span class="special">;</span> <span class="comment">// Changes value of 'x' through 'ora'</span>
  41. <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">x</span><span class="special">==</span><span class="number">2</span><span class="special">);</span>
  42. </pre>
  43. <p>
  44. If you assign to a bare C++ reference, the assignment is forwarded to the
  45. referenced object; its value changes but the reference is never rebound.
  46. </p>
  47. <pre class="programlisting"><span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">a</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">1</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  48. <span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">ra</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">a</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  49. <span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">b</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">2</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  50. <span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">rb</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">b</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  51. <span class="identifier">ra</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">rb</span> <span class="special">;</span> <span class="comment">// Changes the value of 'a' to 'b'</span>
  52. <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">a</span><span class="special">==</span><span class="identifier">b</span><span class="special">);</span>
  53. <span class="identifier">b</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">3</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  54. <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">ra</span><span class="special">!=</span><span class="identifier">b</span><span class="special">);</span> <span class="comment">// 'ra' is not rebound to 'b'</span>
  55. </pre>
  56. <p>
  57. Now, if you assign to an <span class="emphasis"><em>initialized </em></span> <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">T</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span></code>,
  58. the effect is to <span class="bold"><strong>rebind</strong></span> to the new object
  59. instead of assigning the referee. This is unlike bare C++ references.
  60. </p>
  61. <pre class="programlisting"><span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">a</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">1</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  62. <span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">b</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">2</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  63. <span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">ra</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">a</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  64. <span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">rb</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">b</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  65. <span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">ora</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">ra</span><span class="special">)</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  66. <span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">orb</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">rb</span><span class="special">)</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  67. <span class="identifier">ora</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">orb</span> <span class="special">;</span> <span class="comment">// 'ora' is rebound to 'b'</span>
  68. <span class="special">*</span><span class="identifier">ora</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">3</span> <span class="special">;</span> <span class="comment">// Changes value of 'b' (not 'a')</span>
  69. <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">a</span><span class="special">==</span><span class="number">1</span><span class="special">);</span>
  70. <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">b</span><span class="special">==</span><span class="number">3</span><span class="special">);</span>
  71. </pre>
  72. <h5>
  73. <a name="boost_optional.tutorial.rebinding_semantics_for_assignment_of_optional_references.h0"></a>
  74. <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_optional.tutorial.rebinding_semantics_for_assignment_of_optional_references.rationale"></a></span><a class="link" href="rebinding_semantics_for_assignment_of_optional_references.html#boost_optional.tutorial.rebinding_semantics_for_assignment_of_optional_references.rationale">Rationale</a>
  75. </h5>
  76. <p>
  77. Rebinding semantics for the assignment of <span class="emphasis"><em>initialized </em></span>
  78. <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">optional</span></code> references has been
  79. chosen to provide <span class="bold"><strong>consistency among initialization
  80. states</strong></span> even at the expense of lack of consistency with the semantics
  81. of bare C++ references. It is true that <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">U</span><span class="special">&gt;</span></code>
  82. strives to behave as much as possible as <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">U</span></code>
  83. does whenever it is initialized; but in the case when <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">U</span></code>
  84. is <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">T</span><span class="special">&amp;</span></code>,
  85. doing so would result in inconsistent behavior w.r.t to the lvalue initialization
  86. state.
  87. </p>
  88. <p>
  89. Imagine <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">T</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span></code>
  90. forwarding assignment to the referenced object (thus changing the referenced
  91. object value but not rebinding), and consider the following code:
  92. </p>
  93. <pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">a</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">get</span><span class="special">();</span>
  94. <span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">x</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">1</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  95. <span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;</span> <span class="identifier">rx</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">x</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  96. <span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span> <span class="identifier">b</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">rx</span><span class="special">);</span>
  97. <span class="identifier">a</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="identifier">b</span> <span class="special">;</span>
  98. </pre>
  99. <p>
  100. What does the assignment do?
  101. </p>
  102. <p>
  103. If <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">a</span></code> is <span class="emphasis"><em>uninitialized</em></span>,
  104. the answer is clear: it binds to <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">x</span></code>
  105. (we now have another reference to <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">x</span></code>).
  106. But what if <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">a</span></code> is already
  107. <span class="emphasis"><em>initialized</em></span>? it would change the value of the referenced
  108. object (whatever that is); which is inconsistent with the other possible
  109. case.
  110. </p>
  111. <p>
  112. If <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">T</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span></code>
  113. would assign just like <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">T</span><span class="special">&amp;</span></code> does, you would never be able to use
  114. Optional's assignment without explicitly handling the previous initialization
  115. state unless your code is capable of functioning whether after the assignment,
  116. <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">a</span></code> aliases the same object
  117. as <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">b</span></code> or not.
  118. </p>
  119. <p>
  120. That is, you would have to discriminate in order to be consistent.
  121. </p>
  122. <p>
  123. If in your code rebinding to another object is not an option, then it is
  124. very likely that binding for the first time isn't either. In such case, assignment
  125. to an <span class="emphasis"><em>uninitialized </em></span> <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">optional</span><span class="special">&lt;</span><span class="identifier">T</span><span class="special">&amp;&gt;</span></code>
  126. shall be prohibited. It is quite possible that in such a scenario it is a
  127. precondition that the lvalue must be already initialized. If it isn't, then
  128. binding for the first time is OK while rebinding is not which is IMO very
  129. unlikely. In such a scenario, you can assign the value itself directly, as
  130. in:
  131. </p>
  132. <pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(!!</span><span class="identifier">opt</span><span class="special">);</span>
  133. <span class="special">*</span><span class="identifier">opt</span><span class="special">=</span><span class="identifier">value</span><span class="special">;</span>
  134. </pre>
  135. </div>
  136. <table xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" width="100%"><tr>
  137. <td align="left"></td>
  138. <td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer">Copyright &#169; 2003-2007 Fernando Luis Cacciola Carballal<br>Copyright &#169; 2014-2016 Andrzej Krzemie&#324;ski<p>
  139. Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
  140. 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>)
  141. </p>
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