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- <title>Chapter 1. The Type Traits Introspection Library</title>
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- <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: December 10, 2019 at 00:21:49 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>
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