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Determine if a Type Should be Treated as a Container (Qi and Karma)

is_container

The template is_container is a template meta-function used as an attribute customization point. It is invoked by the Qi Sequence (>>) and Karma Sequence (<<) operators in order to determine whether a supplied attribute can potentially be treated as a container.

Header
#include <boost/spirit/home/support/container.hpp>

Also, see Include Structure.

[Note] Note

This header file does not need to be included directly by any user program as it is normally included by other Spirit header files relying on its content.

Namespace

Name

boost::spirit::traits

Synopsis
template <typename Container, typename Enable>
struct is_container
{
    <unspecified>;
};
Template parameters

Parameter

Description

Default

Container

The type, Container which needs to be tested whether it has to be treated as a container

none

Enable

Helper template parameter usable to selectively enable or disable certain specializations of is_container utilizing SFINAE (i.e. boost::enable_if or boost::disable_if).

void

Notation

C

A type to be tested whether it needs to be treated as a container.

T1, T2, ...

Arbitrary types

Expression Semantics

Expression

Semantics

is_container<C>::type

Result of the metafunction that evaluates to mpl::true_ if a given type, C, is to be treated as a container, mpl::false_ otherwise Generally, any implementation of is_container needs to behave as if if was a MPL Boolean Constant..

Predefined Specializations

Spirit predefines specializations of this customization point for several types. The following table lists those types together with the conditions for which the corresponding specializations will evaluate to mpl::true_ (see MPL Boolean Constant):

Template Parameters

Semantics

T

Returns mpl::true_ if T has the following embedded types defined: value_type, iterator, size_type, andreference. Otherwise it will return mpl::false_.

boost::optional<T>

Returns is_container<T>::type

boost::variant<T1, T2, ...>

Returns mpl::true_ if at least one of the is_container<TN>::type returns mpl::true_ (where TN is T1, T2, ...). Otherwise it will return mpl::false_.

unused_type

Returns mpl::false_.

When to implement

The customization point is_container needs to be implemented for a specific type whenever this type is to be used as an attribute in place of a STL container. It is applicable for parsers (Spirit.Qi) and generators (Spirit.Karma). As a rule of thumb: it has to be implemented whenever a certain type is to be passed as an attribute to a parser or a generator normally exposing a STL container, C and if the type does not expose the interface of a STL container (i.e. is_container<C>::type would normally return mpl::false_). These components have an attribute propagation rule in the form:

a: A --> Op(a): vector<A>

where Op(a) stands for any meaningful operation on the component a.

Related Attribute Customization Points

If this customization point is implemented, the following other customization points might need to be implemented as well.

Name

When to implement

traits::container_value

Needs to be implemented whenever is_container is implemented.

traits::push_back_container

Qi: List, Kleene, Plus, Repeat.

traits::container_iterator

Karma: List (%), Kleene (unary *), Plus (unary +), Repeat.

traits::begin_container

Karma: List (%), Kleene (unary *), Plus (unary +), Repeat.

traits::end_container

Karma: List (%), Kleene (unary *), Plus (unary +), Repeat.

traits::deref_iterator

Karma: List (%), Kleene (unary *), Plus (unary +), Repeat.

traits::next_iterator

Karma: List (%), Kleene (unary *), Plus (unary +), Repeat.

traits::compare_iterators

Karma: List (%), Kleene (unary *), Plus (unary +), Repeat.

traits::clear_value

Qi: List, Kleene, Plus, Repeat.

Example

For examples of how to use the customization point is_container please see here: embedded_container_example, use_as_container, and counter_example.


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