Loki的TypeList技术解析

Loki的泛化模式编程可真是很神奇，其中最重要的一个技术是类型链表。连boost的tuple都是模仿其编写的，可见其技术水平有多高了。Loki的TypeList的设计理念主要有两点

1.模板的偏特化技术，我前一篇文章中有所说明。

2.模板的迭代。

一、模板的偏特化技术使其可以在迭代一定次数之后迭代截止，保证其不会一直循环下去。到某一个层次便终止。下面我们就来分析一下TypeList的神奇，看看Andrei是如何把模板玩的那么出神入化。

class NullType{};

template<class T, class U>

struct TypeList

{

 typedef T Head;

typedef U Tail;

};

TypeList的定义非常简单，模板类型一个是Head，一个是Tail，而Tail就类似链表的尾部NULL指针，但是这里并不是空指针，而是NullType。而Tail也是TypeList的集合。这样一步步展开就类似成了一个链表，见如下写法:

typedef TypeList<int, TypeList<double, TypeList<char>, TypeList<unsigned int, NullType>>>> IntDoubleCharUnIntType;

int double char unsiged int 这四个类就形成了一个链表，并且以NullType结尾。

二、列表的操作

1.计算链表的长度

学过数据结构链表的应该都知道，链表的长度是根据遍历链表到NULL为止来计算长度的。这里也是一样的，我们也可以用类似的方法来实现。但这里是以迭代的形式来实现的

<1>声明Length模板类，这里声明是有原因的，一个是给下面两个特化做声明。另一个是保证在使用的过程中模板参数只能是NullType或则TypeList类型

template <class> struct Length;

<2>使用NullType来特化Length模板类

template<>

Length<NullType>

{

enum {value = 0,}; //Length的长度

};

<3>使用TypeList来特化，要说明的是之前这个地方我也是一直没有想明白，为什么Length只有一个模板参数但是这里在定义Length的时候template <class T, class U>却给出了两个，是不是这个不是Length模板类的特化，这里其实只是为了说明在特化的时候用得是TypeList这个类型来进行特化，而TypeList在特化的时候需要输入两个参数而已。

所以这里咱们就可以使用递归的方法了。见如下代码。

template<class T, class U>

Length<TypeList<T, U>>

{

enum {value = 1 + Length<U>::value,};

}

这里因为U类型展开之后仍然是一个类型链表TypeList，所以可以继续往下递归，直至到NullType截止。这样就可以计算出链表的长度了，神奇吧！！！

而且前面的Length声明给后面做了一个隐含的限定，也就是在使用Length模板类的时候，只能是TypeList和NullType，因为只有这两种类型实现了Length的特化，如果传入别的类型例如Length<int>::value 等之类的是编译不过去的因为Length特化int的版本是没有实现的，只有一个Length的声明而已。可见这种编程大家在设计时候的巧妙以及独到了，真的是很厉害啊！！！！！！佩服！！！！！！

TypeList的其他类似vector数据结构的操作，例如indexOf，Append, Erase等都有通过类似的方法来实现，原理都是声明一个操作函数类，然后通过两个特化类来实现，一个实现递归操作，一个实现截止操作。剩下的请看如下代码，这里就不细致的讲解了。在这里和大家分享了。每天都进步一小步，时间长了就是一大步了。

    template <class T, class U>
    struct Typelist
    {
       typedef T Head;
       typedef U Tail;
    };

// Typelist utility algorithms

    namespace TL
    {


// class template MakeTypelist
// Takes a number of arguments equal to its numeric suffix
// The arguments are type names.
// MakeTypelist<T1, T2, ...>::Result
// returns a typelist that is of T1, T2, ...


        template
        <
            typename T1  = NullType, typename T2  = NullType, typename T3  = NullType,
            typename T4  = NullType, typename T5  = NullType, typename T6  = NullType,
            typename T7  = NullType, typename T8  = NullType, typename T9  = NullType,
            typename T10 = NullType, typename T11 = NullType, typename T12 = NullType,
            typename T13 = NullType, typename T14 = NullType, typename T15 = NullType,
            typename T16 = NullType, typename T17 = NullType, typename T18 = NullType
        > 
        struct MakeTypelist
        {
        private:
            typedef typename MakeTypelist
            <
                T2 , T3 , T4 , 
                T5 , T6 , T7 , 
                T8 , T9 , T10, 
                T11, T12, T13,
                T14, T15, T16, 
                T17, T18
            >
            ::Result TailResult;

        public:
            typedef Typelist<T1, TailResult> Result;
        };

        template<>
        struct MakeTypelist<>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };


// class template Length
// Computes the length of a typelist
// Invocation (TList is a typelist):
// Length<TList>::value
// returns a compile-time constant containing the length of TList, not counting
//     the end terminator (which by convention is NullType)


        template <class TList> struct Length;
        template <> struct Length<NullType>
        {
            enum { value = 0 };
        };
        
        template <class T, class U>
        struct Length< Typelist<T, U> >
        {
            enum { value = 1 + Length<U>::value };
        };


// class template TypeAt
// Finds the type at a given index in a typelist
// Invocation (TList is a typelist and index is a compile-time integral 
//     constant):
// TypeAt<TList, index>::Result
// returns the type in position 'index' in TList
// If you pass an out-of-bounds index, the result is a compile-time error


        template <class TList, unsigned int index> struct TypeAt;
        
        template <class Head, class Tail>
        struct TypeAt<Typelist<Head, Tail>, 0>
        {
            typedef Head Result;
        };

        template <class Head, class Tail, unsigned int i>
        struct TypeAt<Typelist<Head, Tail>, i>
        {
            typedef typename TypeAt<Tail, i - 1>::Result Result;
        };


// class template TypeAtNonStrict
// Finds the type at a given index in a typelist
// Invocations (TList is a typelist and index is a compile-time integral 
//     constant):
// a) TypeAt<TList, index>::Result
// returns the type in position 'index' in TList, or NullType if index is 
//     out-of-bounds
// b) TypeAt<TList, index, D>::Result
// returns the type in position 'index' in TList, or D if index is out-of-bounds


        template <class TList, unsigned int index,
            typename DefaultType = NullType>
        struct TypeAtNonStrict
        {
            typedef DefaultType Result;
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail, typename DefaultType>
        struct TypeAtNonStrict<Typelist<Head, Tail>, 0, DefaultType>
        {
            typedef Head Result;
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail, unsigned int i, typename DefaultType>
        struct TypeAtNonStrict<Typelist<Head, Tail>, i, DefaultType>
        {
            typedef typename 
                TypeAtNonStrict<Tail, i - 1, DefaultType>::Result Result;
        };


// class template IndexOf
// Finds the index of a type in a typelist
// Invocation (TList is a typelist and T is a type):
// IndexOf<TList, T>::value
// returns the position of T in TList, or NullType if T is not found in TList


        template <class TList, class T> struct IndexOf;
        
        template <class T>
        struct IndexOf<NullType, T>
        {
            enum { value = -1 };
        };
        
        template <class T, class Tail>
        struct IndexOf<Typelist<T, Tail>, T>
        {
            enum { value = 0 };
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail, class T>
        struct IndexOf<Typelist<Head, Tail>, T>
        {
        private:
            enum { temp = IndexOf<Tail, T>::value };
        public:
            enum { value = (temp == -1 ? -1 : 1 + temp) };
        };


// class template Append
// Appends a type or a typelist to another
// Invocation (TList is a typelist and T is either a type or a typelist):
// Append<TList, T>::Result
// returns a typelist that is TList followed by T and NullType-terminated


        template <class TList, class T> struct Append;
        
        template <> struct Append<NullType, NullType>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };
        
        template <class T> struct Append<NullType, T>
        {
            typedef Typelist<T,NullType> Result;
        };

        template <class Head, class Tail>
        struct Append<NullType, Typelist<Head, Tail> >
        {
            typedef Typelist<Head, Tail> Result;
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail, class T>
        struct Append<Typelist<Head, Tail>, T>
        {
            typedef Typelist<Head, 
                    typename Append<Tail, T>::Result>
                Result;
        };
        

// class template Erase
// Erases the first occurence, if any, of a type in a typelist
// Invocation (TList is a typelist and T is a type):
// Erase<TList, T>::Result
// returns a typelist that is TList without the first occurence of T


        template <class TList, class T> struct Erase;
        
        template <class T>                         // Specialization 1
        struct Erase<NullType, T>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };

        template <class T, class Tail>             // Specialization 2
        struct Erase<Typelist<T, Tail>, T>
        {
            typedef Tail Result;
        };

        template <class Head, class Tail, class T> // Specialization 3
        struct Erase<Typelist<Head, Tail>, T>
        {
            typedef Typelist<Head, 
                    typename Erase<Tail, T>::Result>
                Result;
        };


// class template EraseAll
// Erases all first occurences, if any, of a type in a typelist
// Invocation (TList is a typelist and T is a type):
// EraseAll<TList, T>::Result
// returns a typelist that is TList without any occurence of T


        template <class TList, class T> struct EraseAll;
        template <class T>
        struct EraseAll<NullType, T>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };
        template <class T, class Tail>
        struct EraseAll<Typelist<T, Tail>, T>
        {
            // Go all the way down the list removing the type
            typedef typename EraseAll<Tail, T>::Result Result;
        };
        template <class Head, class Tail, class T>
        struct EraseAll<Typelist<Head, Tail>, T>
        {
            // Go all the way down the list removing the type
            typedef Typelist<Head, 
                    typename EraseAll<Tail, T>::Result>
                Result;
        };


// class template NoDuplicates
// Removes all duplicate types in a typelist
// Invocation (TList is a typelist):
// NoDuplicates<TList, T>::Result


        template <class TList> struct NoDuplicates;
        
        template <> struct NoDuplicates<NullType>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };

        template <class Head, class Tail>
        struct NoDuplicates< Typelist<Head, Tail> >
        {
        private:
            typedef typename NoDuplicates<Tail>::Result L1;
            typedef typename Erase<L1, Head>::Result L2;
        public:
            typedef Typelist<Head, L2> Result;
        };


// class template Replace
// Replaces the first occurence of a type in a typelist, with another type
// Invocation (TList is a typelist, T, U are types):
// Replace<TList, T, U>::Result
// returns a typelist in which the first occurence of T is replaced with U


        template <class TList, class T, class U> struct Replace;
        
        template <class T, class U>
        struct Replace<NullType, T, U>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };

        template <class T, class Tail, class U>
        struct Replace<Typelist<T, Tail>, T, U>
        {
            typedef Typelist<U, Tail> Result;
        };

        template <class Head, class Tail, class T, class U>
        struct Replace<Typelist<Head, Tail>, T, U>
        {
            typedef Typelist<Head,
                    typename Replace<Tail, T, U>::Result>
                Result;
        };


// class template ReplaceAll
// Replaces all occurences of a type in a typelist, with another type
// Invocation (TList is a typelist, T, U are types):
// Replace<TList, T, U>::Result
// returns a typelist in which all occurences of T is replaced with U


        template <class TList, class T, class U> struct ReplaceAll;
        
        template <class T, class U>
        struct ReplaceAll<NullType, T, U>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };
        
        template <class T, class Tail, class U>
        struct ReplaceAll<Typelist<T, Tail>, T, U>
        {
            typedef Typelist<U, typename ReplaceAll<Tail, T, U>::Result> Result;
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail, class T, class U>
        struct ReplaceAll<Typelist<Head, Tail>, T, U>
        {
            typedef Typelist<Head,
                    typename ReplaceAll<Tail, T, U>::Result>
                Result;
        };


// class template Reverse
// Reverses a typelist
// Invocation (TList is a typelist):
// Reverse<TList>::Result
// returns a typelist that is TList reversed


        template <class TList> struct Reverse;
        
        template <>
        struct Reverse<NullType>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail>
        struct Reverse< Typelist<Head, Tail> >
        {
            typedef typename Append<
                typename Reverse<Tail>::Result, Head>::Result Result;
        };


// class template MostDerived
// Finds the type in a typelist that is the most derived from a given type
// Invocation (TList is a typelist, T is a type):
// MostDerived<TList, T>::Result
// returns the type in TList that's the most derived from T


        template <class TList, class T> struct MostDerived;
        
        template <class T>
        struct MostDerived<NullType, T>
        {
            typedef T Result;
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail, class T>
        struct MostDerived<Typelist<Head, Tail>, T>
        {
        private:
            typedef typename MostDerived<Tail, T>::Result Candidate;
        public:
            typedef typename Select<
                SuperSubclass<Candidate,Head>::value,
                    Head, Candidate>::Result Result;
        };


// class template DerivedToFront
// Arranges the types in a typelist so that the most derived types appear first
// Invocation (TList is a typelist):
// DerivedToFront<TList>::Result
// returns the reordered TList 


        template <class TList> struct DerivedToFront;
        
        template <>
        struct DerivedToFront<NullType>
        {
            typedef NullType Result;
        };
        
        template <class Head, class Tail>
        struct DerivedToFront< Typelist<Head, Tail> >
        {
        private:
            typedef typename MostDerived<Tail, Head>::Result
                TheMostDerived;
            typedef typename Replace<Tail,
                TheMostDerived, Head>::Result Temp;
            typedef typename DerivedToFront<Temp>::Result L;
        public:
            typedef Typelist<TheMostDerived, L> Result;
        };
        
    }   // namespace TL