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3028. Container requirements tables should distinguish const and non-const variables

Section: 24.2.2.1 [container.requirements.general] Status: WP Submitter: Jonathan Wakely Opened: 2017-10-17 Last modified: 2022-11-17

Priority: 3

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Discussion:

[container.requirements.general] p4 says:

In Tables 83, 84, and 85 X denotes a container class containing objects of type T, a and b denote values of type X, u denotes an identifier, r denotes a non-const value of type X, and rv denotes a non-const rvalue of type X.

This doesn't say anything about whether a and b are allowed to be const, or must be non-const. In fact Table 83 uses them inconsistently, e.g. the rows for "a = rv" and "a.swap(b)" most certainly require them to be non-const, but all other uses are valid for either const or non-const X.

[2017-11 Albuquerque Wednesday night issues processing]

Priority set to 3; Jonathan to provide updated wording.

Wording needs adjustment - could use "possibly const values of type X"

Will distinguish between lvalue/rvalue

Previous resolution [SUPERSEDED]:

This wording is relative to N4687.

  1. Change 24.2.2.1 [container.requirements.general] p4 as indicated:

    -4- In Tables 83, 84, and 85 X denotes a container class containing objects of type T, a and b denote values of type X, u denotes an identifier, r and s denotes a non-const values of type X, and rv denotes a non-const rvalue of type X.

  2. Change 24.2.2.1 [container.requirements.general], Table 83 "Container requirements", as indicated:

    Table 83 — Container requirements
    Expression Return type Operational
    semantics
    Assertion/note
    pre/post-condition
    Complexity
    […]
    ar = rv X& All existing elements
    of ar are either move
    assigned to or
    destroyed
    ar shall be equal to
    the value that rv had
    before this
    assignment
    linear
    […]
    ar.swap(bs) void exchanges the
    contents of ar and bs
    (Note A)
    […]
    swap(ar, bs) void ar.swap(bs) (Note A)

[2020-05-03; Daniel provides alternative wording]

Previous resolution [SUPERSEDED]:

This wording is relative to N4861.

  1. Change 24.2.2.1 [container.requirements.general] as indicated:

    [Drafting note:

    • The following presentation also transforms the current list into a bullet list as we already have in 24.2.8 [unord.req] p11

    • It has been decided to replace the symbol r by s, because it is easy to confuse with rv but means an lvalue instead, and the other container tables use it rarely and for something completely different (iterator value)

    • A separate symbol v is introduced to unambigiously distinguish the counterpart of a non-const rvalue (See 16.4.4.2 [utility.arg.requirements])

    • Two separate symbols b and c represent now "(possibly const) values, while the existing symbol a represents an unspecified value, whose meaning becomes defined when context is provided, e.g. for overloads like begin() and end

    -4- In Tables 73, 74, and 75:

    1. (4.1) — X denotes a container class containing objects of type T,

    2. (4.2) — a and b denotes a values of type X,

    3. (4.2) — b and c denote (possibly const) values of type X,

    4. (4.3) — i and j denote values of type (possibly const) X::iterator,

    5. (4.4) — u denotes an identifier,

    6. (?.?) — v denotes an lvalue of type (possibly const) X or an rvalue of type const X,

    7. (4.5) — rs and t denotes a non-const valuelvalues of type X, and

    8. (4.6) — rv denotes a non-const rvalue of type X.

  2. Change 24.2.2.1 [container.requirements.general], Table 73 "Container requirements" [tab:container.req], as indicated:

    [Drafting note: The following presentation also moves the copy-assignment expression just before the move-assignment expression]

    Table 73: — Container requirements [tab:container.req]
    Expression Return type Operational
    semantics
    Assertion/note
    pre/post-condition
    Complexity
    […]
    X(av) Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable
    into X (see below).
    Postconditions: av == X(av).
    linear
    X u(av);
    X u = av;
    Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable
    into X (see below).
    Postconditions: u == av.
    linear
    X u(rv);
    X u = rv;
    Postconditions: u is equal to the value
    that rv had before this construction
    (Note B)
    t = v X& Postconditions: t == v. linear
    at = rv X& All existing elements
    of at are either move
    assigned to or
    destroyed
    at shall be equal to
    the value that rv had
    before this
    assignment
    linear
    […]
    ac == b convertible to bool == is an equivalence relation.
    equal(ac.begin(),
    ac.end(),
    b.begin(),
    b.end())
    Preconditions: T meets the
    Cpp17EqualityComparable requirements
    Constant if ac.size() != b.size(),
    linear otherwise
    ac != b convertible to bool Equivalent to !(ac == b) linear
    at.swap(bs) void exchanges the
    contents of at and bs
    (Note A)
    swap(at, bs) void at.swap(bs) (Note A)
    r = a X& Postconditions: r == a. linear
    ac.size() size_type distance(ac.begin(), ac.end()) constant
    ac.max_size() size_type distance(begin(), end()) for the largest
    possible container
    constant
    ac.empty() convertible to bool ac.begin() == ac.end() constant

[2022-04-20; Jonathan rebases the wording on the latest draft]

[2022-09-05; Reflector poll]

Set status to Tentatively Ready after five votes in favour during reflector poll in April 2022.

[2022-11-12 Approved at November 2022 meeting in Kona. Status changed: Voting → WP.]

Proposed resolution:

This wording is relative to N4910.

  1. Change 24.2.2.1 [container.requirements.general] as indicated:

    [Drafting note:

    • It has been decided to replace the symbol r by s, because it is easy to confuse with rv but means an lvalue instead, and the other container tables use it rarely and for something completely different (iterator value)

    • A separate symbol v is introduced to unambigiously distinguish the counterpart of a non-const rvalue (See 16.4.4.2 [utility.arg.requirements])

    • Two separate symbols b and c represent now "(possibly const) values, while the existing symbol a represents an unspecified value, whose meaning becomes defined when context is provided, e.g. for overloads like begin() and end

    -1- In subclause 24.2.2 [container.gen.reqmts],

    1. (1.1) — X denotes a container class containing objects of type T,

    2. (1.2) — a and b denote values denotes a value of type X,

    3. (?.?) — b and c denote values of type (possibly const) X,

    4. (1.3) — i and j denote values of type (possibly const) X::iterator,

    5. (1.4) — u denotes an identifier,

    6. (?.?) — v denotes an lvalue of type (possibly const) X or an rvalue of type const X,

    7. (1.5) — r denotes as and t denote non-const valuelvalues of type X, and

    8. (1.6) — rv denotes a non-const rvalue of type X.

  2. Change 24.2.2.2 [container.reqmts] as indicated:

    [Drafting note: The following presentation also moves the copy-assignment expression just before the move-assignment expression]

      X u(av);
      X u = av;
    

    -12- Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X (see below).

    -13- Postconditions: u == av.

    -14- Complexity: Linear.

      X u(rv);
      X u = rv;
    

    -15- Postconditions: u is equal to the value that rv had before this construction.

    -14- Complexity: Linear for array and constant for all other standard containers.

      t = v
    

    -?- Result: X&.

    -?- Postconditions: t == v.

    -?- Complexity: Linear.

      at = rv
    

    -17- Result: X&.

    -18- Effects: All existing elements of at are either move assigned to or destroyed.

    -19- Postconditions: at shall be equal to the value that rv had before this assignment.

    -20- Complexity: Linear.

    […]

      ab.begin()
    

    -24- Result: iterator; const_iterator for constant ab.

    -25- Returns: An iterator referring to the first element in the container.

    -26- Complexity: Constant.

      ab.end()
    

    -27- Result: iterator; const_iterator for constant ab.

    -28- Returns: An iterator which is the past-the-end value for the container.

    -29- Complexity: Constant.

      ab.cbegin()
    

    -30- Result: const_iterator.

    -31- Returns: const_cast<X const&>(ab).begin()

    -32- Complexity: Constant.

      ab.cend()
    

    -33- Result: const_iterator.

    -34- Returns: const_cast<X const&>(ab).end()

    -35- Complexity: Constant.

    […]

      ac == b
    

    -39- Preconditions: T meets the Cpp17EqualityComparable requirements.

    -40- Result: Convertible to bool.

    -41- Returns: equal(ac.begin(), ac.end(), b.begin(), b.end()).

            [Note 1: The algorithm equal is defined in 27.6.13 [alg.equal]. — end note]

    -42- Complexity: Constant if ac.size() != b.size(), linear otherwise.

    -43- Remarks: == is an equivalence relation.

      ac != b
    

    -44- Effects: Equivalent to !(ac == b).

      at.swap(bs)
    

    -45- Result: void.

    -46- Effects: Exchanges the contents of at and bs.

    -47- Complexity: Linear for array and constant for all other standard containers.

      swap(at, bs)
    

    -48- Effects: Equivalent to at.swap(bs)

      r = a
    

    -49- Result: X&.

    -50- Postconditions: r == a.

    -51- Complexity: Linear.

      ac.size()
    

    -52- Result: size_type.

    -53- Returns: distance(ac.begin(), ac.end()), i.e. the number of elements in the container.

    -54- Complexity: Constant.

    -55- Remarks: The number of elements is defined by the rules of constructors, inserts, and erases.

      ac.max_size()
    

    -56- Result: size_type.

    -57- Returns: distance(begin(), end()) for the largest possible container.

    -58- Complexity: Constant.

      ac.empty()
    

    -59- Result: Convertible to bool.

    -60- Returns: ac.begin() == ac.end())

    -61- Complexity: Constant.

    -62- Remarks: If the container is empty, then ac.empty() is true.