P3016R1
Resolve inconsistencies in begin/end for valarray and braced initializer lists

1. Changelog

• R1:

  • Split [CWG2825] from this paper; this paper is now library-only.

  • Add discussion of .data() and .empty() overloads (proposed but undiscussed in R0).

  • Add wording for ".data+.size cleanup."

2. Motivation and proposal

Casey Carter points out that the following program is supported by libstdc++ but not libc++ nor Microsoft (Godbolt):

#include <iterator>
#include <valarray>
int main() {
  std::valarray<int> v = {1,2,3};
  std::begin(v); // OK
  std::cbegin(v); // Error
}

This is because std::valarray defines its own non-member, non-hidden-friend overloads of std::begin and std::end. These overloads are found by the qualified call to std::begin here, but aren’t found by std::cbegin’s ADL because the primary template for std::cbegin happens to be defined before <valarray> is included. Swapping the order of #include <iterator> and #include <valarray> in this example doesn’t help, because the relevant parts of <iterator> are still transitively included by <valarray> before std::valarray’s own code.

Likewise, on all vendors (Godbolt):

#include <iterator>
int main() {
  std::begin({1,2,3}); // OK
  std::cbegin({1,2,3}); // Error
}

This is because {1,2,3} is a braced-initializer-list with no type; so it cannot bind to the deduced const C& in std::cbegin (defined in <iterator>). But it can bind to the initializer_list<E> in the non-member, non-hidden-friend overload std::begin(std::initializer_list<E>) (defined in <initializer_list>).

Notice that std::begin({1,2,3}) returns an iterator that will dangle at the end of the full-expression, and that the return values of std::begin({1,2,3}) and std::end({1,2,3}) do not form a range (because the two lists' backing arrays may be different). Therefore this overload’s functionality is more harmful than helpful.

Note: Be careful to distinguish the scenario of calling std::begin on an object of type initializer_list (helpful!) from calling it on a braced-initializer-list (harmful).

We propose to resolve valarray’s begin/cbegin inconsistency in favor of "make it work" and to resolve braced-initializer-list’s inconsistency in favor of "make it ill-formed."

2.1. .data and .empty

We also propose two additional member functions for std::initializer_list: .data() and .empty().

Many places in the library clauses would like to operate on the contiguous data of an initializer_list using the "data + size" idiom, but since initializer_list lacks .data(), they’re forced to use an awkward "begin + size" approach instead. This (1) looks unnatural and (2) causes extra mental effort for library writers. Part of P3016’s proposed wording is to update these places in the library. For example:

constexpr basic_string& append(const basic_string& str);

1. Effects: Equivalent to return append(str.data(), str.size());

[...]

constexpr basic_string& append(initializer_list<charT> il);

16. Effects: Equivalent to return append(il.data(), il.size() il.begin(), il.size());

As for .empty(), it is generally recognized these days that ranges providing .size() should also provide .empty(). For example, iota_view’s missing .empty() was added as a DR by [LWG4001].

By making il.data() and il.empty() well-formed for std::initializer_list objects, we satisfy the SFINAE conditions of the primary templates for std::data(il) and std::empty(il), meaning that we can eliminate their special overloads for initializer_list arguments.

std::initializer_list<int> il = {1,2,3};
const int *p = std::data(il);
  // OK, calls the initializer_list overload
  // specially provided in <iterator>
bool b = std::empty(il);
  // OK, calls the initializer_list overload
  // specially provided in <iterator>

std::initializer_list<int> il = {1,2,3};
const int *p = std::data(il);
  // OK, calls the primary template
bool b = std::empty(il);
  // OK, calls the primary template

const int *p = std::data({1,2,3});
  // calls the initializer_list overload
  // specially provided in <iterator>,
  // and immediately dangles
const int *q = std::data({});
  // does not compile

const int *p = std::data({1,2,3});
  // does not compile
const int *q = std::data({});
  // does not compile

bool b = std::empty({1,2,3});
  // calls the initializer_list overload
  // specially provided in <iterator>,
  // invariably returns false
bool c = std::empty({});
  // does not compile

bool b = std::empty({1,2,3});
  // does not compile
bool c = std::empty({});
  // does not compile

3. Historical background

[N2930] "Range-Based For Loop Wording (Without Concepts)" (2009) proposed that [stmt.ranged] should consider only free function begin(x) plus a special case for built-in arrays; therefore N2930 added both <iterator>’s std::begin and <initializer_list>’s std::begin — because they wanted <initializer_list> not to pull in <iterator>, and initializer_list’s member function begin() wasn’t going to be found by their proposed [stmt.ranged].

Then, [N3271] "Wording for Range-Based For Loop (Option #5)" (2011) added the middle bullet point in today’s version of [stmt.ranged]:

• if _RangeT is an array type, begin-expr and end-expr are __range and __range + __bound, respectively, where __bound is the array bound. If _RangeT is an array of unknown size or an array of incomplete type, the program is ill-formed;

• if _RangeT is a class type, the unqualified-ids begin and end are looked up in the scope of class _RangeT as if by class member access lookup, and if either (or both) finds at least one declaration, begin-expr and end-expr are __range.begin() and __range.end(), respectively;

• otherwise, begin-expr and end-expr are begin(__range) and end(__range), respectively, where begin and end are looked up with argument-dependent lookup. For the purposes of this name lookup, namespace std is an associated namespace.

This change meant that std::initializer_list no longer needed to provide free begin/end: The new second bullet lets us use il.begin() and il.end(), so the third bullet is never reached when decltype(__range) is initializer_list. (Loops of the form for (int i : {1,2,3}) are subtle because the for-range-initializer is a braced-initializer-list with no type. [CWG2825] addressed this; GCC, Clang, and EDG already implement the resolution.)

Meanwhile, since the prioritized customization point in [stmt.ranged] had shifted from non-member begin to member begin, it would have made sense for std::valarray’s begin to change from a non-member to a member. But this was not done — possibly out of C++0x–era concerns that giving std::valarray member begin/end would make it "too much like a container." [LWG2058] (2011) contains comments like: "The intent of these overloads is entirely to support the new for syntax, and not to create new containers." In other words, we wanted valarray to be iterable, without looking too much like a new kind of STL container. In 2011, we didn’t have a word for that. In 2023, we do: valarray is a range, just like array or span, and there’s nothing wrong with a range having member begin and end. (P3016 proposes to make it so.)

Similarly, valarray<T>::iterator is currently ill-formed even though ranges::iterator_t<valarray<int>> is well-formed; std::rbegin(valarray) is ill-formed even though ranges::rbegin(valarray) is well-formed; and so on.

Finally, [LWG2128] added overloads of rbegin/rend for initializer_list. The primary template for rbegin doesn’t work for initializer_list because it simply calls c.rbegin() — it never attempts to do make_reverse_iterator(c.end()) because make_reverse_iterator isn’t SFINAE-friendly. LWG2128’s overloads are important because they allow us to write (Godbolt):

template<class C>
void f(const C& c) {
  using std::rbegin, std::rend;
  for (auto it = rbegin(c); it != rend(c); ++it) {}
}
void g(std::initializer_list<T> il) {
  f(il);
}
int main() {
  g({1,2,3});
}

These were added in <iterator>, not in <initializer_list>, because they depend on reverse_iterator.

However, notice that LWG2128 did not add two things:

• std::cbegin(initializer_list<E>). This omission indicates that it was not considered important to support std::cbegin({1,2,3}). Unsurprising, as the returned iterator would dangle.

• std::cbegin(const valarray<T>&), std::rbegin(valarray<T>&), std::rbegin(const valarray<T>&), std::crbegin(const valarray<T>&). These omissions might have been accidental; <valarray> is easy to overlook. Or, they might indicate the [LWG2058] mindset: valarray wasn’t intended to be fully rangified, merely iterable with [stmt.ranged], and [stmt.ranged] didn’t need cbegin or rbegin.

4. Implementation experience

Arthur has implemented § 5 Proposed wording in his fork of libc++, and used it to compile both LLVM/Clang/libc++ and another large C++17 codebase. Naturally, it caused no problems except in this single test from libc++'s own test suite:

#include <initializer_list> // but not <iterator>
std::initializer_list<int> il;
static_assert(noexcept(std::begin(il)));

This test now fails first because <iterator> was not included, and second because today’s begin(initializer_list<E>) is noexcept but the primary template begin(C&) is non-noexcept (per P0884 guidance).

il.begin() and ranges::begin(il) remain noexcept.

std::begin(valarray) remains non-noexcept.

4.1. Tony Table

#include <initializer_list>
void f(std::initializer_list<int> il) {
  auto it = std::begin(il);
}

#include <initializer_list>
#include <iterator> // for std::begin
void f(std::initializer_list<int> il) {
  auto it = std::begin(il);
}

S(std::initializer_list<int> il) :
  S(il.begin(), il.size()) {}

S(std::initializer_list<int> il) :
  S(il.data(), il.size()) {}

auto dangle = std::begin({1,2,3});

// no longer compiles

bool b = std::empty({1,2,3});
  // calls the initializer_list overload
  // specially provided in <iterator>,
  // yielding false

bool b = std::empty({1,2,3});
  // does not compile

#include <valarray>
#include <utility>
std::valarray<int> va;
auto it = std::begin(std::as_const(va));

#include <valarray>
#include <iterator>
std::valarray<int> va;
auto it = std::cbegin(va);

5. Proposed wording

5.1. [valarray.syn]

Modify [valarray.syn] as follows:

[...]

  template<class T> valarray<T> tan  (const valarray<T>&);
  template<class T> valarray<T> tanh (const valarray<T>&);

  template<class T> unspecified1 begin(valarray<T>& v);
  template<class T> unspecified2 begin(const valarray<T>& v);
  template<class T> unspecified1 end(valarray<T>& v);
  template<class T> unspecified2 end(const valarray<T>& v);
}

[...]

3․ Any function returning a valarray<T> is permitted to return an object of another type, provided all the const member functions of valarray<T> are also applicable to this type. This return type shall not add more than two levels of template nesting over the most deeply nested argument type.

4․ Implementations introducing such replacement types shall provide additional functions and operators as follows:

• (4.1) for every function taking a const valarray<T>& other than begin and end, identical functions taking the replacement types shall be added;

• (4.2) for every function taking two const valarray<T>& arguments, identical functions taking every combination of const valarray<T>& and replacement types shall be added.

5․ In particular, an implementation shall allow a valarray<T> to be constructed from such replacement types and shall allow assignments and compound assignments of such types to valarray<T>, slice_array<T>, gslice_array<T>, mask_array<T> and indirect_array<T> objects.

[...]

5.2. [template.valarray.overview]

Note: We propose exposition-only iterator and const_iterator typedefs, but would love to make them non-exposition-only.

Note: The .size() and .begin() members of every STL container are marked noexcept. valarray’s .size() and std::begin are non-noexcept. We propose valarray’s .begin() should also be non-noexcept, for consistency. If we add any noexcept markings to valarray, we should add them consistently throughout the class — not only on its begin and end.

Modify [template.valarray.overview] as follows:

namespace std {
  template<class T> class valarray {
  public:
    using value_type = T;
    using iterator = unspecified; // exposition only
    using const_iterator = unspecified; // exposition only

    // [valarray.cons], construct/destroy
    valarray();
    explicit valarray(size_t);

[...]

  // [valarray.range], range access

  iterator begin();
  iterator end();
  const_iterator begin() const;
  const_iterator end() const;

  // [valarray.members], member functions
  void swap(valarray&) noexcept;

  size_t size() const;

  T sum() const;
  T min() const;
  T max() const;

  valarray shift (int) const;
  valarray cshift(int) const;
  valarray apply(T func(T)) const;
  valarray apply(T func(const T&)) const;
  void resize(size_t sz, T c = T());
};

5.3. [valarray.members]

Move the existing section [valarray.range] from its current location to make it a sibling of [valarray.members]; then modify it as follows:

28.6.10 28.6.2.x valarray range access [valarray.range]

1․ In the begin and end function templates that follow, unspecified1 is a type that The exposition-only iterator type meets the requirements of a mutable Cpp17RandomAccessIterator ([random.access.iterators]) and models contiguous_iterator ([iterator.concept.contiguous]), whose . Its value_type is the template parameter T and whose its reference type is T&. unspecified2 is a type that The exposition-only const_iterator type meets the requirements of a constant Cpp17RandomAccessIterator and models contiguous_iterator, whose . Its value_type is the template parameter T and whose its reference type is const T&.

2․ The iterators returned by begin and end for an array are guaranteed to be valid until the member function resize(size_t, T) is called for that array or until the lifetime of that array ends, whichever happens first.

template<class T> unspecified1 begin(valarray<T>& v);
template<class T> unspecified2 begin(const valarray<T>& v);
iterator begin();
const_iterator begin() const;

3․ Returns: An iterator referencing the first value in the array.

template<class T> unspecified1 end(valarray<T>& v);
template<class T> unspecified2 end(const valarray<T>& v);
iterator end();
const_iterator end() const;

4․ Returns: An iterator referencing one past the last value in the array.

28.6.2.8 Member functions [valarray.members]

void swap(valarray& v) noexcept;

1․ Effects: *this obtains the value of v. v obtains the value of *this.

2․ Complexity: Constant.

5.4. [support.initlist]

Modify [support.initlist] as follows:

[...]

17.10.2 Header <initializer_list> synopsis [initializer.list.syn]

namespace std {
  template<class E> class initializer_list {
  public:
    using value_type      = E;
    using reference       = const E&;
    using const_reference = const E&;
    using size_type       = size_t;

    using iterator        = const E*;
    using const_iterator  = const E*;

    constexpr initializer_list() noexcept;

    constexpr const E* data() const noexcept;
    constexpr size_t size() const noexcept;     // number of elements
    [[nodiscard]] constexpr bool empty() const noexcept;
    constexpr const E* begin() const noexcept;  // first element
    constexpr const E* end() const noexcept;    // one past the last element
  };

  // [support.initlist.range], initializer list range access
  template<class E> constexpr const E* begin(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;
  template<class E> constexpr const E* end(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;
}

1․ An object of type initializer_list<E> provides access to an array of objects of type const E.

[Note: A pair of pointers or a pointer plus a length would be obvious representations for initializer_list. initializer_list is used to implement initializer lists as specified in [dcl.init.list]. Copying an initializer_list does not copy the underlying elements. — end note]

2․ If an explicit specialization or partial specialization of initializer_list is declared, the program is ill-formed.

17.10.3 Initializer list constructors [support.initlist.cons]

constexpr initializer_list() noexcept;

1․ Postconditions: size() == 0.

17.10.4 Initializer list access [support.initlist.access]

constexpr const E* begin() const noexcept;

1․ Returns: A pointer to the beginning of the array. If size() == 0 the values of begin() and end() are unspecified but they shall be identical.

constexpr const E* end() const noexcept;

2․ Returns: begin() + size().

constexpr const E* data() const noexcept;

x․ Returns: begin().

constexpr size_t size() const noexcept;

3․ Returns: The number of elements in the array.

4․ Complexity: Constant time.

[[nodiscard]] constexpr bool empty() const noexcept;

x․ Returns: size() == 0.

17.10.5 Initializer list range access [support.initlist.range]

template<class E> constexpr const E* begin(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;

1․ Returns: il.begin().

template<class E> constexpr const E* end(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;

2․ Returns: il.end().

5.5. [iterator.synopsis]

Modify [iterator.synopsis] as follows:

25.2 Header synopsis [iterator.synopsis]

#include <compare>              // see [compare.syn]
#include <concepts>             // see [concepts.syn]
#include <initializer_list>     // see [initializer.list.syn]

namespace std {

[...]

  // [iterator.range], range access
  template<class C> constexpr auto begin(C& c) -> decltype(c.begin());
  template<class C> constexpr auto begin(const C& c) -> decltype(c.begin());
  template<class C> constexpr auto end(C& c) -> decltype(c.end());
  template<class C> constexpr auto end(const C& c) -> decltype(c.end());
  template<class T, size_t N> constexpr T* begin(T (&array)[N]) noexcept;
  template<class T, size_t N> constexpr T* end(T (&array)[N]) noexcept;
  template<class C> constexpr auto cbegin(const C& c)
    noexcept(noexcept(std::begin(c))) -> decltype(std::begin(c));
  template<class C> constexpr auto cend(const C& c)
    noexcept(noexcept(std::end(c))) -> decltype(std::end(c));
  template<class C> constexpr auto rbegin(C& c) -> decltype(c.rbegin());
  template<class C> constexpr auto rbegin(const C& c) -> decltype(c.rbegin());
  template<class C> constexpr auto rend(C& c) -> decltype(c.rend());
  template<class C> constexpr auto rend(const C& c) -> decltype(c.rend());
  template<class T, size_t N> constexpr reverse_iterator<T*> rbegin(T (&array)[N])
  template<class T, size_t N> constexpr reverse_iterator<T*> rend(T (&array)[N]);
  template<class E> constexpr reverse_iterator<const E*>
    rbegin(initializer_list<E> il);
  template<class E> constexpr reverse_iterator<const E*>
    rend(initializer_list<E> il);
  template<class C> constexpr auto
    crbegin(const C& c) -> decltype(std::rbegin(c));
  template<class C> constexpr auto
    crend(const C& c) -> decltype(std::rend(c));

  template<class C> constexpr auto
    size(const C& c) -> decltype(c.size());
  template<class T, size_t N> constexpr size_t
    size(const T (&array)[N]) noexcept;

  template<class C> constexpr auto
    ssize(const C& c)
      -> common_type_t<ptrdiff_t, make_signed_t<decltype(c.size())>>;
  template<class T, ptrdiff_t N> constexpr ptrdiff_t
    ssize(const T (&array)[N]) noexcept;

  template<class C> [[nodiscard]] constexpr auto
    empty(const C& c) -> decltype(c.empty());
  template<class T, size_t N> [[nodiscard]] constexpr bool
    empty(const T (&array)[N]) noexcept;
  template<class E> [[nodiscard]] constexpr bool
    empty(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;

  template<class C> constexpr auto data(C& c) -> decltype(c.data());
  template<class C> constexpr auto data(const C& c) -> decltype(c.data());
  template<class T, size_t N> constexpr T* data(T (&array)[N]) noexcept;
  template<class E> constexpr const E* data(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;
}

5.6. [iterator.range]

Modify [iterator.range] as follows:

[...]

template<class E> [[nodiscard]] constexpr bool empty(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;

22․ Returns: il.size() == 0.

[...]

template<class E> constexpr const E* data(initializer_list<E> il) noexcept;

25․ Returns: il.begin().

5.7. .data+.size cleanup

5.7.1. [string.cons]

Modify [string.cons] as follows:

constexpr basic_string& operator=(initializer_list<charT> il);

36․ Effects: Equivalent to:

return *this = basic_string_view<charT, traits>(il.begin() il.data(), il.size());

5.7.2. [string.append]

Modify [string.append] as follows:

constexpr basic_string& append(initializer_list<charT> il);

16․ Effects: Equivalent to: return append(il.begin() il.data(), il.size());

5.7.3. [string.assign]

Modify [string.assign] as follows:

constexpr basic_string& assign(initializer_list<charT> il);

12․ Effects: Equivalent to: return assign(il.begin() il.data(), il.size());

5.7.4. [string.replace]

Modify [string.replace] as follows:

constexpr basic_string& replace(const_iterator i1, const_iterator i2, initializer_list<charT> il);

12․ Effects: Equivalent to: return replace(i1, i2, il.begin() il.data(), il.size());

5.7.5. [span.cons]

Modify [span.cons] as follows:

constexpr explicit(extent != dynamic_extent) span(std::initializer_list il);

18․ Constraints: is_const_v<element_type> is true.

19․ Preconditions: If extent is not equal to dynamic_extent, then il.size() is equal to extent.

20․ Effects: Initializes data_ with il.begin() il.data() and size_ with il.size().

5.7.6. [valarray.cons]

Modify [valarray.cons] as follows:

valarray(initializer_list<T> il);

9․ Effects: Equivalent to valarray(il.begin() il.data(), il.size()).

6. Proposed straw polls

The next revision of this paper (if any) will be guided by the outcomes of these two straw polls.