How copy constructor can be called with rvalue - c++11

MWE:
struct A {
A() {std::cout << "constructor" << std::endl; }
A(const A& a) {std::cout << "copy constructor" << std::endl; }
A(A&& a) {std::cout << "move constructor" << std::endl; }
};
int main() {
A a1{};
A a2{ a1 };
A a3{ A{} };
A a4{ std::move(a3) };
return 0;
}
Output:
constructor
copy constructor
constructor
move constructor
fora2 copy elision is used which is an optimization of the compiler and everything seems to be fine. When I comment out the move constructor however, copy constructor is called in place of move constructor. How can an rvalue be converted to a const lvalue reference?
Output:
constructor
copy constructor
constructor
copy constructor
The program is compiled in VS2017.

From en.cppreference.com:
If both copy and move constructors are provided and no other
constructors are viable, overload resolution selects the move
constructor if the argument is an rvalue of the same type (an xvalue
such as the result of std::move or a prvalue such as a nameless
temporary (until C++17)), and selects the copy constructor if the
argument is an lvalue (named object or a function/operator returning
lvalue reference). If only the copy constructor is provided, all
argument categories select it (as long as it takes a reference to
const, since rvalues can bind to const references), which makes
copying the fallback for moving, when moving is unavailable.
This clearly says that rvalue can be bound to const lvalue reference.

Related

Does emplace_back construct an object in its new location instead of using a move?

From this link it states
For example, in the code that we began with, my_vec.push_back("foo")
constructs a temporary string from the string literal, and then moves
that string into the container, whereas my_vec.emplace_back("foo")
just constructs the string directly in the container, avoiding the
extra move. For more expensive types, this may be a reason to use
emplace_back() instead of push_back(), despite the readability and
safety costs, but then again it may not. Very often the performance
difference just won’t matter
So I decided to try that and this is what i did
class foo
{
public:
int counter;
foo()
{
std::cout << "Regular constructor\n";
}
foo(const foo& f)
{
std::cout << "Copy constructor\n";
}
foo(foo&& f)
{
std::cout << "Move constructor\n";
}
};
int main()
{
std::vector<foo> f;
f.push_back(foo()); //Regular constructor and Move Constructor
f.emplace_back(foo()); //Regular constructor and Move Constructor
}
I noticed that both push_back and emplace_back behave similarly. I was thinking that emplace_back will only be calling the regular constructor based on what I read since it will be constructed in the vector stack.
vector::emplace_back(Args&&...) takes the arguments of the constructor you want to construct your new object with. In your quoted example this is const char* for the constructor string::string(const char*). In your own code you're forcing the move constructor by passing a temporary object. To default-construct your object in-place use f.emplace_back() without any arguments as the default constructor takes none.
Also to avoid reallocation (potentially more moves that would spoil your test) ensure the vector has space for your two test objects first using f.reserve(2).
Full code:
class foo
{
public:
foo()
{
std::cout << "Default constructor\n";
}
foo(const foo& f)
{
std::cout << "Copy constructor\n";
}
foo(foo&& f)
{
std::cout << "Move constructor\n";
}
};
int main()
{
std::vector<foo> f;
f.reserve(2);
f.push_back(foo());
f.emplace_back();
}
Output is
Default constructor
Move constructor
Default constructor

behavior of synthesised move constructor

I am reading C++ Primer 5th edition and get the following problems. The book lists several cases that a synthesized move operation is defined as deleted. One of which is "Unlike the copy constructor, the move constructor is defined as deleted if the class has a member that defines its own copy constructor but does not also define a move constructor, or if the class has a member that doesn't define its own copy operations and for which the compiler is unable to synthesize a move constructor. Similarly for move-assignment."
and also provide an demo code as following:
// assume Y is a class that defines its own copy constructor but not a move constructor
struct hasY {
hasY() = default;
hasY(hasY&&) = default;
Y mem; // hasY will have a deleted move constructor
};
hasY hy, hy2 = std::move(hy); // error: move constructor is deleted
However, for both gcc 7.2.1 and clang-900.0.37, the code is runnable, is the book wrong?
Here is the complete test code:
#include <iostream>
struct Y {
Y() { std::cout << "Y()" << std::endl; }
Y(const Y&) { std::cout << "Y(const Y&)" << std::endl; }
//Y(Y&&) { cout << "Y(Y&&)" << endl; }
};
// assume Y is a class that defines its own copy constructor but not a move constructor
struct hasY {
hasY() = default;
hasY(hasY&&) = default;
Y mem; // hasY will have a deleted move constructor
};
int main() {
hasY hy, hy2 = std::move(hy); // error: move constructor is deleted
return 0;
}
The book correctly describes the behavior prescribed by the C++11 standard. The prescribed behavior, however, has changed as of C++14, which adopted the resolution of Defect Report #1402 "Move functions too often deleted"

move constructor called on return instead of copy

Today I found that this code doesn't work as I expect it to work.
According to my knowledg for L-values copy constructor should be called while for R-values it should choose move constructor. Otherwise what's the purpose of std::move which actually does nothing but casts to R-value. I was expecting that return obj will call copy constructor, but it calls move.
I understand that copy is useless here, but that's about rules. What if my copy constructor has a side effect and that's my case (I know that it shouldn't, but technically it can - for example here: std::cout call).
Is there anything in standard that allows such behavior? Also how can I force a copy?
#include <iostream>
class X
{
public:
X() = default;
X(const X& r): i(r.i)
{
std::cout << "copy ctor" << std::endl;
}
X(const X&& r): i(r.i)
{
std::cout << "move ctor" << std::endl;
}
int i = 0;
};
X foo()
{
X obj;
obj.i = 10;
return obj;
}
int main()
{
X x = foo();
}
move ctor
move ctor
From cppreference (emphasis mine):
If [the returned expression] is an lvalue expression and the conditions for copy elision are met, or would be met, except that [the returned expression] names a function parameter, then overload resolution to select the constructor to use for initialization of the returned value is performed twice: first as if [the returned expression] were an rvalue expression (thus it may select the move constructor or a copy constructor taking reference to const), and if no suitable conversion is available, overload resolution is performed the second time, with lvalue [returned expression] (so it may select the copy constructor taking a reference to non-const).
The above rule applies even if the function return type is different from the type of [the returned expression] (copy elision requires same type)
Long story short, return implicitly tries to move what you return when it makes sense. It will only copy as a last resort (no move constructor available, for example).

why in this case copy constructor is matched?

I am curious about the C++11 list-initialization. I defined a class:
class base{
base() { cout << "default ctor" << endl;}
base(std::initiazer_list<base> il) { cout << "list initialization << endl;}
base(const base &rhs) { cout << "copy ctor" << endl;}
}
In main function, I initialize two objects to test my class.
int main()
{
base obj{}; // default ctor
base obj2{obj}; // copy ctor
}
I learn from 《effective modern C++》 that calls using list-initialization syntax strongly prefer the overloads taking std::initializer_list.
So, in my case, I think the second ctor will be called, however, the third is called.
Can you explain why?
Demo
default ctor
copy ctor
list initialization
So, it's correct in the sense that first the copy constructor is called to copy obj to std::initializer_list<base> then the appropriate constructor overload (which is the one for initializer list) is called.
base obj2{obj}; // copy ctor
As you can see this consists of two calls, not one. One to copy, one to list initialize. List initializer is the strongly preferred overload. The copy is to initialize the argument to that overload.
Edit: gcc and clang vary on this irrespective of version.
GCC Head
Clang Head
I think what's happening is that libstdc++ implementation of std::initializer_list creates temporary object, whereas clang picks up the copy constructor instead of initializer list overload.
Edit2:
I have checked this on my local system, clang with -stdlib=libstdc++ does create temporary for std::initializer_list hence a call to copy constructor exists.
All compilers are correct that

C++11 implicit copy constructor while implementing explicitly a constructor

I ran into a problem. I implemented a constructor for a class, but why are implicitly generated the other constructors, like the copy one?
I thought, that if I define a constructor explicitly, then the compiler doesn't generates implicitly other ones. I'm really hoping, that this a VC++ specific thing, and that this code doesn't conforms to ISO:IEC C++11:
class Foo
{
int bar;
public:
Foo(int&& arg) : bar(arg) { cout << "RConstruction" << endl; }
};
int main(int, const char*[])
{
Foo f = Foo(42);
/* Create unused temporary on the stack */
Foo::Foo(f); /* calling Foo::Foo(const Foo&): this shouldn't work... */
return (0);
}
Please keep in mind, that this is a sample code, created exactly for this situation, for demonstration purposes, I expect answers only that strictly relate to this question.
That's not a move constructor, so it doesn't suppress any implicit ones.
Just like Foo(const int&) isn't a copy constructor, Foo(int&&) isn't a move constructor, it's just a constructor taking an rvalue reference.
A move constructor looks like one of:
Foo(Foo&&)
Foo(const Foo&&)
Foo(volatile Foo&&)
Foo(const volatile Foo&&)
I thought, that if I define a constructor explicitly, then the compiler doesn't generates implicitly other ones.
If you define any constructor the compiler doesn't generate the default constructor, but it still generates the others. Define the as deleted if you don't want them:
Foo(const Foo&) = delete;
Foo& operator=(const Foo&) = delete;
You did not declare a move constructor, but a regular constructor : no implicit constructor will be deleted.
A move constructor would be of the form Foo(Foo&& arg) (with any cv-qualifier on the argument)
Also note that this statement is not valid C++ :
Foo::Foo(f);
Maybe you meant :
Foo g = Foo(f);

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