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  21 <div class="chapter">
  22 <div class="titlepage"><div>
  23 <div><h2 class="title">
  24 <a name="tti"></a>Chapter&#160;1.&#160;The Type Traits Introspection Library</h2></div>
  25 <div><div class="author"><h3 class="author">
  26 <span class="firstname">Edward</span> <span class="surname">Diener</span>
  27 </h3></div></div>
  28 <div><p class="copyright">Copyright &#169; 2011-2013 Tropic Software
  29       East Inc</p></div>
  30 <div><div class="legalnotice">
  31 <a name="tti.legal"></a><p>
  32         Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
  33         file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at <a href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt" target="_top">http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt</a>)
  34       </p>
  35 </div></div>
  36 </div></div>
  37 <div class="toc">
  38 <p><b>Table of Contents</b></p>
  39 <dl class="toc">
  40 <dt><span class="section"><a href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro">Introduction</a></span></dt>
  41 <dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers">Header
  42       Files</a></span></dt></dl></dd>
  43 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_reason.html">Why the
  44     TTI Library ?</a></span></dt>
  45 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_terminology.html">Terminology</a></span></dt>
  46 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_functionality.html">General
  47     Functionality</a></span></dt>
  48 <dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_functionality.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_functionality.tti_functionality_nm_gen">Macro
  49       metafunction name generation considerations</a></span></dt></dl></dd>
  50 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail.html">Macro
  51     Metafunctions</a></span></dt>
  52 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_type.html">Introspecting
  53     an inner type</a></span></dt>
  54 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_template.html">Introspecting
  55     an inner class template</a></span></dt>
  56 <dd><dl>
  57 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_template.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_detail_has_template.tti_detail_has_template_macro">Using
  58       the BOOST_TTI_HAS_TEMPLATE macro</a></span></dt>
  59 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_template/tti_detail_has_template_metafunction.html">Using
  60       the has_template_(xxx) metafunction</a></span></dt>
  61 </dl></dd>
  62 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_member_data.html">Introspecting
  63     member data</a></span></dt>
  64 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_member_function.html">Introspecting
  65     member function</a></span></dt>
  66 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_static_member_data.html">Introspecting
  67     static member data</a></span></dt>
  68 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_static_member_function.html">Introspecting
  69     static member function</a></span></dt>
  70 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_data.html">Introspecting
  71     inner data</a></span></dt>
  72 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_detail_has_function.html">Introspecting
  73     an inner function</a></span></dt>
  74 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_nested_type.html">Nested
  75     Types</a></span></dt>
  76 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_func_sig.html">Nested
  77     Types and Function Signatures</a></span></dt>
  78 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_enclosing_type.html">Enclosing
  79     Type</a></span></dt>
  80 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_usingMM.html">An example
  81     using the Macro Metafunctions</a></span></dt>
  82 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_func_templates.html">Introspecting
  83     Function Templates</a></span></dt>
  84 <dt><span class="section"><a href="reference.html">Reference</a></span></dt>
  85 <dd><dl>
  86 <dt><span class="section"><a href="reference.html#header.boost.tti.gen.has_data_gen_hpp">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_data_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
  87 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
  88 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_function_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_function_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
  89 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
  90 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_member_data_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_member_data_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
  91 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
  92 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_member_function_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_member_function_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
  93 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
  94 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_data_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_data_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
  95 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
  96 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_function_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_static_member_function_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
  97 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
  98 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_template_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_template_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
  99 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 100 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/has_type_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/has_type_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 101 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 102 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/member_type_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/member_type_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 103 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 104 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/gen/namespace_gen_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/gen/namespace_gen.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 105 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 106 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_data_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_data.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 107 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 108 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_function_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_function.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 109 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 110 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_member_data_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_member_data.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 111 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 112 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_member_function_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_member_function.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 113 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 114 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_data_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_static_member_data.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 115 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 116 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_function_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_static_member_function.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 117 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 118 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_template_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_template.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 119 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 120 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/has_type_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/has_type.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 121 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 122 <dt><span class="section"><a href="header/boost/tti/member_type_hpp.html">Header &lt;boost/tti/member_type.hpp&gt;</a></span></dt>
 123 <dd><dl></dl></dd>
 124 </dl></dd>
 125 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_tests.html">Testing
 126     TTI</a></span></dt>
 127 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_history.html">History</a></span></dt>
 128 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_todo.html">ToDo</a></span></dt>
 129 <dt><span class="section"><a href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_acknowledgments.html">Acknowledgments</a></span></dt>
 130 <dt><span class="section"><a href="index/s24.html">Index</a></span></dt>
 131 </dl>
 132 </div>
 133 <div class="section">
 134 <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">
 135 <a name="the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro"></a><a class="link" href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro" title="Introduction">Introduction</a>
 136 </h2></div></div></div>
 137 <div class="toc"><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="section"><a href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers">Header
 138       Files</a></span></dt></dl></div>
 139 <p>
 140       Welcome to the Boost Type Traits Introspection library, abbreviated TTI.
 141     </p>
 142 <p>
 143       TTI is a library which provides the ability to introspect by name the elements
 144       of a type at compile time.
 145     </p>
 146 <p>
 147       TTI works through macros generating metafunctions. Metafunctions are class
 148       templates of a particular syntax, having a nested 'type' member. So wherever
 149       in C++ class templates can occur, TTI macros can be used. The metafunctions
 150       generated by TTI are no different from any other metafunction as defined by
 151       the Boost MPL library.
 152     </p>
 153 <p>
 154       The metafunctions generated by TTI are used to introspect elements of a type
 155       at compile time, always passing at minimum to each metafunction the enclosing
 156       type being introspected.
 157     </p>
 158 <p>
 159       The name of the library has been chosen because the library offers compile
 160       time functionality on a type, similar to the Boost Type Traits library, and
 161       because the functionality the library offers is the ability to introspect a
 162       type about the existence of a specific element within that type.
 163     </p>
 164 <p>
 165       I use the word "introspect" in a very broad sense here. Normally
 166       computer language introspection means initially asking for information to be
 167       returned by name, which can then further be used to introspect for more specific
 168       information. In the TTI library one must always know and supply the name, and
 169       use the functionality provided for the correct type of inner element to find
 170       out if that particular named entity exists.
 171     </p>
 172 <p>
 173       You may prefer the term "query" instead of "introspection"
 174       to denote what this library does, but I use terminology based on the word "introspect"
 175       throughout this documentation.
 176     </p>
 177 <p>
 178       The functionality of the library may be summed up as:
 179     </p>
 180 <div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; ">
 181 <li class="listitem">
 182           Provide the means to introspect a type at compile time using a set of macros.
 183           Each macro takes the name of the type's element and generates a metafunction
 184           which can be subsequently invoked to determine whether or not the element
 185           exists within the type. These generated metafunctions will be called "macro
 186           metafunctions" in the documentation.
 187         </li>
 188 <li class="listitem">
 189           Provide the means to create a typedef for a type which may not exist. This
 190           typedef type can be used as a type in the metafunctions of the library
 191           without producing compile-time errors.
 192         </li>
 193 </ul></div>
 194 <p>
 195       The library is dependent on Boost PP, Boost MPL, Boost Type Traits, and Boost
 196       Function Types.
 197     </p>
 198 <p>
 199       The library is also dependent on the variadic macro support of the Boost PP
 200       library if the variadic macros in the library are used.
 201     </p>
 202 <p>
 203       The library is a header only library.
 204     </p>
 205 <p>
 206       Since the dependencies of the library are all header only libraries, there
 207       is no need to build a library in order to use the TTI library.
 208     </p>
 209 <div class="section">
 210 <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
 211 <a name="the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers"></a><a class="link" href="index.html#the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers" title="Header Files">Header
 212       Files</a>
 213 </h3></div></div></div>
 214 <p>
 215         There are is a single header file, <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">boost</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">tti</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">tti</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">hpp</span></code>,
 216         which includes all the header files in the library.
 217       </p>
 218 <p>
 219         There are also separate specific header files for each of the elements to
 220         be introspected by the library. This allows for finer-grained inclusion of
 221         the nested elements to be introspected. These header files are:
 222       </p>
 223 <div class="table">
 224 <a name="the_type_traits_introspection_library.tti_intro.tti_headers.tbhfiles"></a><p class="title"><b>Table&#160;1.1.&#160;TTI Header Files</b></p>
 225 <div class="table-contents"><table class="table" summary="TTI Header Files">
 226 <colgroup>
 227 <col>
 228 <col>
 229 </colgroup>
 230 <thead><tr>
 231 <th>
 232                 <p>
 233                   Introspected Element
 234                 </p>
 235               </th>
 236 <th>
 237                 <p>
 238                   Specific Header File
 239                 </p>
 240               </th>
 241 </tr></thead>
 242 <tbody>
 243 <tr>
 244 <td>
 245                 <p>
 246                   Type
 247                 </p>
 248               </td>
 249 <td>
 250                 <p>
 251                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_type_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_type.hpp&gt;">has_type.hpp</a></code>
 252                 </p>
 253               </td>
 254 </tr>
 255 <tr>
 256 <td>
 257                 <p>
 258                   Class Template
 259                 </p>
 260               </td>
 261 <td>
 262                 <p>
 263                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_template_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_template.hpp&gt;">has_template.hpp</a></code>
 264                 </p>
 265               </td>
 266 </tr>
 267 <tr>
 268 <td>
 269                 <p>
 270                   Member data
 271                 </p>
 272               </td>
 273 <td>
 274                 <p>
 275                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_member_data_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_member_data.hpp&gt;">has_member_data.hpp</a></code>
 276                 </p>
 277               </td>
 278 </tr>
 279 <tr>
 280 <td>
 281                 <p>
 282                   Member function
 283                 </p>
 284               </td>
 285 <td>
 286                 <p>
 287                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_member_function_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_member_function.hpp&gt;">has_member_function.hpp</a></code>
 288                 </p>
 289               </td>
 290 </tr>
 291 <tr>
 292 <td>
 293                 <p>
 294                   Static member data
 295                 </p>
 296               </td>
 297 <td>
 298                 <p>
 299                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_data_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_static_member_data.hpp&gt;">has_static_member_data.hpp</a></code>
 300                 </p>
 301               </td>
 302 </tr>
 303 <tr>
 304 <td>
 305                 <p>
 306                   Static member function
 307                 </p>
 308               </td>
 309 <td>
 310                 <p>
 311                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_static_member_function_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_static_member_function.hpp&gt;">has_static_member_function.hpp</a></code>
 312                 </p>
 313               </td>
 314 </tr>
 315 <tr>
 316 <td>
 317                 <p>
 318                   Data
 319                 </p>
 320               </td>
 321 <td>
 322                 <p>
 323                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_data_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_data.hpp&gt;">has_data.hpp</a></code>
 324                 </p>
 325               </td>
 326 </tr>
 327 <tr>
 328 <td>
 329                 <p>
 330                   Function
 331                 </p>
 332               </td>
 333 <td>
 334                 <p>
 335                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/has_function_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/has_function.hpp&gt;">has_function.hpp</a></code>
 336                 </p>
 337               </td>
 338 </tr>
 339 <tr>
 340 <td>
 341                 <p>
 342                   Member Type Creation
 343                 </p>
 344               </td>
 345 <td>
 346                 <p>
 347                   <code class="computeroutput"><a class="link" href="header/boost/tti/member_type_hpp.html" title="Header &lt;boost/tti/member_type.hpp&gt;">member_type.hpp</a></code>
 348                 </p>
 349               </td>
 350 </tr>
 351 </tbody>
 352 </table></div>
 353 </div>
 354 <br class="table-break">
 355 </div>
 356 </div>
 357 </div>
 358 <table xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" width="100%"><tr>
 359 <td align="left"><p><small>Last revised: December 10, 2019 at 00:21:49 GMT</small></p></td>
 360 <td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer"></div></td>
 361 </tr></table>
 362 <hr>
 363 <div class="spirit-nav"><a accesskey="n" href="the_type_traits_introspection_library/tti_reason.html"><img src="../../../../doc/src/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a></div>
 364 </body>
 365 </html>