std::mem_fn

 

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Template:ddcl list begin <tr class="t-dsc-header">

<td>

Defined in header <functional>

</td>

<td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr class="t-dcl ">

<td >

template< class R, class T >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R T::* pm);

</td>

<td > (1) </td> <td > (since C++11) </td> </tr> <tr class="t-dcl ">

<td >

template< class R, class T, class... Args >

/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...));
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) const);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) volatile);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) const volatile);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) &);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) const &);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) volatile &);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) const volatile &);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) &&);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) const &&);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >
/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) volatile &&);
template< class R, class T, class... Args >

/*unspecified*/ mem_fn(R (T::* pm)(Args...) const volatile &&);

</td>

<td > (2) </td> <td > (c++11, but defect) </td> </tr> Template:ddcl list end

Function template std::mem_fn generates wrapper objects for pointers to members, which can store, copy, and invoke a pointer to member function. Both references and pointers (including smart pointers) to an object can be used when invoking a std::mem_fn.

The overloads (2) are reported as defect. The resolution, which has recently been voted "Tentatively Ready" proposes to remove all the overloads (2). This will break some code, see Example 3.

Parameters

pm

-

pointer to member that will be wrapped

Return value

std::mem_fn returns an call wrapper of unspecified type that has the following members:

std::mem_fn Return type

Member types

type	definition
result_type	the return type of pm if pm is a pointer to member function, not defined for pointer to member object
argument_type	T*, possibly cv-qualified, if pm is a pointer to member function taking no arguments
first_argument_type	T* if pm is a pointer to member function taking one argument
second_argument_type	T1 if pm is a pointer to member function taking one argument of type T1

Member function

operator()

invokes the target on a specified object, with optional parameters (public member function)

Exceptions

None.

Example 1

Use mem_fn to store and execute a member function and a member object:

Run this code

#include <functional>
#include <iostream>
 
struct Foo {
  void display_greeting() {
    std::cout << "Hello, world.\n";
  }
  void display_number(int i) {
    std::cout << "number: " << i << '\n';
  }
  int data = 7;
};
 
int main() {
  Foo f;
 
  auto greet = std::mem_fn(&Foo::display_greeting);
  greet(f);
 
  auto print_num = std::mem_fn(&Foo::display_number);
  print_num(f, 42);
 
  auto access_data = std::mem_fn(&Foo::data);
  std::cout << "data: " << access_data(f) << '\n';
}

Output:

Hello, world.
number: 42
data: 7

Example 2

Pass a member function to std::transform to create a sequence of numbers:

Run this code

#include <iostream>
#include <functional>
#include <iterator>
#include <memory>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>
 
int main()
{
    std::vector<std::string> words = {"This", "is", "a", "test"};
    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<std::string>> words2;
    words2.emplace_back(new std::string("another"));
    words2.emplace_back(new std::string("test"));
 
    std::vector<std::size_t> lengths;
    std::transform(words.begin(),
                   words.end(),
                   std::back_inserter(lengths),
                   std::mem_fn(&std::string::size)); // uses references to strings
    std::transform(words2.begin(),
                   words2.end(),
                   std::back_inserter(lengths),
                   std::mem_fn(&std::string::size)); // uses unique_ptr to strings
 
    std::cout << "The string lengths are ";
    for(auto n : lengths) std::cout << n << ' ';
    std::cout << '\n';
}

Output:

The string lengths are 4 2 1 4 7 4

Example 3

Run this code

#include <functional>
 
struct X {
  int x;
 
        int& easy()      {return x;}
        int& get()       {return x;}
  const int& get() const {return x;}
};
 
 
int main(void)
{
    auto a = std::mem_fn        (&X::easy); // no problem at all
//  auto b = std::mem_fn<int&  >(&X::get ); // no longer works with new specification
    auto c = std::mem_fn<int&()>(&X::get ); // works with both old and new specification
    auto d = [] (X& x) {return x.get();};   // another approach to overload resolution
}

See also

function (C++11)	copyable wrapper of any copy constructible callable object (class template)
bind (C++11)	binds one or more arguments to a function object (function template)