decltype specifier (since C++11)

 

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Declarations

Overview Declaration syntax decl-specifier-seq Declarator Conflicting declarations Specifiers typedef inline virtual function specifier explicit function specifier friend constexpr (C++11) consteval (C++20) constinit (C++20) Storage class specifiers Translation-unit-local (C++20) class/struct union enum decltype (C++11) auto (C++11) alignas (C++11) constvolatile Pack indexing specifier (C++26)     Elaborated type specifier Attributes (C++11)

Declarators Reference Pointer Array Block declarations Simple-declaration →Structured binding declaration (C++17) Alias declaration (C++11) Namespace alias definition using declaration using directive static_assert declaration (C++11) asm declaration Opaque enum declaration (C++11) Other declarations Namespace definition Function declaration Class template declaration Function template declaration Explicit template instantiation (C++11) Explicit template specialization Linkage specification Attribute declaration (C++11) Empty declaration

 

Inspects the declared type of an entity or the type and value category of an expression.

Syntax

decltype ( entity )	(1)
decltype ( expression )	(2)

Explanation

1) If the argument is an unparenthesized id-expression or an unparenthesized class member access expression, then decltype yields the type of the entity named by this expression. If there is no such entity, or if the argument names a set of overloaded functions, the program is ill-formed.

If the argument is an unparenthesized id-expression naming a structured binding, then decltype yields the referenced type (described in the specification of the structured binding declaration).	(since C++17)
If the argument is an unparenthesized id-expression naming a non-type template parameter, then decltype yields the type of the template parameter (after performing any necessary type deduction if the template parameter is declared with a placeholder type). The type is non-const even if the entity is a template parameter object (which is a const object).	(since C++20)

2) If the argument is any other expression of type T, and

a) if the value category of expression is xvalue, then decltype yields T&&;

b) if the value category of expression is lvalue, then decltype yields T&;

c) if the value category of expression is prvalue, then decltype yields T.

If expression is a function call which returns a prvalue of class type or is a comma expression whose right operand is such a function call, a temporary object is not introduced for that prvalue.	(until C++17)
If expression is a prvalue other than a (possibly parenthesized) immediate invocation(since C++20), a temporary object is not materialized from that prvalue: such prvalue has no result object.	(since C++17)

Because no temporary object is created, the type need not be complete or have an available destructor, and can be abstract. This rule doesn't apply to sub-expressions: in decltype(f(g())), g() must have a complete type, but f() need not.

Note that if the name of an object is parenthesized, it is treated as an ordinary lvalue expression, thus decltype(x) and decltype((x)) are often different types.

decltype is useful when declaring types that are difficult or impossible to declare using standard notation, like lambda-related types or types that depend on template parameters.

Notes

Feature-test macro	Value	Std	Feature
__cpp_decltype	200707L	(C++11)	decltype

Keywords

decltype

Example

Run this code

#include <cassert>
#include <iostream>
#include <type_traits>
 
struct A { double x; };
const A* a;
 
decltype(a->x) y;       // type of y is double (declared type)
decltype((a->x)) z = y; // type of z is const double& (lvalue expression)
 
template<typename T, typename U>
auto add(T t, U u) -> decltype(t + u) // return type depends on template parameters
                                      // return type can be deduced since C++14
{
    return t + u;
}
 
const int& getRef(const int* p) { return *p; }
static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(getRef), const int&(const int*)>);
auto getRefFwdBad(const int* p) { return getRef(p); }
static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(getRefFwdBad), int(const int*)>,
    "Just returning auto isn't perfect forwarding.");
decltype(auto) getRefFwdGood(const int* p) { return getRef(p); }
static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(getRefFwdGood), const int&(const int*)>,
    "Returning decltype(auto) perfectly forwards the return type.");
 
// Alternatively:
auto getRefFwdGood1(const int* p) -> decltype(getRef(p)) { return getRef(p); }
static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(getRefFwdGood1), const int&(const int*)>,
    "Returning decltype(return expression) also perfectly forwards the return type.");
 
int main()
{
    int i = 33;
    decltype(i) j = i * 2;
    static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(i), decltype(j)>);
    assert(i == 33 && 66 == j);
 
    auto f = [i](int av, int bv) -> int { return av * bv + i; };
    auto h = [i](int av, int bv) -> int { return av * bv + i; };
    static_assert(!std::is_same_v<decltype(f), decltype(h)>,
        "The type of a lambda function is unique and unnamed");
 
    decltype(f) g = f;
    std::cout << f(3, 3) << ' ' << g(3, 3) << '\n';
}

Output:

42 42

References

Extended content

C++23 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2024): 9.2.9.5 Decltype specifiers [dcl.type.decltype] C++20 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2020): 9.2.8.4 Decltype specifiers [dcl.type.decltype] C++17 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2017): TBD Decltype specifiers [dcl.type.decltype] C++14 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2014): TBD Decltype specifiers [dcl.type.decltype] C++11 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2011): TBD Decltype specifiers [dcl.type.decltype]

See also

auto specifier (C++11)	specifies a type deduced from an expression
declval (C++11)	obtains a reference to an object of the template type argument for use in an unevaluated context (function template)
is_same (C++11)	checks if two types are the same (class template)
C documentation for typeof