When can I use explicit operator bool without a cast?

C++Implicit Conversion

C++ Problem Overview


My class has an explicit conversion to bool:

struct T {
    explicit operator bool() const { return true; }
};

and I have an instance of it:

T t;

To assign it to a variable of type bool, I need to write a cast:

bool b = static_cast<bool>(t);
bool b = bool(t);
bool b(t);  // converting initialiser
bool b{static_cast<bool>(t)};

I know that I can use my type directly in a conditional without a cast, despite the explicit qualifier:

if (t)
    /* statement */;

Where else can I use t as a bool without a cast?

C++ Solutions


Solution 1 - C++

The standard mentions places where a value may be "contextually converted to bool". They fall into four main groups:

Statements

  •   if (t) /* statement */;
    
  •   for (;t;) /* statement */;
    
  •   while (t) /* statement */;
    
  •   do { /* block */ } while (t);
    

Expressions

  •   !t
    
  •   t && t2
    
  •   t || t2
    
  •   t ? "true" : "false"
    

Compile-time tests

  •   static_assert(t);
    
  •   noexcept(t)
    
  •   explicit(t)
    
  •   if constexpr (t)
    

The conversion operator needs to be constexpr for these.

Algorithms and concepts

  •   NullablePointer T
    

Anywhere the Standard requires a type satisfying this concept (e.g. the pointer type of a std::unique_ptr), it may be contextually converted. Also, the return value of a NullablePointer's equality and inequality operators must be contextually convertible to bool.

  •   std::remove_if(first, last, [&](auto){ return t; });
    

In any algorithm with a template parameter called Predicate or BinaryPredicate, the predicate argument can return a T. * std::sort(first, last, &{ return t; }); In any algorithm with a template parameter called Compare, the comparator argument can return a T.

(source1, source2)


Do be aware that a mix of const and non-const conversion operators can cause confusion:

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Content TypeOriginal AuthorOriginal Content on Stackoverflow
QuestionToby SpeightView Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - C++Toby SpeightView Answer on Stackoverflow