Boost.MultiIndex Documentation - Advanced topics

# Boost.MultiIndex Advanced topics

Tutorial
Index
Reference

## Contents

- Composite keys
- Advanced features of Boost.MultiIndex key extractors
  - Use of `member_offset`
  - Use of `const_mem_fun_explicit` and `mem_fun_explicit`
  - `composite_key` in compilers without partial template specialization
- Use of `ctor_args_list`
- Debugging support
  - Safe mode
  - Invariant-checking mode
- Simulating standard containers with `multi_index_container`
  - Simulation of associative containers
  - Simulation of `std::list`
- Metaprogramming and `multi_index_container`
  - MPL analysis
  - MPL synthesis

## Composite keys

In relational databases, composite keys depend on two or more fields of a given table. The analogous concept in Boost.MultiIndex is modeled by means of `composite_key`, as shown in the example:

>     struct phonebook_entry
>     {
>       std::string family_name;
>       std::string given_name;
>       std::string phone_number;

>       phonebook_entry(
>         std::string family_name,
>         std::string given_name,
>         std::string phone_number):
>         family_name(family_name),given_name(given_name),phone_number(phone_number)
>       {}
>     };

>     // define a multi_index_container with a composite key on
>     // (family_name,given_name)
>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       phonebook_entry,
>       indexed_by<
>         //non-unique as some subscribers might have more than one number
>         ordered_non_unique<
>           composite_key<
>             phonebook_entry,
>             member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::family_name>,
>             member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::given_name>
>           >
>         >,
>         ordered_unique< // unique as numbers belong to only one subscriber
>           member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::phone_number>
>         >
>       >
>     > phonebook;

`composite_key` accepts two or more key extractors on the same value (here, `phonebook_entry`). Lookup operations on a composite key are accomplished by passing tuples with the values searched:

>     phonebook pb;
>     ...
>     // search for Dorothea White's number
>     phonebook::iterator it=pb.find(
>       boost::make_tuple(std::string("White"),std::string("Dorothea")));
>     std::string number=it->phone_number;

Composite keys are sorted by lexicographical order, i.e. sorting is performed by the first key, then the second key if the first one is equal, etc. This order allows for partial searches where only the first keys are specified:

>     phonebook pb;
>     ...
>     // look for all Whites
>     std::pair<phonebook::iterator,phonebook::iterator> p=
>       pb.equal_range(boost::make_tuple(std::string("White")));

On the other hand, partial searches without specifying the first keys are not allowed.

By default, the corresponding `std::less` predicate is used for each subkey of a composite key. Alternate comparison predicates can be specified with `composite_key_compare`:

>     // phonebook with given names in reverse order

>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       phonebook_entry,
>       indexed_by<
>         ordered_non_unique<
>           composite_key<
>             phonebook_entry,
>             member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::family_name>,
>             member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::given_name>
>           >,
>           composite_key_compare<
>             std::less<std::string>,   // family names sorted as by default
>             std::greater<std::string> // given names reversed
>           >
>         >,
>         ordered_unique<
>           member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::phone_number>
>         >
>       >
>     > phonebook;

See Example 7 in the examples section for an application of `composite_key`.

## Advanced features of Boost.MultiIndex key extractors

The `Key Extractor` concept allows the same object to extract keys from several different types, possibly through suitably defined overloads of `operator()`:

>     // example of a name extractor from employee and employee *
>     struct name_extractor
>     {
>       const std::string& operator()(const employee& e)const{return e.name;}
>       std::string&       operator()(employee& e)const{return e.name;}
>       std::string&       operator()(employee* e)const{return e->name;}
>     };

This possibility is fully exploited by predefined key extractors provided by Boost.MultiIndex, making it simpler to define `multi_index_container`s where elements are pointers or references to the actual objects. The following specifies a `multi_index_container` of pointers to employees sorted by their names.

>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       employee *,
>       indexed_by<
>         ordered_non_unique<member<employee,std::string,&employee::name> > >
>     > employee_set;

Note that this is specified in exactly the same manner as a `multi_index_container` of actual `employee` objects: `member` takes care of the extra dereferencing needed to gain access to `employee::name`. A similar functionality is provided for interoperability with reference wrappers from Boost.Ref:

>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       boost::reference_wrapper<const employee>,
>       indexed_by<
>         ordered_non_unique<member<employee,std::string,&employee::name> > >
>     > employee_set;

In fact, support for pointers is further extended to accept what we call chained pointers. Such a chained pointer is defined by induction as a raw or smart pointer or iterator to the actual element, to a reference wrapper of the element or to another chained pointer; that is, chained pointers are arbitrary compositions of pointer-like types ultimately dereferencing to the element from where the key is to be extracted. Examples of chained pointers to `employee` are:

- `employee *`,
- `const employee *`,
- `std::auto_ptr<employee>`,
- `std::list<boost::reference_wrapper<employee> >::iterator`,
- `employee **`,
- `boost::shared_ptr<const employee *>`.

In general, chained pointers with dereferencing distance greater than 1 are not likely to be used in a normal program, but they can arise in frameworks which construct "views" as `multi_index_container`s from preexisting `multi_index_container`s.

In order to present a short summary of the different usages of Boost.MultiIndex key extractors in the presence of reference wrappers and pointers, consider the following final type:

>     struct T
>     {
>       int       i;
>       const int j;
>       int       f()const;
>       int       g();
>     };

The table below lists the appropriate key extractors to be used for different pointer and reference wrapper types based on `T`, for each of its members.

Use cases for Boost.MultiIndex key extractors.
element type | sorted by | key extractor | applicable to `const` elements? | read/write?
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
`T` | `i` | `member<T,int,&T::i>` | yes | yes
`j` | `member<T,const int,&T::j>` | yes | no
`f()` | `const_mem_fun<T,int,&T::f>` | yes | no
`g()` | `mem_fun<T,int,&T::g>` | no | no
`reference_wrapper<T>` | `i` | `member<T,int,&T::i>` | yes | yes
`j` | `member<T,const int,&T::j>` | yes | no
`f()` | `const_mem_fun<T,int,&T::f>` | yes | no
`g()` | `mem_fun<T,int,&T::g>` | yes | no
`reference_wrapper<const T>` | `i` | `member<T,const int,&T::i>` | yes | no
`j` | `member<T,const int,&T::j>` | yes | no
`f()` | `const_mem_fun<T,int,&T::f>` | yes | no
`g()` |
chained pointer to `T` or to `reference_wrapper<T>` | `i` | `member<T,int,&T::i>` | yes | yes
`j` | `member<T,const int,&T::j>` | yes | no
`f()` | `const_mem_fun<T,int,&T::f>` | yes | no
`g()` | `mem_fun<T,int,&T::g>` | yes | no
chained pointer to `const T` or to `reference_wrapper<const T>` | `i` | `member<T,const int,&T::i>` | yes | no
`j` | `member<T,const int,&T::j>` | yes | no
`f()` | `const_mem_fun<T,int,&T::f>` | yes | no
`g()` |

The column "applicable to `const` elements?" states whether the corresponding key extractor can be used when passed constant elements (this relates to the elements specified in the first column, not the referenced `T` objects). The only negative case is for `T::g` when the elements are raw `T` objects, which make sense as we are dealing with a non-constant member function: this also implies that `multi_index_container`s of elements of `T` cannot be sorted by `T::g`, because elements contained within a `multi_index_container` are treated as constant.

A key extractor is called read/write if it returns a non-constant reference to the key when passed a non-constant element, and it is called read-only otherwise. In order to use `multi_index_container::modify_key`, the associated key extractor must be read/write. The column "read/write?" shows that most combinations yield read-only extractors.

Some care has to be taken to preserve `const`-correctness in the specification of the key extractors: in some sense, the `const` qualifier is carried along to the member part, even if that particular member is not defined as `const`. For instance, if the elements are of type `const T *`, sorting by `T::i` is not specified as `member<const T,int,&T::i>`, but rather as `member<T,const int,&T::i>`.

For practical demonstrations of use of these key extractors, refer to example 2 and example 6 in the examples section.

### Use of `member_offset`

The `member` key extractor poses some problems in compilers that do not properly support pointers to members as non-type template arguments, as indicated by the Boost Configuration Library defect macro `BOOST_NO_POINTER_TO_MEMBER_TEMPLATE_PARAMETERS`. The following compilers have been confirmed not to work correctly with `member`:

- MSVC++ 6.0/7.0,
- Intel C++ 7.0/7.1 for Windows,
- VisualAge 6.0 for AIX.

This program can help determine if your compiler properly supports pointers to members as non-type template parameters:

>     #include <iostream>

>     struct pair
>     {
>       int x,y;

>       pair(int x_,int y_):x(x_),y(y_){}
>     };

>     template<int pair::* PtrToPairMember>
>     struct foo
>     {
>       int bar(pair& p){return p.*PtrToPairMember;}
>     };

>     int main()
>     {
>       pair p(0,1);
>       foo<&pair::x> fx;
>       foo<&pair::y> fy;

>       if(fx.bar(p)!=0||fy.bar(p)!=1)std::cout<<"KO"<<std::endl;
>       else std::cout<<"OK"<<std::endl;

>       return 0;
>     }

If you find a compiler that does not pass the test, and for which `BOOST_NO_POINTER_TO_MEMBER_TEMPLATE_PARAMETERS` is not defined, please report to the Boost developers mailing list.

To overcome this defect, a replacement utility `member_offset` has been provided that does the work of `member` at the expense of less convenient notation and the possibility of non-conformance with the standard. Please consult the reference for further information on `member_offset`. As an example of use, given the class

>     class A
>     {
>       int x;
>     }

the instantiation `member<A,int,&A::x>` can be simulated then as `member_offset<A,int,offsetof(A,x)>`.

For those writing portable code, Boost.MultiIndex provides the ternary macro `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_MEMBER`. Continuing with the example above, the expression

>     BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_MEMBER(A,int,x)

expands by default to

>     member<A,int,&A::x>

or alternatively to

>     member_offset<A,int,offsetof(A,x)>

if `BOOST_NO_POINTER_TO_MEMBER_TEMPLATE_PARAMETERS` is defined.

### Use of `const_mem_fun_explicit` and `mem_fun_explicit`

MSVC++ 6.0 has problems with `const` member functions as non-type template parameters, and thus does not accept the `const_mem_fun` key extractor. A simple workaround, fortunately, has been found, consisting in specifying the type of these pointers as an additional template parameter. The alternative `const_mem_fun_explicit` extractor adopts this solution; for instance, given the type

>     struct A
>     {
>       int f()const;
>     };

the extractor `const_mem_fun<A,int,&A::f>` can be replaced by `const_mem_fun_explicit<A,int,int (A::*)()const,&A::f>`. A similar `mem_fun_explicit` class template is provided for non-constant member functions.

If you are writing cross-platform code, the selection of either key extractor is transparently handled by the macro `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_CONST_MEM_FUN`, so that

>     BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_CONST_MEM_FUN(A,int,f)

expands by default to

>     const_mem_fun<A,int,&A::f>

but resolves to

>     const_mem_fun_explicit<A,int,int (A::*)()const,&A::f>

in MSVC++ 6.0. An analogous macro `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_MEM_FUN` is provided as well.

### `composite_key` in compilers without partial template specialization

Much of the power of `composite_key` derives from the ability to perform searches when only the first elements of the compound key are given. In order to enable this functionality, `std::less` and `std::greater` are specialized for `composite_key_result` instantiations to provide overloads accepting tuples of values.

In those compilers that do not support partial template specialization, tuple-based comparisons are not available by default. In this case, `multi_index_container` instantiations using composite keys will work as expected (elements are sorted lexicographically on the results of the combined keys), except that lookup operations will not accept tuples as an argument. The most obvious workaround to this deficiency involves explicitly specifying the comparison predicate with `composite_key_compare`: this is tedious as the comparison predicates for all the element key extractors must be explicitly typed. For this reason, Boost.MultiIndex provides the replacement class template `composite_key_result_less`, that acts as the missing specialization of `std::less` for `composite_key_result`s:

>     typedef composite_key<
>       phonebook_entry,
>       member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::family_name>,
>       member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::given_name>
>     > ckey_t;

>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       phonebook_entry,
>       indexed_by<
>         ordered_non_unique<
>           ckey_t,
>           // composite_key_result_less plays the role of
>           // std::less<ckey_t::result_type>
>           composite_key_result_less<ckey_t::result_type>
>         >,
>         ordered_unique<
>           member<phonebook_entry,std::string,&phonebook_entry::phone_number>
>         >
>       >
>     > phonebook;

There is also an analogous `composite_key_result_greater` class to substitute for specializations of `std::greater`.

## Use of `ctor_args_list`

Although in most cases `multi_index_container`s will be default constructed (or copied from a preexisting `multi_index_container`), sometimes it is necessary to specify particular values for the internal objects used (key extractors, comparison predicates, allocator), for instance if some of these objects do not have a default constructor. The same situation can arise with standard STL containers, which allow for the optional specification of such objects:

>     // example of non-default constructed std::set
>     template<typename IntegralType>
>     struct modulo_less
>     {
>       modulo_less(IntegralType m):modulo(m){}

>       bool operator()(IntegralType x,IntegralType y)const
>       {
>         return (x%modulo)<(y%modulo);
>       }

>     private:
>       IntegralType modulo;
>     };

>     typedef std::set<unsigned int,modulo_less<unsigned int> > modulo_set;

>     modulo_set m(modulo_less<unsigned int>(10));

`multi_index_container` does also provide this functionality, though in a considerably more complex fashion, due to the fact that the constructor of a `multi_index_container` has to accept values for all the internal objects of its indices. The full form of `multi_index_container` constructor is

>     explicit multi_index_container(
>         const ctor_args_list& args_list=ctor_args_list(),
>         const allocator_type& al=allocator_type());

The specification of the allocator object poses no particular problems; as for the `ctor_args_list`, this object is designed so as to hold the necessary construction values for every index in the `multi_index_container`. From the point of view of the user, `ctor_args_list` is equivalent to the type

>     boost::tuple<C0,...,CI-1>

where `I` is the number of indices, and `Ci` is

>     nth_index<i>::type::ctor_args

that is, the nested type `ctor_args` of the `i`-th index. Each `ctor_args` type is in turn a tuple holding values for constructor arguments of the associated index: so, ordered indices demand a key extractor object and a comparison predicate, while sequenced indices do not need any construction argument. For instance, given the definition

>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       unsigned int,
>       indexed_by<
>         ordered_unique<identity<unsigned int> >,
>         ordered_non_unique<identity<unsigned int>, modulo_less<unsigned int> >,
>         sequenced<>
>       >
>     > modulo_indexed_set;

the corresponding `ctor_args_list` type is equivalent to

>     boost::tuple<
>       // ctr_args of index #0
>       boost::tuple<identity<unsigned int>,std::less<unsigned int> >,

>       // ctr_args of index #1
>       boost::tuple<identity<unsigned int>,modulo_less<unsigned int> >,

>       // sequenced indices do not have any construction argument
>       boost::tuple<>
>     >

Such a `modulo_indexed_set` cannot be default constructed, because `modulo_less` does not provide a default constructor. The following shows how the construction can be done:

>     modulo_indexed_set::ctor_args_list args_list=
>       boost::make_tuple(
>         // ctor_args for index #0 is default constructible
>         modulo_indexed_set::nth_index<0>::type::ctor_args(),

>         boost::make_tuple(identity<unsigned int>(),modulo_less<unsigned int>(10)),

>         // this is also default constructible  (actually, an empty tuple)
>         modulo_indexed_set::nth_index<2>::type::ctor_args(),
>       );

>     modulo_indexed_set m(args_list);

A program is provided in the examples section that puts in practise these concepts.

## Debugging support

The concept of Design by Contract, originally developed as part of Bertrand Meyer's Eiffel language, revolves around the formulation of a contract between the user of a library and the implementor, by which the first is required to respect some preconditions on the values passed when invoking methods of the library, and the implementor guarantees in return that certain constraints on the results are met (postconditions), as well as the honoring of specified internal consistency rules, called invariants. Eiffel natively supports the three parts of the contract just described by means of constructs `require`, `ensure` and `invariant`, respectively.

C++ does not enjoy direct support for Design by Contract techniques: these are customarily implemented as assertion code, often turned off in release mode for performance reasons. Following this approach, Boost.MultiIndex provides two distinct debugging modes:

- Safe mode checks preconditions on the invocations to the facilities of the library,
- invariant-checking mode performs post-execution checks aimed at ensuring that the internal consistency of the library is preserved.

These two modes are independent of each other and can be set on or off individually. It is important to note that errors detected by safe mode are due in principle to faulty code in the user's program, while invariant-checking mode detects potential internal bugs in the implementation of Boost.MultiIndex.

### Safe mode

The idea of adding precondition checking facilities to STL as a debugging aid was first introduced by Cay S. Horstmann in his Safe STL library and later adopted by STLport Debug Mode. Similarly, Boost.MultiIndex features the so-called safe mode in which all sorts of preconditions are checked when dealing with iterators and functions of the library.

Boost.MultiIndex safe mode is set by globally defining the macro `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_ENABLE_SAFE_MODE`. Error conditions are checked via the macro `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_SAFE_MODE_ASSERT`, which by default resolves to a call to `BOOST_ASSERT`.

If the user decides to define her own version of `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_SAFE_MODE_ASSERT`, it has to take the form

>     BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_SAFE_MODE_ASSERT(expr,error_code)

where `expr` is the condition checked and `error_code` is one value of the `safe_mode::error_code` enumeration:

>     namespace boost{

>     namespace multi_index{

>     namespace safe_mode{

>     enum error_code
>     {
>       invalid_iterator,             // default initialized iterator
>       not_dereferenceable_iterator, // iterator is not dereferenceable
>       not_incrementable_iterator,   // iterator points to end of sequence
>       not_decrementable_iterator,   // iterator points to beginning of sequence
>       not_owner,                    // iterator does not belong to the container
>       not_same_owner,               // iterators belong to different containers
>       invalid_range,                // last not reachable from first
>       inside_range,                 // iterator lies within a range (and it mustn't)
>       same_container                // containers ought to be different
>     };

>     } // namespace multi_index::safe_mode

>     } // namespace multi_index

>     } // namespace boost

For instance, the following replacement of `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_SAFE_MODE_ASSERT` throws an exception instead of asserting:

>     #include <boost/multi_index_container/safe_mode_errors.hpp>

>     struct safe_mode_exception
>     {
>       safe_mode_exception(boost::multi_index::safe_mode::error_code error_code):
>         error_code(error_code)
>       {}

>       boost::multi_index::safe_mode::error_code error_code;
>     };

>     #define BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_SAFE_MODE_ASSERT(expr,error_code) \
>     if(!(expr)){throw safe_mode_exception(error_code);}

>     // This has to go before the inclusion of any header from Boost.MultiIndex,
>     // except possibly safe_error_codes.hpp.

Other possibilites, like outputting to a log or firing some kind of alert, are also implementable.

Warning: Safe mode adds a very important overhead to the program both in terms of space and time used, so in general it should not be set for `NDEBUG` builds. Also, this mode is intended solely as a debugging aid, and programs must not rely on it as part of their normal execution flow: in particular, no guarantee is made that all possible precondition errors are diagnosed, or that the checks remain stable across different versions of the library.

### Invariant-checking mode

The so called invariant-checking mode of Boost.MultiIndex can be set by globally defining the macro `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_ENABLE_INVARIANT_CHECKING`. When this mode is in effect, all public functions of Boost.MultiIndex will perform post-execution tests aimed at ensuring that the basic internal invariants of the data structures managed are preserved.

If an invariant test fails, Boost.MultiIndex will indicate the failure by means of the unary macro `BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_INVARIANT_ASSERT`. Unless the user provides a definition for this macro, it defaults to `BOOST_ASSERT`. Any assertion of this kind should be regarded in principle as a bug in the library. Please report such problems, along with as much contextual information as possible, to the maintainer of the library.

It is recommended that users of Boost.MultiIndex always set the invariant-checking mode in debug builds.

## Simulating standard containers with `multi_index_container`

### Simulation of associative containers

Academic movitations aside, there is a practical interest in simulating standard associative containers by means of `multi_index_container`, namely to take advantage of extended functionalities provided by `multi_index_container` for lookup, range querying and updating.

In order to simulate a `std::set` one can follow the substitution rule:

>     std::set<Key,Compare,Allocator> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Key,
>         indexed_by<ordered_unique<identity<Key>,Compare> >,
>         Allocator
>       >

In the default case where `Compare=std::less<Key>` and `Allocator=std::allocator<Key>`, the substitution rule is simplified as

>     std::set<Key> -> multi_index_container<Key>

The substitution of `multi_index_container` for `std::set` keeps the whole set of functionality provided by `std::set`, so in principle it is a drop-in replacement needing no further adjustments.

`std::multiset` can be simulated in a similar manner, according to the following rule:

>     std::multiset<Key,Compare,Allocator> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Key,
>         indexed_by<ordered_non_unique<identity<Key>,Compare> >,
>         Allocator
>       >

When default values are taken into consideration, the rule takes the form

>     std::multiset<Key> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Key,
>         indexed_by<ordered_non_unique<identity<Key> > >
>       >

The simulation of `std::multiset`s with `multi_index_container` results in a slight difference with respect to the interface offered: the member function `insert(const value_type&)` does not return an `iterator` as in `std::multiset`s, but rather a `std::pair<iterator,bool>` in the spirit of `std::set`s. In this particular case, however, the `bool` member of the returned pair is always `true`.

The case of `std::map`s and `std::multimap`s does not lend itself to such a direct simulation by means of `multi_index_container`. The main problem lies in the fact that elements of a `multi_index_container` are treated as constant, while the `std::map` and `std::multimap` handle objects of type `std::pair<const Key,T>`, thus allowing for free modification of the value part. To overcome this difficulty we need to create an ad hoc pair class:

>     template <typename T1,typename T2>
>     struct mutable_pair
>     {
>       typedef T1 first_type;
>       typedef T2 second_type;

>       mutable_pair():first(T1()),second(T2()){}
>       mutable_pair(const T1& f,const T2& s):first(f),second(s){}
>       mutable_pair(const std::pair<T1,T2>& p):first(p.first),second(p.second){}

>       T1         first;
>       mutable T2 second;
>     };

and so the substitution rules are:

>     std::map<Key,T,Compare,Allocator> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Element,
>         indexed_by<
>           ordered_unique<member<Element,Key,&Element::first>,Compare>
>         >,
>         typename Allocator::template rebind<Element>::other
>       >

>     std::multimap<Key,T,Compare,Allocator> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Element,
>         indexed_by<
>           ordered_non_unique<member<Element,Key,&Element::first>,Compare>
>         >,
>         typename Allocator::template rebind<Element>::other
>       >

>     (with Element=mutable_pair<Key,T>)

If default values are considered, the rules take the form:

>     std::map<Key,T> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Element,
>         indexed_by<ordered_unique<member<Element,Key,&Element::first> > >
>       >

>     std::multimap<Key,T> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Element,
>         indexed_by<ordered_non_unique<member<Element,Key,&Element::first> > >
>       >

>     (with Element=mutable_pair<Key,T>)

Unlike as with standard sets, the interface of these `multi_index_container`-simulated maps does not exactly conform to that of `std::map`s and `std::multimap`s. The most obvious difference is the lack of `operator []`, either in read or write mode; this, however, can be simulated with appropriate use of `find` and `insert`.

These simulations of standard associative containers with `multi_index_container` are comparable to the original constructs in terms of space and time efficiency. See the performance section for further details.

### Simulation of `std::list`

Unlike the case of associative containers, simulating `std::list` in Boost.MultiIndex does not add any significant functionality, so the following is presented merely for completeness sake.

Much as with standard maps, the main difficulty to overcome when simulating `std::list` derives from the constant nature of elements of a `multi_index_container`. Again, some sort of adaption class is needed, like for instance the following:

>     template <typename T>
>     struct mutable_value
>     {
>       mutable_value(const T& t):t(t){}
>       operator T&()const{return t;}

>     private:
>       mutable T t;
>     };

which allows us to use the substitution rule:

>     std::list<T,Allocator> ->
>       multi_index_container<
>         Element,
>         indexed_by<sequenced<> >,
>         typename Allocator::template rebind<Element>::other
>       >

>     (with Element=mutable_value<T>)

or, if the default value `Allocator=std::allocator<T>` is used:

>     std::list<T> ->
>       multi_index_container<mutable_value<T>,indexed_by<sequenced<> > >

## Metaprogramming and `multi_index_container`

Boost.MultiIndex provides a number of facilities intended to allow the analysis and synthesis of `multi_index_container` instantiations by MPL metaprograms.

### MPL analysis

Given a `multi_index_container` instantiation, the following nested types are provided for compile-time inspection of the various types occurring in the definition of the `multi_index_container`:

- `index_specifier_type_list`,
- `index_type_list`,
- `iterator_type_list`,
- `const_iterator_type_list`.

Each of these types is a `MPL Forward Sequence` with as many elements as indices comprise the `multi_index_container`: for instance, the `n`-nth element of `iterator_type_list` is the same as `nth_index_iterator<n>::type`.

A subtle but important distinction exists between `index_specifier_type_list` and `index_type_list`: the former typelist holds the index specifiers with which the `multi_index_container` instantiation was defined, while the latter gives access to the actual implementation classes corresponding to each specifier. An example will help to clarify this distinction. Given the instantiation:

>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       int,
>       indexed_by<
>         ordered_unique<identity<int> >,
>         sequenced<>
>       >
>     > indexed_t;

`indexed_t::index_specifier_type_list` is a type list with elements

>     ordered_unique<identity<int> >
>     sequenced<>

while `indexed_t::index_type_list` holds the types

>     multi_index_container::nth_type<0>::type
>     multi_index_container::nth_type<1>::type

so the typelists are radically different.

### MPL synthesis

Although typically indices are specified by means of the `indexed_by` construct, actually any MPL sequence of index specifiers can be provided instead:

>     typedef mpl::vector<ordered_unique<identity<int> >,sequenced<> > index_list_t;

>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       int,
>       index_list_t
>     > indexed_t;

This possibility enables the synthesis of instantiations of `multi_index_container` through MPL metaprograms, as the following example shows:

>     // original multi_index_container instantiation
>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       int,
>       indexed_by<
>         ordered_unique<identity<int> >
>       >
>     >                                indexed_t1;

>     // we take its index list and add an index
>     typedef boost::mpl::push_front<
>       indexed_t1::index_specifier_type_list,
>       sequenced<>
>     >::type                          index_list_t;

>     // augmented multi_index_container
>     typedef multi_index_container<
>       int,
>       index_list_t
>     >                                indexed_t2;

Tutorial
Index
Reference

Revised June 28th 2004

© Copyright 2003-2004 Joaquín M López Muñoz. Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)