Requires expression (since C++20)
Yields a prvalue expression of type bool that describes the constraints.
Syntax
requires { requirement-seq }
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requires ( parameter-list (optional) ) { requirement-seq }
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| parameter-list | - | a parameter list |
| requirement-seq | - | sequence of requirements, each requirement is one of the following: |
Explanation
Requirements may refer to the template parameters that are in scope, to the parameters of parameter-list, and to any other declarations that are visible from the enclosing context.
The substitution of template arguments into a requires-expression used in a declaration of a templated entity may result in the formation of invalid types or expressions in its requirements, or the violation of semantic constraints of those requirements. In such cases, the requires-expression evaluates to false and does not cause the program to be ill-formed. The substitution and semantic constraint checking proceeds in lexical order and stops when a condition that determines the result of the requires-expression is encountered. If substitution (if any) and semantic constraint checking succeed, the requires-expression evaluates to true.
If a substitution failure would occur in a requires-expression for every possible template argument, the program is ill-formed, no diagnostic required:
template<class T> concept C = requires { new int[-(int)sizeof(T)]; // invalid for every T: ill-formed, no diagnostic required };
If a requires-expression contains invalid types or expressions in its requirements, and it does not appear within the declaration of a templated entity, then the program is ill-formed.
Local parameters
A requires-expression can introduce local parameters using a parameter list. These parameters have no linkage, storage, or lifetime; they are only used as notation for the purpose of defining requirements.
The type of each parameter is determined by the same way as determining the actual type of function parameters:
template<typename T> concept C = requires(T p[2]) { (decltype(p))nullptr; // OK, p has type T* };
If any of the following conditions is satisfied, the program is ill-formed:
- A local parameter has a default argument.
- The parameter list terminate with an ellipsis.
template<typename T> concept C1 = requires(T t = 0) // Error: t has a default argument { t; }; template<typename T> concept C2 = requires(T t, ...) // Error: terminates with an ellipsis { t; };
Requirements
Simple requirements
A simple requirement is an arbitrary expression statement that does not start with the keyword requires. It asserts that the expression is valid. The expression is an unevaluated operand; only language correctness is checked.
template<typename T> concept Addable = requires (T a, T b) { a + b; // "the expression “a + b” is a valid expression that will compile" }; template<class T, class U = T> concept Swappable = requires(T&& t, U&& u) { swap(std::forward<T>(t), std::forward<U>(u)); swap(std::forward<U>(u), std::forward<T>(t)); };
A requirement that starts with the keyword requires is always interpreted as a nested requirement. Thus a simple requirement cannot start with an unparenthesized requires-expression.
Type requirements
A type requirement is the keyword typename followed by a type name, optionally qualified. The requirement is that the named type is valid: this can be used to verify that a certain named nested type exists, or that a class template specialization names a type, or that an alias template specialization names a type. A type requirement naming a class template specialization does not require the type to be complete.
template<typename T> using Ref = T&; template<typename T> concept C = requires { typename T::inner; // required nested member name typename S<T>; // required class template specialization typename Ref<T>; // required alias template substitution }; template<class T, class U> using CommonType = std::common_type_t<T, U>; template<class T, class U> concept Common = requires (T&& t, U&& u) { typename CommonType<T, U>; // CommonType<T, U> is valid and names a type { CommonType<T, U>{std::forward<T>(t)} }; { CommonType<T, U>{std::forward<U>(u)} }; };
Compound requirements
A compound requirement has the form
{ expression } noexcept(optional) return-type-requirement (optional) ;
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| return-type-requirement | - | -> type-constraint
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and asserts properties of the named expression. Substitution and semantic constraint checking proceeds in the following order:
template<typename T> concept C2 = requires(T x) { // the expression *x must be valid // AND the type T::inner must be valid // AND the result of *x must be convertible to T::inner {*x} -> std::convertible_to<typename T::inner>; // the expression x + 1 must be valid // AND std::same_as<decltype((x + 1)), int> must be satisfied // i.e., (x + 1) must be a prvalue of type int {x + 1} -> std::same_as<int>; // the expression x * 1 must be valid // AND its result must be convertible to T {x * 1} -> std::convertible_to<T>; };
Nested requirements
A nested requirement has the form
requires constraint-expression ;
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It can be used to specify additional constraints in terms of local parameters. The constraint-expression must be satisfied by the substituted template arguments, if any. Substitution of template arguments into a nested requirement causes substitution into the constraint-expression only to the extent needed to determine whether the constraint-expression is satisfied.
template<class T> concept Semiregular = DefaultConstructible<T> && CopyConstructible<T> && CopyAssignable<T> && Destructible<T> && requires(T a, std::size_t n) { requires Same<T*, decltype(&a)>; // nested: "Same<...> evaluates to true" { a.~T() } noexcept; // compound: "a.~T()" is a valid expression that doesn't throw requires Same<T*, decltype(new T)>; // nested: "Same<...> evaluates to true" requires Same<T*, decltype(new T[n])>; // nested { delete new T }; // compound { delete new T[n] }; // compound };
Note
The keyword requires is also used to introduce requires clauses.
template<typename T> concept Addable = requires (T x) { x + x; }; // requires-expression template<typename T> requires Addable<T> // requires-clause, not requires-expression T add(T a, T b) { return a + b; } template<typename T> requires requires (T x) { x + x; } // ad-hoc constraint, note keyword used twice T add(T a, T b) { return a + b; }
Keywords
Defect reports
The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.
| DR | Applied to | Behavior as published | Correct behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| CWG 2560 | C++20 | it was unclear whether parameter types are adjusted in requires-expressions | also adjusted |
References
- C++23 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2024):
- 7.5.7 Requires expressions [expr.prim.req]
- C++20 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2020):
- 7.5.7 Requires expressions [expr.prim.req]
See also
| Constraints and concepts(C++20) | specifies the requirements on template arguments |