C++ named requirements: CharTraits
CharTraits is a traits class that abstracts basic character and string operations for a given character type. Most standard library string and input/output classes require a CharTraits template type parameter alongside a corresponding character template type parameter.
Requirements
No operation listed below on CharTraits may throw an exception.
Given
-
CharT
, a character type -
X
, a CharTraits type for typeCharT
- c, d, values of type
CharT
- p, q, values of type const CharT*
- s, a value of type
CharT*
- n, i, j, values of type std::size_t
- e, f, values of type
X::int_type
- pos, a value of type
X::pos_type
- state, a value of type
X::state_type
- r, an lvalue of type
CharT
Types
Type | Semantics |
---|---|
X::char_type |
CharT
|
X::int_type |
A type that can hold all valid values of X::char_type plus X::eof()
|
X::off_type |
Invokes implementation-defined behavior if not std::streamoff when X is used as the traits template parameter in input/output classes.
|
X::pos_type |
|
X::state_type |
Destructible, CopyAssignable, CopyConstructible, DefaultConstructible |
Expressions
Expression | Return type | Semantics | Complexity |
---|---|---|---|
X::eq(c, d) | bool | Returns: whether c is to be treated as equal to d | Constant |
X::lt(c, d) | bool | Returns: whether c is to be treated as less than d | Constant |
X::compare(p, q, n) | int | Returns:
|
Linear |
X::length(p) | std::size_t | Returns: the smallest i such that X::eq(p[i], CharT()) is true | Linear |
X::find(p, n, c) | const X::char_type* | Returns:
|
Linear |
X::move(s, p, n) | X::char_type* |
|
Linear |
X::copy(s, p, n) | X::char_type* |
|
Linear |
X::assign(r, d) | (Not used) | Assigns r = d | Constant |
X::assign(s, n, c) | X::char_type* |
|
Linear |
X::not_eof(e) | X::int_type |
Returns:
|
Constant |
X::to_char_type(e) | X::char_type |
Returns:
|
Constant |
X::to_int_type(c) | X::int_type |
Returns: some value e, constrained by the definitions of X::to_char_type and X::eq_int_type |
Constant |
X::eq_int_type(e, f) | bool |
|
Constant |
X::eof() | X::int_type |
Returns: a value e such that X::eq_int_type(e, X::to_int_type(c)) is false for all values c | Constant |
Standard library
CharTraits is required by the following standard library class templates as a template type parameter:
Strings | |
stores and manipulates sequences of characters (class template) | |
(C++17) |
read-only string view (class template) |
Streams | |
manages an arbitrary stream buffer (class template) | |
wraps a given abstract device (std::basic_streambuf) and provides high-level input interface (class template) | |
implements high-level file stream input operations (class template) | |
implements high-level string stream input operations (class template) | |
(C++23) |
implements fixed character buffer input operations (class template) |
wraps a given abstract device (std::basic_streambuf) and provides high-level output interface (class template) | |
implements high-level file stream output operations (class template) | |
implements high-level string stream output operations (class template) | |
(C++20) |
synchronized output stream wrapper (class template) |
(C++23) |
implements fixed character buffer output operations (class template) |
wraps a given abstract device (std::basic_streambuf) and provides high-level input/output interface (class template) | |
implements high-level file stream input/output operations (class template) | |
implements high-level string stream input/output operations (class template) | |
(C++23) |
implements fixed character buffer input/output operations (class template) |
Stream iterators | |
input iterator that reads from std::basic_istream (class template) | |
output iterator that writes to std::basic_ostream (class template) | |
Stream buffers | |
abstracts a raw device (class template) | |
implements raw file device (class template) | |
implements raw string device (class template) | |
(C++20) |
synchronized output device wrapper (class template) |
(C++23) |
implements raw fixed character buffer device (class template) |
Stream buffer iterators | |
input iterator that reads from std::basic_streambuf (class template) | |
output iterator that writes to std::basic_streambuf (class template) |
CharTraits is satisfied by the following standard library explicit specializations of std::char_traits:
template<> class char_traits<char>; template<> class char_traits<wchar_t>; |
(since C++20) (since C++11) (since C++11) |
|
Defect reports
The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.
DR | Applied to | Behavior as published | Correct behavior |
---|---|---|---|
LWG 335 | C++98 | the requirements on the binary overload ofassign did not prevent assignments to rvalues
|
its first argument can only be an lvalue |
LWG 352 | C++98 | X::state_type was onlyrequired to be CopyConstructible |
it is also required to be CopyAssignable and DefaultConstructible |
LWG 3085 | C++98 | X::copy(s, p, n) only required p not in [ s, s + n) , which is too weak[1]
|
requires [ p, p + n) and[ s, s + n) not to overlap
|
- ↑
[
p,
p + n)
and[
s,
s + n)
can overlap, using std::memcpy to implementX::copy
results in undefined behavior in this case.