Can I initialize an array using the std::initializer_list instead of brace-enclosed initializer?

Question

Can I initialize an array using the std::initializer_list object instead of brace-enclosed initializer?

As known, we can do this: http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/aggregate_initialization

unsigned char b[5]{"abc"};
// equivalent to unsigned char b[5] = {'a', 'b', 'c', '\0', '\0'};

int ar[] = {1,2,3};
std::array<int, 3> std_ar2{ {1,2,3} };    // std::array is an aggregate
std::array<int, 3> std_ar1 = {1, 2, 3};

But I can't initialize an array by std::initializer_list il;:

http://ideone.com/f6aflX

#include <iostream>
#include <initializer_list>
#include <array>

int main() {

    int arr1[] =  { 1, 2, 3 };  // OK
    std::array<int, 3> arr2 =  { 1, 2, 3 }; // OK

    std::initializer_list<int> il = { 1, 2, 3 };
    constexpr std::initializer_list<int> il_constexpr = { 1, 2, 3 };

    //int arr3[] = il;  // error
    //int arr4[] = il_constexpr;    // error

    //std::array<int, 3> arr5 =  il;    // error
    //std::array<int, 3> arr6 =  il_constexpr;  // error

    return 0;
}

But how can I use std::initializer_list il; to initialize an array?

Answer 1

Other answered correctly said this is not possible upfront. But with little helpers, you can get pretty close

template<typename T, std::size_T N, std::size_t ...Ns>
std::array<T, N> make_array_impl(
    std::initializer_list<T> t,
    std::index_sequence<Ns...>) 
{
    return std::array<T, N>{ *(t.begin() + Ns) ... };
}

template<typename T, std::size_t N>
std::array<T, N> make_array(std::initializer_list<T> t) {
    if(N > t.size())
       throw std::out_of_range("that's crazy!");
    return make_array_impl<T, N>(t, std::make_index_sequence<N>());
}

If you are open to more work arounds, you can put this into a class to catch statically-known length violations for the cases where you pass a braced init list. But be warned that most people who read this code will head-desk

template<typename T, std::size_t N>
struct ArrayInitializer {
    template<typename U> struct id { using type = U; };
    std::array<T, N> t;

    template<typename U = std::initializer_list<T>>
    ArrayInitializer(typename id<U>::type z) 
        :ArrayInitializer(z, std::make_index_sequence<N>())
    { 
        if(N > z.size())
            throw std::out_of_range("that's crazy!");
    }

    template<typename ...U>
    ArrayInitializer(U &&... u)
       :t{ std::forward<U>(u)... }
    { }

private:
    template<std::size_t ...Ns>
    ArrayInitializer(std::initializer_list<T>& t,
                     std::index_sequence<Ns...>)
       :t{ *(t.begin() + Ns) ... }
    { }
};

template<typename T, std::size_t N>
std::array<T, N> f(ArrayInitializer<T, N> ai) {
    return std::move(ai.t);
}

int main() {
   f<int, 5>({1, 2, 3, 4, 5});  // OK 
   f<int, 5>({1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6});  // "too many initializers for array<int, 5>"

   std::initializer_list<int> il{1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
   f<int, 5>(il); // ok
}

Note that both the non-static case at the top of the answer and the "head-desk" case do only check whether you provide too few initializing elements, and errors out then, for the initializer_list case. If you provide too many for the initializer_list case, the trailing elements are just ignored.

Answer 2

As far I know, no: you can't initialize a std::array with a std::initializer_list.

The problem is that std::array is intended as a lightweight replacement (a wrapper) for the classic C-style array. So light that is without constructors, so only implicit constructor can be used.

The construction with aggregate initialization (via implicit constructor) is possible because it's possible for the C-style array.

But std::initializer_list is a class, more complicated than an aggregate inizialization.

You can initialize, by example, a std::vector with a std::initializer_list but only because there is an explicit constructor, for std::vector, that receive a std::initializer_list. But std::vector is a heavier class.

The only solution that I see is a 2 step way: (1) construction and (2) copy of the std::initializer_list values. Something like

std::array<int, 3> arr5;

auto  ui = 0U;
auto  cit = il.cbegin();

while ( (ui < arr5.size()) && (cit != il.cend()) )
   arr5[ui++] = *cit++;

p.s.: sorry for my bad English.

Answer 3

The problem with std::array is that it is required to be an aggregate type, hence it does not have constructors.

Hence only aggregate initialization or trivial copy are possible. std::initializer_list is a class other than std::array, so a (missing) implicit conversion is required.

See http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/aggregate_initialization and http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/container/array for reference.