inspect C++ template instantiation

Question

Is there some utility which would allow me to inspect template instantiation? my compiler is g++ or Intel.

Specific points I would like:

Step by step instantiation.
Instantiation backtrace (can hack this by crashing compiler. Better method?)
Inspection of template parameters.

@gf helpd me with simple type printing, C++ template name pretty print.

However I am getting into boost phoenix and template level makes it very hard to understand what is going on and I would like intelligent solution

also, if you have some techniques inspecting template instantiation, can you please share them.

Thanks

score 9 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:25

9

With templates we simply don't have clean output facilities and there are no compilers i know of that allow you to directly view template instantiations. The closest i found regarding metaprogram debugging was a paper on Templight.

For now the best utilities seem to be:

static asserts & concept checks (clearly assert your assumptions)
the mentioned instantiation backtraces (e.g. by using static asserts)
letting instantiations generate warnings (boost::mpl::print might do it)
a tracer, a custom class that gets passed as a template argument and is used to emit runtime output (introduced by C++ Templates - The Complete Guide)

edited May 23 '17 at 12:25

Community

1
1

answered May 22 '10 at 05:12

Georg Fritzsche

97,545
26
194
236

okay, I think you meant mpl::print. I found it in the paper you linked – Anycorn May 22 '10 at 05:17
1

To add on the paper: There is an [implementation](http://plc.inf.elte.hu/templight/) available. – Nobody moving away from SE Feb 24 '14 at 10:06

inspect C++ template instantiation

1 Answers1

Linked