C++ friend function template overloading and SFINAE different behaviors in clang++, g++, vc++ (C++14 mode)

Question

So, the following code builds and runs successfully under clang++ (3.8.0), but fails both under g++ (6.3.0) and vc++ (19.10.24903.0). Both g++ and vc++ complain about redefinition of operator&&.

Does anyone know which compiler is at fault here. For the compilers that fails to compile the code, what would be the workarounds for the compilation error?

#include <functional>
#include <iostream>

template <typename T>
struct awaitable
{
    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2) - T: " << typeid(T).name() << std::endl;
        return awaitable<void>{};
    }

    template <typename U = T, typename std::enable_if<!std::is_same<U, void>::value>::type* = nullptr>
    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable<void> a1, awaitable<U> a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable<void> a1, awaitable<U> a2) - U: " << typeid(T).name() << std::endl;
        return awaitable<void>{};
    }

    template <typename U = T, typename std::enable_if<!std::is_same<U, void>::value>::type* = nullptr>
    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable<U> a1, awaitable<void> a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable<U> a1, awaitable<void> a2) - U: " << typeid(T).name() << std::endl;
        return awaitable<void>{};
    }
};

int main(int argc, const char * argv[])
{
    awaitable<int> a1, a2, a3, a4;
    auto ar = a1 && (a1 && a2) && (a2 && a3) && a4;
}

clang++: http://coliru.stacked-crooked.com/a/cb01926bbcacdfb0

g++: http://coliru.stacked-crooked.com/a/73d17a5ae26f22eb

vc++: http://webcompiler.cloudapp.net/

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:08

SFINAE works at template instantiation level, i.e. at struct awaitable<T>, not at the level of individual members of the template. awaitable<void> is a valid instantiation and as such it instantiates the declarations of all 3 members of the class, duplicating the latter 2.

It is not that the two definitions conflict with each other - it is that each definition conflicts with itself (example) (more details).

Workaround 1

Define the helper operators out-of-class (granted, not exactly the same as what you had - these would be friends to any instance of the template)

#include <functional>
#include <iostream>

template <typename T>
struct awaitable
{
    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2) - T: " << typeid(T).name() << std::endl;
        return {};
    }

    template<typename U>
    friend std::enable_if_t<!std::is_void<U>::value, awaitable<void>> operator&&(awaitable<void> a1, awaitable<U> a2);

    template<typename U>
    friend std::enable_if_t<!std::is_void<U>::value, awaitable<void>> operator&&(awaitable<U> a1, awaitable<void> a2);

};

template<typename U>
std::enable_if_t<!std::is_void<U>::value, awaitable<void>> operator&&(awaitable<void> a1, awaitable<U> a2)
{
    std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable<void> a1, awaitable<U> a2) - U: " << typeid(U).name() << std::endl;
    return {};
}

template<typename U>
std::enable_if_t<!std::is_void<U>::value, awaitable<void>> operator&&(awaitable<U> a1, awaitable<void> a2)
{
    std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable<U> a1, awaitable<void> a2) - U: " << typeid(U).name() << std::endl;
    return {};
}

int main(int argc, const char * argv[])
{
    awaitable<int> a1, a2, a3, a4;
    auto ar = a1 && (a1 && a2) && (a2 && a3) && a4;
}

Workaround 2

Use no SFINAE at all, but a specialization of awaitable. Note the specialization is reversed - the base implementation is a special case for awaitable<void> and the specialization is for everything else.

#include <functional>
#include <iostream>

template <typename T, bool isvoid = std::is_void<T>::value>
struct awaitable
{
    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2) - void" << std::endl;
        return {};
    }
};

template <typename T>
struct awaitable<T, false>
{
    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable a1, awaitable a2) - T: " << typeid(T).name() << std::endl;
        return {};
    }

    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable<void> a1, awaitable<T> a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable<void> a1, awaitable<T> a2) - U: " << typeid(T).name() << std::endl;
        return {};
    }

    friend awaitable<void> operator&&(awaitable<T> a1, awaitable<void> a2)
    {
        std::cout << "operator&&(awaitable<T> a1, awaitable<void> a2) - void" << std::endl;
        return {};
    }
};

int main(int argc, const char * argv[])
{
    awaitable<int> a1, a2, a3, a4;
    auto ar = a1 && (a1 && a2) && (a2 && a3) && a4;
}

Nice, this seems to work around the compilation errors for both g++ and vc++! But behavior wise, did clang++ behave correctly or g++/vc++? — Dejavu, Jan 18 '17 at 22:05
So you mean that clang is the faulty one here by not preventing the conflicting definitions? Or, clang was able to somehow "merge" any conflicting definitions if they are *exactly* the same? — Dejavu, Jan 18 '17 at 22:37

C++ friend function template overloading and SFINAE different behaviors in clang++, g++, vc++ (C++14 mode)

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