How to correctly forward/wrap static_cast?

Question

Basicly, I need a static_cast function wrapper to use as a predicate (for conversion), since static_cast directly is not usable in this way. Lambda is not preferred this time. My implemention:

template<typename T> 
struct static_cast_forward{
  template<class U>
  T operator()(U&& u) const {
    return static_cast<T>(std::forward<U>(u));
  }
};

First, while I do have a fundamental understanding of rvalue references, etc. I want to verify if this is the correct way to implement this forward/wrapper ?

Second, to ask if any std or boost library already provide this functionality ?

Extra: would you forward other casts in the same way ?

ACTUAL CASE:

My actual case is to use with boost::range, something like:

//auto targetsRange = mixedRange | boost::adaptors::filtered(TYPECHECK_PRED) | boost::adaptors::transformed(static_cast_forward<TARGET_PTR_TYPE>());

WORKING EXAMPLES:

#include <algorithm>
template<typename T>
struct static_cast_forward {
    template<class U>
    T operator()(U&& u) const {
        return static_cast<T>(std::forward<U>(u));
    }
};

//example 1:

void test1() {
    std::vector<double> doubleVec{1.1, 1.2};
    std::vector<int> intVec;
    std::copy(doubleVec.begin(), doubleVec.end(), intVec.end());//not ok (compiles, but gives warning) 
    std::transform(doubleVec.begin(), doubleVec.end(), std::back_inserter(intVec), static_cast_forward<int>()); //ok
}

//example 2:

struct A {
    virtual ~A() {} 
};

struct B : public A {
};

struct C : public A {
};

void test2() {
    std::vector<A*> vecOfA{ new B, new B};
    std::vector<B*> vecOfB;
    //std::transform(vecOfA.begin(), vecOfA.end(), std::back_inserter(vecOfB), static_cast<B*>); //not ok: syntax error..
    std::transform(vecOfA.begin(), vecOfA.end(), std::back_inserter(vecOfB), static_cast_forward<B*>() ); //ok
}

Answer 1

Addition after the question has been clarified.

In both cases you don't need to std::forward anything, because there is nothing to move, you need just a cast. But if you want to generalize to movable types, too, then your implementation seems fine to me. Just don't call it forward because it is not a forward. As far as I know, there is nothing in std to mimic your struct.

So I would just add test3() that really needs moving:

struct B { };

struct D { 
    explicit D(B&&) { }   // Note: explicit!
};

void test3()
{
    std::vector<B> vb{B{}, B{}};
    std::vector<D> vd;

    // Won't compile because constructor is explicit
    //std::copy(std::make_move_iterator(vb.begin()), std::make_move_iterator(vb.end()), std::back_inserter(vd));

    // Works fine
    std::transform(std::make_move_iterator(vb.begin()), std::make_move_iterator(vb.end()), std::back_inserter(vd), static_cast_forward<D>());
}

Answer before question was clarified.

If I correctly understood your intention, then this is what you want:

template<typename T>
struct static_cast_forward {
    template<class U>
    decltype(auto) operator()(U&& u) const
    {
        if constexpr (std::is_lvalue_reference_v<U>)
            return static_cast<T&>(u);
        else
            return static_cast<T&&>(u);
    }
};

Then you have:

struct B { };
struct D : B { };

void foo() {
    D d;
    static_cast_forward<B> scf_as_B;

    static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(scf_as_B(D{})), B&&>);
    static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(scf_as_B(d)), B&>);
}