std::bind_front, std::bind_back

Function templates std::bind_front and std::bind_back generate a perfect forwarding call wrapper which allows to invoke the callable target with its (1,2) first or (3,4) last sizeof...(Args) parameters bound to args

The following conditions must be true, otherwise the program is ill-formed:

• (1,3) std::is_constructible_v < std::decay_t <F>, F>
• (1,3) std::is_move_constructible_v < std::decay_t <F>>
• (2,4) If decltype(ConstFn) is a pointer or a pointer-to-member then ConstFn
• ( std::is_constructible_v < std::decay_t <Args>, Args> && ...)
• ( std::is_move_constructible_v < std::decay_t <Args>> && ...)

Parameters

Return value

A function object (the call wrapper) of type T that is unspecified, except that the types of objects returned by two calls to std::bind_front or std::bind_back with the same arguments are the same.

Let bind-partial be either std::bind_front or std::bind_back.

The returned object has the following properties:

Exceptions

Notes

These function templates are intended to replace std::bind. Unlike std::bind, they do not support arbitrary argument rearrangement and have no special treatment for nested bind-expressions or std::reference_wrapper

As described in std::invoke , when invoking a pointer to non-static member function or pointer to non-static data member, the first argument has to be a reference or pointer (including, possibly, smart pointer such as std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr

The arguments to std::bind_front or std::bind_back are copied or moved, and are never passed by reference unless wrapped in std::ref or std::cref

Typically, binding arguments to a function or a member function using (1) std::bind_front and (3) std::bind_back (2,4) (that accept the callable object as an argument for non-type template parameter

Possible implementation

namespace detail
{
    template<class T, class U>
    struct copy_const
        : std::conditional<std::is_const_v<T>, U const, U> {};
 
    template<class T, class U,
             class X = typename copy_const<std::remove_reference_t<T>, U>::type>
    struct copy_value_category
        : std::conditional<std::is_lvalue_reference_v<T&&>, X&, X&&> {};
 
    template <class T, class U>
    struct type_forward_like
        : copy_value_category<T, std::remove_reference_t<U>> {};
 
    template <class T, class U>
    using type_forward_like_t = typename type_forward_like<T, U>::type;
}
 
template<auto ConstFn, class... Args>
constexpr auto bind_front(Args&&... args)
{
    using F = decltype(ConstFn);
 
    if constexpr (std::is_pointer_v<F> or std::is_member_pointer_v<F>)
        static_assert(ConstFn != nullptr);
 
    return
        [... bound_args(std::forward<Args>(args))]<class Self, class... T>
        (
            this Self&&, T&&... call_args
        )
        noexcept
        (
            std::is_nothrow_invocable_v<F,
                detail::type_forward_like_t<Self, std::decay_t<Args>>..., T...>
        )
        -> std::invoke_result_t<F,
                detail::type_forward_like_t<Self, std::decay_t<Args>>..., T...>
        {
            return std::invoke(ConstFn, std::forward_like<Self>(bound_args)...,
                               std::forward<T>(call_args)...);
        };
}

namespace detail { /* is the same as above */ }
 
template<auto ConstFn, class... Args>
constexpr auto bind_back(Args&&... args)
{
    using F = decltype(ConstFn);
 
    if constexpr (std::is_pointer_v<F> or std::is_member_pointer_v<F>)
        static_assert(ConstFn != nullptr);
 
    return
        [... bound_args(std::forward<Args>(args))]<class Self, class... T>
        (
            this Self&&, T&&... call_args
        )
        noexcept
        (
            std::is_nothrow_invocable_v<F,
                detail::type_forward_like_t<Self, T..., std::decay_t<Args>>...>
        )
        -> std::invoke_result_t<F,
                detail::type_forward_like_t<Self, T..., std::decay_t<Args>>...>
        {
            return std::invoke(ConstFn, std::forward<T>(call_args)...,
                               std::forward_like<Self>(bound_args)...);
        };
}

Example

#include <cassert>
#include <functional>
 
int minus(int a, int b)
{
    return a - b;
}
 
struct S
{
    int val;
    int minus(int arg) const noexcept { return val - arg; }
};
 
int main()
{
    auto fifty_minus = std::bind_front(minus, 50);
    assert(fifty_minus(3) == 47); // equivalent to: minus(50, 3) == 47
 
    auto member_minus = std::bind_front(&S::minus, S{50});
    assert(member_minus(3) == 47); //: S tmp{50}; tmp.minus(3) == 47
 
    // Noexcept-specification is preserved:
    static_assert(!noexcept(fifty_minus(3)));
    static_assert(noexcept(member_minus(3)));
 
    // Binding of a lambda:
    auto plus = [](int a, int b) { return a + b; };
    auto forty_plus = std::bind_front(plus, 40);
    assert(forty_plus(7) == 47); // equivalent to: plus(40, 7) == 47
 
#if __cpp_lib_bind_front >= 202306L
    auto fifty_minus_cpp26 = std::bind_front<minus>(50);
    assert(fifty_minus_cpp26(3) == 47);
 
    auto member_minus_cpp26 = std::bind_front<&S::minus>(S{50});
    assert(member_minus_cpp26(3) == 47);
 
    auto forty_plus_cpp26 = std::bind_front<plus>(40);
    assert(forty_plus(7) == 47);
#endif
 
#if __cpp_lib_bind_back >= 202202L
    auto madd = [](int a, int b, int c) { return a * b + c; };
    auto mul_plus_seven = std::bind_back(madd, 7);
    assert(mul_plus_seven(4, 10) == 47); //: madd(4, 10, 7) == 47
#endif
 
#if __cpp_lib_bind_back >= 202306L
    auto mul_plus_seven_cpp26 = std::bind_back<madd>(7);
    assert(mul_plus_seven_cpp26(4, 10) == 47);
#endif
}

References

See also