C++ Template for safe integer casts

I think these work now, regardless of whether you use two's complement or not. Please test extensively before you use it. They give the following results. Each line gives one assertion failure (just change them into exceptions as you please)

/* unsigned -> signed, overflow */
safe_cast<short>(UINT_MAX);

/* unsigned -> unsigned, overflow */
safe_cast<unsigned char>(ULONG_MAX);

/* signed -> unsigned, overflow */
safe_cast<unsigned long>(-1);

/* signed -> signed, overflow */
safe_cast<signed char>(INT_MAX);

/* always works (no check done) */
safe_cast<long>(INT_MAX);

// giving these assertion failures results
(type)f <= (type)is_signed<To>::v_max
f <= (To)-1
f >= 0
f >= is_signed<To>::v_min && f <= is_signed<To>::v_max

Implementation. First some utilities to check for integer ranks (types with higher ranks will be able to contain values of types with lower rank, given the same sign. And some promotion tools, to be able to figure out a common, safe type (this will never yield a signed type if an unsigned type is involved, if the signed type won't be able to store all values of the unsigned one).

/* ranks */
template<typename> struct int_rank;
#define RANK(T, I) template<> struct int_rank<T> \
    { static int const value = I; }

RANK(char, 1); RANK(unsigned char, 1); RANK(signed char, 1); 
RANK(short, 2); RANK(unsigned short, 2);
RANK(int, 3); RANK(unsigned int, 3);
RANK(long, 4); RANK(unsigned long, 4);
#undef RANK

/* usual arith. conversions for ints (pre-condition: A, B differ) */
template<int> struct uac_at;
template<> struct uac_at<1> { typedef int type; };
template<> struct uac_at<2> { typedef unsigned int type; };
template<> struct uac_at<3> { typedef long type; };
template<> struct uac_at<4> { typedef unsigned long type; };

template<typename A, typename B>
struct uac_type { 
    static char (&f(int))[1];
    static char (&f(unsigned int))[2];
    static char (&f(long))[3];
    static char (&f(unsigned long))[4];
    typedef typename uac_at<sizeof f(0 ? A() : B())>::type type; 
};

/* signed games */
template<typename> struct is_signed { static bool const value = false; };
#define SG(X, TT) template<> struct is_signed<X> { \
    static bool const value = true;                \
    static X const v_min = TT##_MIN;               \
    static X const v_max = TT##_MAX;               \
}

SG(signed char, SCHAR); 
SG(short, SHRT); 
SG(int, INT); 
SG(long, LONG); 
#undef SG

template<> struct is_signed<char> { 
    static bool const value = (CHAR_MIN < 0); 
    static char const v_min = CHAR_MIN; // just in case it's signed...
    static char const v_max = CHAR_MAX;
};

The conversion templates make use of them, to figure out for each case when what needs to be done or not done.

template<typename To, typename From, 
         bool to_signed = is_signed<To>::value, 
         bool from_signed = is_signed<From>::value,
         bool rank_fine = (int_rank<To>::value >= int_rank<From>::value)>
struct do_conv;

/* these conversions never overflow, like int -> int, 
 * or  int -> long. */
template<typename To, typename From, bool Sign>
struct do_conv<To, From, Sign, Sign, true> {
    static To call(From f) {
        return (To)f; 
    }
};

template<typename To, typename From>
struct do_conv<To, From, false, false, false> {
    static To call(From f) {
        assert(f <= (To)-1);
        return (To)f;
    }
};

template<typename To, typename From>
struct do_conv<To, From, false, true, true> {
    typedef typename uac_type<To, From>::type type;
    static To call(From f) {
        /* no need to check whether To's positive range will
         * store From's positive range: Because the rank is
         * fine, and To is unsigned. 
         * Fixes GCC warning "comparison is always true" */
        assert(f >= 0);
        return (To)f;
    }
};

template<typename To, typename From>
struct do_conv<To, From, false, true, false> {
    typedef typename uac_type<To, From>::type type;
    static To call(From f) {
        assert(f >= 0 && (type)f <= (type)(To)-1);
        return (To)f;
    }
};

template<typename To, typename From, bool Rank>
struct do_conv<To, From, true, false, Rank> {
    typedef typename uac_type<To, From>::type type;
    static To call(From f) {
        assert((type)f <= (type)is_signed<To>::v_max);
        return (To)f;
    }
};

template<typename To, typename From>
struct do_conv<To, From, true, true, false> {
    static To call(From f) {
        assert(f >= is_signed<To>::v_min && f <= is_signed<To>::v_max);
        return (To)f;
    }
};

template<typename To, typename From>
To safe_cast(From f) { return do_conv<To, From>::call(f); }

Is boost an option? If so, try boost::numeric_cast<>. It appears to provide the characteristics you're looking for.

You can get the minimum and maximum safe values (and a whole lot of other information) for any fundamental type in a much more elegant way using the std::numeric_limits template, e.g. std::numeric_limits<T>::max(). You'll need to include <limits>.

Reference: http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/std/limits/numeric_limits/