C++ templates Turing-complete?
My C++ is a bit rusty, so the may not be perfect, but it's close.
template <int N> struct Factorial
{
enum { val = Factorial<N-1>::val * N };
};
template <> struct Factorial<0>
{
enum { val = 1 };
}
const int num = Factorial<10>::val; // num set to 10! at compile time.
The point is to demonstrate that the compiler is completely evaluating the recursive definition until it reaches an answer.
Example
#include <iostream>
template <int N> struct Factorial
{
enum { val = Factorial<N-1>::val * N };
};
template<>
struct Factorial<0>
{
enum { val = 1 };
};
int main()
{
// Note this value is generated at compile time.
// Also note that most compilers have a limit on the depth of the recursion available.
std::cout << Factorial<4>::val << "\n";
}
That was a little fun but not very practical.
To answer the second part of the question:
Is this fact useful in practice?
Short Answer: Sort of.
Long Answer: Yes, but only if you are a template daemon.
To turn out good programming using template meta-programming that is really useful for others to use (ie a library) is really really tough (though do-able). To Help boost even has MPL aka (Meta Programming Library). But try debugging a compiler error in your template code and you will be in for a long hard ride.
But a good practical example of it being used for something useful:
Scott Meyers has been working extensions to the C++ language (I use the term loosely) using the templating facilities. You can read about his work here 'Enforcing Code Features'
"C++ Templates Are Turing Complete" gives an implementation of a Turing machine in templates ... which is non-trivial and proves the point in a very direct way. Of course, it also isn't very useful!
I've done a turing machine in C++11. Features that C++11 adds are not significant for the turing machine indeed. It just provides for arbitrary length rule lists using variadic templates, instead of using perverse macro metaprogramming :). The names for the conditions are used to output a diagram on stdout. i've removed that code to keep the sample short.
#include <iostream>
template<bool C, typename A, typename B>
struct Conditional {
typedef A type;
};
template<typename A, typename B>
struct Conditional<false, A, B> {
typedef B type;
};
template<typename...>
struct ParameterPack;
template<bool C, typename = void>
struct EnableIf { };
template<typename Type>
struct EnableIf<true, Type> {
typedef Type type;
};
template<typename T>
struct Identity {
typedef T type;
};
// define a type list
template<typename...>
struct TypeList;
template<typename T, typename... TT>
struct TypeList<T, TT...> {
typedef T type;
typedef TypeList<TT...> tail;
};
template<>
struct TypeList<> {
};
template<typename List>
struct GetSize;
template<typename... Items>
struct GetSize<TypeList<Items...>> {
enum { value = sizeof...(Items) };
};
template<typename... T>
struct ConcatList;
template<typename... First, typename... Second, typename... Tail>
struct ConcatList<TypeList<First...>, TypeList<Second...>, Tail...> {
typedef typename ConcatList<TypeList<First..., Second...>,
Tail...>::type type;
};
template<typename T>
struct ConcatList<T> {
typedef T type;
};
template<typename NewItem, typename List>
struct AppendItem;
template<typename NewItem, typename...Items>
struct AppendItem<NewItem, TypeList<Items...>> {
typedef TypeList<Items..., NewItem> type;
};
template<typename NewItem, typename List>
struct PrependItem;
template<typename NewItem, typename...Items>
struct PrependItem<NewItem, TypeList<Items...>> {
typedef TypeList<NewItem, Items...> type;
};
template<typename List, int N, typename = void>
struct GetItem {
static_assert(N > 0, "index cannot be negative");
static_assert(GetSize<List>::value > 0, "index too high");
typedef typename GetItem<typename List::tail, N-1>::type type;
};
template<typename List>
struct GetItem<List, 0> {
static_assert(GetSize<List>::value > 0, "index too high");
typedef typename List::type type;
};
template<typename List, template<typename, typename...> class Matcher, typename... Keys>
struct FindItem {
static_assert(GetSize<List>::value > 0, "Could not match any item.");
typedef typename List::type current_type;
typedef typename Conditional<Matcher<current_type, Keys...>::value,
Identity<current_type>, // found!
FindItem<typename List::tail, Matcher, Keys...>>
::type::type type;
};
template<typename List, int I, typename NewItem>
struct ReplaceItem {
static_assert(I > 0, "index cannot be negative");
static_assert(GetSize<List>::value > 0, "index too high");
typedef typename PrependItem<typename List::type,
typename ReplaceItem<typename List::tail, I-1,
NewItem>::type>
::type type;
};
template<typename NewItem, typename Type, typename... T>
struct ReplaceItem<TypeList<Type, T...>, 0, NewItem> {
typedef TypeList<NewItem, T...> type;
};
enum Direction {
Left = -1,
Right = 1
};
template<typename OldState, typename Input, typename NewState,
typename Output, Direction Move>
struct Rule {
typedef OldState old_state;
typedef Input input;
typedef NewState new_state;
typedef Output output;
static Direction const direction = Move;
};
template<typename A, typename B>
struct IsSame {
enum { value = false };
};
template<typename A>
struct IsSame<A, A> {
enum { value = true };
};
template<typename Input, typename State, int Position>
struct Configuration {
typedef Input input;
typedef State state;
enum { position = Position };
};
template<int A, int B>
struct Max {
enum { value = A > B ? A : B };
};
template<int n>
struct State {
enum { value = n };
static char const * name;
};
template<int n>
char const* State<n>::name = "unnamed";
struct QAccept {
enum { value = -1 };
static char const* name;
};
struct QReject {
enum { value = -2 };
static char const* name;
};
#define DEF_STATE(ID, NAME) \
typedef State<ID> NAME ; \
NAME :: name = #NAME ;
template<int n>
struct Input {
enum { value = n };
static char const * name;
template<int... I>
struct Generate {
typedef TypeList<Input<I>...> type;
};
};
template<int n>
char const* Input<n>::name = "unnamed";
typedef Input<-1> InputBlank;
#define DEF_INPUT(ID, NAME) \
typedef Input<ID> NAME ; \
NAME :: name = #NAME ;
template<typename Config, typename Transitions, typename = void>
struct Controller {
typedef Config config;
enum { position = config::position };
typedef typename Conditional<
static_cast<int>(GetSize<typename config::input>::value)
<= static_cast<int>(position),
AppendItem<InputBlank, typename config::input>,
Identity<typename config::input>>::type::type input;
typedef typename config::state state;
typedef typename GetItem<input, position>::type cell;
template<typename Item, typename State, typename Cell>
struct Matcher {
typedef typename Item::old_state checking_state;
typedef typename Item::input checking_input;
enum { value = IsSame<State, checking_state>::value &&
IsSame<Cell, checking_input>::value
};
};
typedef typename FindItem<Transitions, Matcher, state, cell>::type rule;
typedef typename ReplaceItem<input, position, typename rule::output>::type new_input;
typedef typename rule::new_state new_state;
typedef Configuration<new_input,
new_state,
Max<position + rule::direction, 0>::value> new_config;
typedef Controller<new_config, Transitions> next_step;
typedef typename next_step::end_config end_config;
typedef typename next_step::end_input end_input;
typedef typename next_step::end_state end_state;
enum { end_position = next_step::position };
};
template<typename Input, typename State, int Position, typename Transitions>
struct Controller<Configuration<Input, State, Position>, Transitions,
typename EnableIf<IsSame<State, QAccept>::value ||
IsSame<State, QReject>::value>::type> {
typedef Configuration<Input, State, Position> config;
enum { position = config::position };
typedef typename Conditional<
static_cast<int>(GetSize<typename config::input>::value)
<= static_cast<int>(position),
AppendItem<InputBlank, typename config::input>,
Identity<typename config::input>>::type::type input;
typedef typename config::state state;
typedef config end_config;
typedef input end_input;
typedef state end_state;
enum { end_position = position };
};
template<typename Input, typename Transitions, typename StartState>
struct TuringMachine {
typedef Input input;
typedef Transitions transitions;
typedef StartState start_state;
typedef Controller<Configuration<Input, StartState, 0>, Transitions> controller;
typedef typename controller::end_config end_config;
typedef typename controller::end_input end_input;
typedef typename controller::end_state end_state;
enum { end_position = controller::end_position };
};
#include <ostream>
template<>
char const* Input<-1>::name = "_";
char const* QAccept::name = "qaccept";
char const* QReject::name = "qreject";
int main() {
DEF_INPUT(1, x);
DEF_INPUT(2, x_mark);
DEF_INPUT(3, split);
DEF_STATE(0, start);
DEF_STATE(1, find_blank);
DEF_STATE(2, go_back);
/* syntax: State, Input, NewState, Output, Move */
typedef TypeList<
Rule<start, x, find_blank, x_mark, Right>,
Rule<find_blank, x, find_blank, x, Right>,
Rule<find_blank, split, find_blank, split, Right>,
Rule<find_blank, InputBlank, go_back, x, Left>,
Rule<go_back, x, go_back, x, Left>,
Rule<go_back, split, go_back, split, Left>,
Rule<go_back, x_mark, start, x, Right>,
Rule<start, split, QAccept, split, Left>> rules;
/* syntax: initial input, rules, start state */
typedef TuringMachine<TypeList<x, x, x, x, split>, rules, start> double_it;
static_assert(IsSame<double_it::end_input,
TypeList<x, x, x, x, split, x, x, x, x>>::value,
"Hmm... This is borky!");
}