[boost] generally replace *static_cast< T [const]* >(&x) -> static_cast< T [const]& >(x)?

Subject: [boost] generally replace *static_cast< T [const]* >(&x) -> static_cast< T [const]& >(x)?
From: Arno Schödl (aschoedl_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-05-25 08:22:59

>>
>> --- C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0/VC/boost_1_46_1/boost/iterator/iterator_facade.hpp	Wed May 25 11:42:14 2011
>> +++ C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0/VC/boost_1_46_1/boost/iterator/iterator_facade - Copy.hpp	Wed May 25 11:41:49 2011
>> @@ -819,8 +819,8 @@
>>             is_interoperable<  Derived1, Derived2>::value                         \
>>         ));                                                                       \
>>         return_prefix iterator_core_access::base_op(                              \
>> -          *static_cast<Derived1 const*>(&lhs)                                   \
>> -        , *static_cast<Derived2 const*>(&rhs)                                   \
>> +          static_cast<Derived1 const&>(lhs)                                     \
>> +        , static_cast<Derived2 const&>(rhs)                                     \
>>           , BOOST_ITERATOR_CONVERTIBLE(Derived2,Derived1)                         \
>>         );                                                                        \
>>     }

>An alternative could also have been to use boost::addressof

I was aware of that, but creating the dependency on addressof seems unnecessary if a simple reference cast does the job. Is there any particular reason why the cast is implemented through pointers?

Searching through boost for *static_cast, there are a few more places where a static_cast< [const] & > would do but the route through pointers has been taken. Any reason not to replace them wholesale to avoid problems with overloaded operator& and in general to make the code more concise?

boost_1_46_1\boost\accumulators\framework\depends_on.hpp(276):              : Accumulator(*static_cast<Accumulator const *>(&that))
boost_1_46_1\boost\accumulators\framework\accumulators\droppable_accumulator.hpp(183):          : Accumulator(*static_cast<Accumulator const *>(&that))
boost_1_46_1\boost\algorithm\string\classification.hpp(246):                *static_cast<const Pred1T*>(&Pred1), 
boost_1_46_1\boost\algorithm\string\classification.hpp(247):                *static_cast<const Pred2T*>(&Pred2) );
boost_1_46_1\boost\algorithm\string\classification.hpp(270):                *static_cast<const Pred1T*>(&Pred1), 
boost_1_46_1\boost\algorithm\string\classification.hpp(271):                *static_cast<const Pred2T*>(&Pred2));
boost_1_46_1\boost\algorithm\string\classification.hpp(289):            return detail::pred_notF<PredT>(*static_cast<const PredT*>(&Pred));
boost_1_46_1\boost\iterator\iterator_facade.hpp(570):          return *static_cast<I*>(&facade);
boost_1_46_1\boost\iterator\iterator_facade.hpp(576):          return *static_cast<I const*>(&facade);
boost_1_46_1\boost\iterator\iterator_facade.hpp(732):          tmp(*static_cast<I*>(&i));
boost_1_46_1\boost\iterator\iterator_facade.hpp(822):          *static_cast<Derived1 const*>(&lhs)                                   \   //// our problem
boost_1_46_1\boost\iterator\iterator_facade.hpp(823):        , *static_cast<Derived2 const*>(&rhs)                                   \   //// our problem
boost_1_46_1\boost\xpressive\detail\static\static.hpp(104):    return *static_cast<stacked_xpression<Top, Next> const *>(&next);

Arno

--
Dr. Arno Schödl | aschoedl_at_[hidden]
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