Re: [Boost-users] [serialization] compile-time detection of whether serialization is implemented for a class

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [serialization] compile-time detection of whether serialization is implemented for a class
From: Ioannis Papadopoulos (ipapadop_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-02-16 15:27:37

On 02/16/2012 08:45 AM, Nelson, Erik - 2 wrote:
> I'm using the Serialization library and am trying to find a way to detect at compile-time whether or not serialization is implemented for a given type.  For example, if I have
>
> #include "boost/archive/binary_oarchive.hpp"
> #include<strstream>
>
> struct A{};
>
> void function()
> {
>     const A a;
>     std::strstream s;
>     boost::archive::binary_oarchive oa(s);
>     oa<<  a;
> }
>
> I get an error (as expected) along the lines of
>
> C:\work\boost\boost/serialization/access.hpp(118): error C2039: 'serialize' : is not a member of 'A'
>
> What I'd like is a compile-time way of detecting that 'A' is not serializable, maybe Boost Type Traits-style, something like
>
> is_serializable<A>::value or is_serializable<binary_oarchive, A>::value that can detect whether or not the object has serialization available.
>
> If it could work for testing pointer serialization as well (is_serializable<A*>::value or is_ptr_serializable<A>::value) that would be doubly super.
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Erik
>
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I was trying to do something like that before. The problem is that
1) serialize() might be private so any metaprogramming trick you are 
going to try will be met with a compiler error
2) how do you detect if serialization is supported using a non-intrusive 
way? I made a relevant question some time ago and requires decltype :(

Some additional discussion: 
http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2010/10/172236.php

Bottom line, I don't think it can happen without assistance from 
Boost.Serialization