C++03 – Moving a Vector into a Class Member Through Constructor

c++c++03move-semanticsvector

I only have access to C++03 and I often want to move a vector into a function the way you can do it in C++11. The question how to do it not to confuse the user of the code too much. So my question is how did programmers do it before C++11.

I know that vector can be "moved" using swap function. So here is what I have come up with: 

class Foo
{
public:
    Foo(std::vector<int>& vec)
    {
        using std::swap;
        swap(vec, m_vec);   // "move" vec into member vector
    }

private:
    std::vector<int> m_vec;
};

// usage:
std::vector<int> v(100, 1337);
Foo foo(v);
// v.empty() == true

The problem with this approach is that its not evident to the user that their vector will be moved into the class Foo. Is there a best practice solution to this kind of problem? Thanks in advance!

Best Answer

You could define a type wrapping a reference, and a function to wrap it, to give something similar to move semantics at the call site. Something along the lines of

template <typename T> struct move_ref {
    explicit move_ref(T & ref) : ref(ref) {}
    T & ref;
};

template <typename T> move_ref<T> move(T & t) {return move_ref<T>(t);}

Foo(move_ref< std::vector<int> > vec)
{
    using std::swap;
    swap(vec.ref, m_vec);   // "move" vec into member vector
}

Foo foo(move(v));

Alternatively, Boost has a library to allow move semantics without C++11.

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