Lvalues, Rvalues, And Moving¶

Return Object Problem: Reference To Stack-Based Object ¶

Whole class of problems: lifetime of returned objects

const std::string& f() {
    std::string s{"blah"};
    return s;
}

warning: reference to local variable ‘s’ returned
     std::string s{"blah"};
       ^

const std::string& f() {
    return "blah";
}

warning: returning reference to temporary
     return "blah";
         ^

C string converted to std::string to match return type
Object’s home is on the stack
Returning reference to it
⟶ “undefined behavior”
Fortunately compilers can detect and warn

Return Object Problem: Solution: Copy ¶

Solution: return by copy

std::string f() {
    return "blah";
}

Before return, construct temporary from "blah"
During return, copy-construct receiver object
After return (during stack frame cleanup), destroy temporary
⟶ Performance

std::vector<int> f() {
    std::vector<int> v;
    int i=100000;
    while (i--)
        v.push_back(i);
    return v;
}

Move Semantics: Wish List ¶

Copy is expensive ⟶ want cheap move instead

What if the compiler could help out?

Compiler should do that for me (he knows that the local variable is not used anymore after return)
Determine automatically that an object cannot be used anymore
If so, call a special kind of constructor (move constructor) that takes ownership
Otherwise, insert copy constructor as usual

Theory: Lvalues ¶

Basically …

Anything that can be assigned to
Anything that has an address
Anything that can be dereferenced

int a = 42;
int b = 43;

a = b;
b = a;
a = a * b;

char* buffer = new char[1];
*buffer = 'a';              // <--- some expressions are lvalues
buffer[0] = 'a';            // <--- some expressions are lvalues

a * b = 42;                 // <--- some are not (error)

Theory: Rvalues ¶

Basically …

Anything that is not an lvalue is an rvalue

Temporaries

std::string("blah") = "blech";  // <--- error

Literal constants
```
42 = 666;  // <--- error
```

Function return values (that aren’t lvalue references)

std::string f();
f() = "blech";                  // <--- error

std::string& f();
f() = "blech";                  // <--- ok

Results of built-in operators that aren’t lvalues

int a = 1, b = 2;
a + b = 666;                    // <--- error

Lvalue References (The Good Old Ones)¶

Non-const lvalue references can only bind to lvalues

int a;
int& b = a;             // <--- ok
int& c = a * 2;         // <--- error: cannot bind to rvalue

Const lvalue references can bind to lvalue or rvalues

const int& r1 = a * 2;         // <--- ok: bind to rvalue
const std::string& r2 = f();   // <--- ok: bind to rvalue

⟶ Non-trivial: compiler has to set aside storage to outlive the reference

Rvalue References: So What Is That?¶

Double ampersand &&
Rvalue references can only bind to rvalues

And can be assigned to!

int&& rvr = 42;   // <--- bound to an rvalue (an int literal)
rvr = 42;         // <--- assigned to!

Cannot bind to lvalues

int a = 666;
int&& rvr = a;    // <--- error: cannot bind rvalue reference to lvalue

But rvalue references just don’t make sense as standalone variables
⟶ Preferred use as function parameters for overload resolution

Rvalue References As Function Parameters ¶

Semantics just the same as with standalone variables
⟶ Rvalue references can only bind to rvalues

void f(int&& param);

int a;
f(a);     // <--- error: cannot bind rvalue reference to lvalue
f(a*2);   // <--- ok: rvalue

Use Of Rvalue References Parameter Inside A Function: Is An Lvalue¶

Inside a function, and rvalue type parameter is an lvalue

It has a name, after all! And an address!

void f(int&& param);
void g(int&& param)
{
    f(param);   // <--- error: cannot bind rvalue reference to lvalue
}

Enter std::move

#include <utility>

void f(int&& param);
void g(int&& param)
{
    f(std::move(param));
}

Converts lvalue to rvalue
⟶ Object copy vs. object move

Enter Move Constructor And Move Assignment ¶

Compiler knows that after the return of a local variable that variable cannot be used anymore
⟶ inserts move constructor and/or move assignment operators

class foo
{
public:
    foo(foo&&) noexcept;
    foo& operator=(foo&&) noexcept;
};

Rules

Move constructor is implicitly defined by compiler as member- (and base-) wise move if there are no user-declared …
- Destructor
- Copy constructor
- Copy assignment operator
- Move assignment operator
Move assignment operator is implicitly defined by compiler as member- (and base-) wise move if there are no user-declared …
- Destructor
- Copy constructor
- Copy assignment operator
- Move constructor