8366057: HotSpot Style Guide should permit trailing return types

Reviewed-by: dholmes, stefank, kvn, adinn, jsjolen
This commit is contained in:
Kim Barrett 2025-09-10 03:30:16 +00:00
parent 53b3e0567d
commit af9b9050ec
2 changed files with 85 additions and 4 deletions

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@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ Standard Library</a></li>
Deduction</a></li>
<li><a href="#expression-sfinae" id="toc-expression-sfinae">Expression
SFINAE</a></li>
<li><a href="#trailing-return-type-syntax-for-functions"
id="toc-trailing-return-type-syntax-for-functions">Trailing return type
syntax for functions</a></li>
<li><a href="#non-type-template-parameter-values"
id="toc-non-type-template-parameter-values">Non-type template parameter
values</a></li>
@ -719,11 +722,14 @@ href="http://wg21.link/p0127r2">p0127r2</a>)<br> <code>auto</code> may
be used as a placeholder for the type of a non-type template parameter.
The type is deduced from the value provided in a template
instantiation.</p></li>
<li><p>Function return type deduction (<a
</ul>
<p><a name="function-return-type-deduction"></a> * Function return type
deduction (<a
href="https://isocpp.org/files/papers/N3638.html">n3638</a>)<br> Only
use if the function body has a very small number of <code>return</code>
statements, and generally relatively little other code.</p></li>
<li><p>Class template argument deduction (<a
statements, and generally relatively little other code.</p>
<ul>
<li>Class template argument deduction (<a
href="http://wg21.link/n3602">n3602</a>, <a
href="http://wg21.link/p0091r3">p0091r3</a>)<br> The template arguments
of a class template may be deduced from the arguments to a constructor.
@ -736,7 +742,7 @@ harder to understand, because explicit type information is lacking. But
it can also remove the need to be explicit about types that are either
obvious, or that are very hard to write. For example, these allow the
addition of a scope-guard mechanism with nice syntax; something like
this</p></li>
this</li>
</ul>
<pre><code> ScopeGuard guard{[&amp;]{ ... cleanup code ... }};</code></pre>
<ul>
@ -771,6 +777,44 @@ class="uri">https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=95468</a><br>
<a
href="https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/396562/sizeof-deduced-type-is-sometimes-not-a-constant-ex.html"
class="uri">https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/396562/sizeof-deduced-type-is-sometimes-not-a-constant-ex.html</a></p>
<h3 id="trailing-return-type-syntax-for-functions">Trailing return type
syntax for functions</h3>
<p>A function's return type may be specified after the parameters and
qualifiers (<a
href="http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2008/n2541.htm">n2541</a>).
In such a declaration the normal return type is <code>auto</code> and
the return type is indicated by <code>-&gt;</code> followed by the type.
Although both use <code>auto</code> in the "normal" leading return type
position, this differs from <a
href="#function-return-type-deduction">function return type
deduction</a>, in that the return type is explicit rather than deduced,
but specified in a trailing position.</p>
<p>Use of trailing return types is permitted. However, the normal,
leading position for the return type is preferred. A trailing return
type should only be used where it provides some benefit. Such benefits
usually arise because a trailing return type is in a different scope
than a leading return type.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>If the function identifier is a nested name specifier, then the
trailing return type occurs in the nested scope. This may permit simpler
naming in the return type because of the different name lookup
context.</p></li>
<li><p>The trailing return type is in the scope of the parameters,
making their types accessible via <code>decltype</code>. For
example</p></li>
</ul>
<pre><code>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt; auto add(T t, U u) -&gt; decltype(t + u);</code></pre>
<p>rather than</p>
<pre><code>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt; decltype((*(T*)0) + (*(U*)0)) add(T t, U u);</code></pre>
<ul>
<li>Complex calculated leading return types may obscure the normal
syntactic boundaries, making it more difficult for a reader to find the
function name and parameters. This is particularly common in cases where
the return type is being used for <a
href="https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/sfinae"
title="Substitution Failure Is Not An Error">SFINAE</a>. A trailing
return type may be preferable in such situations.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="non-type-template-parameter-values">Non-type template parameter
values</h3>
<p>C++17 extended the arguments permitted for non-type template

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@ -642,6 +642,7 @@ use can make code much harder to understand.
parameter. The type is deduced from the value provided in a template
instantiation.
<a name="function-return-type-deduction"></a>
* Function return type deduction
([n3638](https://isocpp.org/files/papers/N3638.html))<br>
Only use if the function body has a very small number of `return`
@ -691,6 +692,42 @@ Here are a few closely related example bugs:<br>
<https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=95468><br>
<https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/396562/sizeof-deduced-type-is-sometimes-not-a-constant-ex.html>
### Trailing return type syntax for functions
A function's return type may be specified after the parameters and qualifiers
([n2541](http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2008/n2541.htm)).
In such a declaration the normal return type is `auto` and the return type is
indicated by `->` followed by the type. Although both use `auto` in the
"normal" leading return type position, this differs from
[function return type deduction](#function-return-type-deduction),
in that the return type is explicit rather than deduced, but specified in a
trailing position.
Use of trailing return types is permitted. However, the normal, leading
position for the return type is preferred. A trailing return type should only
be used where it provides some benefit. Such benefits usually arise because a
trailing return type is in a different scope than a leading return type.
* If the function identifier is a nested name specifier, then the trailing
return type occurs in the nested scope. This may permit simpler naming in the
return type because of the different name lookup context.
* The trailing return type is in the scope of the parameters, making their
types accessible via `decltype`. For example
```
template<typename T, typename U> auto add(T t, U u) -> decltype(t + u);
```
rather than
```
template<typename T, typename U> decltype((*(T*)0) + (*(U*)0)) add(T t, U u);
```
* Complex calculated leading return types may obscure the normal syntactic
boundaries, making it more difficult for a reader to find the function name and
parameters. This is particularly common in cases where the return type is
being used for [SFINAE]. A trailing return type may be preferable in such
situations.
### Non-type template parameter values
C++17 extended the arguments permitted for non-type template parameters