“Cannot convert parameter” using boost::variant iterator

Question

I want to create a function that can take different types of iterators which store the same type of object:
The first is a std::map containing shared_ptr<Foo> (typedef-ed as FooMap) and the other is a std::list which also contains shared_ptr<Foo> (FooList).

I really like the solution MSalters suggested for a similar question and tried to implement boost::variant iterators, which the function will get as parameters to iterate from the first to the second.

My function looks like this (simplified quite a bit):

set<Foo> CMyClass::GetUniqueFoos(FooIterator itBegin, FooIterator itEnd)
{
    set<Foo> uniques;
    for(/**/;
        apply_visitor(do_compare(), itBegin, itEnd);  // equals "itBegin != itEnd"
        apply_visitor(do_increment(), itBegin))       // equals "++itBegin"
    {
        // Exact mechanism for determining if unique is omitted for clarity
        uniques.insert( do_dereference< shared_ptr<Foo> >(), itBegin) );
    }

    return uniques;
}

The FooIterator and the visitors are defined as follows:

typedef
    boost::variant<
        FooMap::const_iterator,
        FooList::const_iterator>
    FooIterator;

struct do_compare : boost::static_visitor<bool>
{
    bool operator() (
        const FooMap::const_iterator & a,
        const FooMap::const_iterator & b) const
    { return a != b; }

    bool operator() (
        const FooList::const_iterator & a,
        const FooList::const_iterator & b) const
    { return a != b; }
};

struct do_increment: boost::static_visitor<void>
{
    template<typename T>
    void operator()( T& t ) const
    { ++t; }
};

template< typename Reference >
struct do_dereference: boost::static_visitor<Reference>
{
    template<typename T>
    Reference operator()( const T& t ) const
    { return *t; }
};

I got most of the above from the attachment of this mail. That solution also uses adaptors and policies, which seems to be a little too much, according to the answer of MSalters, so I don't want to simply copy that code. Especially as I only understand part of it.

With the above code I get the following compiler error from VS2008 (this is only the first few lines of 160 in total, which I think is a bit too much to post here; however I'll be happy to add them If somebody wants to see it all):

1>c:\boost\boost\variant\detail\apply_visitor_binary.hpp(63) :
 error C2664: 'bool CMyClass::do_compare::operator ()(
 const std::list<_Ty>::_Const_iterator<_Secure_validation> &,
 const std::list<_Ty>::_Const_iterator<_Secure_validation> &) const' :
 cannot convert parameter 1 from 'T0' to
 'const std::list<_Ty>::_Const_iterator<_Secure_validation> &'
1>        with
1>        [
1>            _Ty=shared_ptr<Foo>,
1>            _Secure_validation=true
1>        ]
1>        Reason: cannot convert from 'T0' to 'const std::list<_Ty>::_Const_iterator<_Secure_validation>'
1>        with
1>        [
1>            _Ty=shared_ptr<Foo>,
1>            _Secure_validation=true
1>        ]
1>        No user-defined-conversion operator available that can perform this conversion, or the operator cannot be called
1>        c:\boost\boost\variant\variant.hpp(806) : see reference to function template instantiation 'bool boost::detail::variant::apply_visitor_binary_invoke<Visitor,Value1>::operator ()<T>(Value2 &)' being compiled
1>        with
1>        [
1>            Visitor=const CMyClass::do_compare,
1>            Value1=T0,
1>            T=T1,
1>            Value2=T1
1>        ]
[...]

What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

I suspect you are missing cases on your do_compare static_visitor. Remeber, the variants might have anything, so you need all possible combinations, like comparing a FooList::const_iterator to a FooMap::const_iterator. It's complaining because the compiler is trying to find some match for that case, and can't convert a FooMap::const_iterator to a FooList::const_iterator.

Hammering it out:

struct do_compare : boost::static_visitor<bool>
{
    bool operator() (
        const FooMap::const_iterator & a,
        const FooMap::const_iterator & b) const
    { return a != b; }

    bool operator() (
        const FooList::const_iterator & a,
        const FooList::const_iterator & b) const
    { return a != b; }

    bool operator() (
        const FooMap::const_iterator & a,
        const FooList::const_iterator & b) const
    { return false; }

    bool operator() (
        const FooList::const_iterator & a,
        const FooMap::const_iterator & b) const
    { return false; }
};

Here's a version with templates:

template <typename A, typename B>
bool operator() (
    const A & a,
    const B & b) const
{ return false; }

template <typename A>
bool operator() (
    const A & a,
    const A & b) const
{ return a != b; }

It's compiling on comeau, but I'm not 100% it will work, so some testing is required. Other than cleaner, more versatile code, it shouldn't have any effect, as long as it works.