[/============================================================================== Copyright (C) 2001-2010 Joel de Guzman Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Dan Marsden Copyright (C) 2001-2010 Thomas Heller Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt) ===============================================================================/] [section Lazy Operators] You can use the usual set of operators to form expressions. Examples: arg1 * arg1 ref(x) = arg1 + ref(z) arg1 = arg2 + (3 * arg3) ref(x) = arg1[arg2] // assuming arg1 is indexable and arg2 is a valid index Note the expression: `3 * arg3`. This expression is actually a short-hand equivalent to: `val(3) * arg3`. In most cases, like above, you can get away with it. But in some cases, you will have to explicitly wrap your values in `val`. Rules of thumb: * In a binary expression (e.g. `3 * arg3`), at least one of the operands must be a phoenix primitive or expression. * In a unary expression (e.g. `arg1++`), the single operand must be a phoenix primitive or expression. If these basic rules are not followed, the result is either an error, or is immediately evaluated. Some examples: ref(x) = 123 // lazy x = 123 // immediate ref(x)[0] // lazy x[0] // immediate ref(x)[ref(i)] // lazy ref(x)[i] // lazy (equivalent to ref(x)[val(i)]) x[ref(i)] // illegal (x is not a phoenix primitive or expression) ref(x[ref(i)]) // illegal (x is not a phoenix primitive or expression) Why are the last two expression illegal? Although `operator[]` looks as much like a binary operator as `operator=` above it; the difference is that the former must be a member (i.e. `x` must have an `operator[]` that takes a phoenix primitive or expression as its argument). This will most likely not be the case. [blurb __tip__ Learn more about operators [link phoenix.modules.operator here.]] [heading First Practical Example] We've covered enough ground to present a real world example. We want to find the first odd number in an STL container. Normally we use a functor (function object) or a function pointer and pass that in to STL's `find_if` generic function: Write a function: bool is_odd(int arg1) { return arg1 % 2 == 1; } Pass a pointer to the function to STL's `find_if` algorithm: std::find_if(c.begin(), c.end(), &is_odd) Using Phoenix, the same can be achieved directly with a one-liner: std::find_if(c.begin(), c.end(), arg1 % 2 == 1) The expression `arg1 % 2 == 1` automagically creates a functor with the expected behavior. In FP, this unnamed function is called a lambda function. Unlike the function pointer version, which is monomorphic (expects and works only with a fixed type int argument), the Phoenix version is fully polymorphic and works with any container (of ints, of longs, of bignum, etc.) as long as its elements can handle the `arg1 % 2 == 1` expression. (See [@../../example/find_if.cpp find_if.cpp]) [blurb __tip__ ...[*That's it, we're done]. Well if you wish to know a little bit more, read on...] [endsect]