P1102R1
Down with ()!

1. Revision History

EWG discussed this change as [EWG135] in Lenexa and voted 15 to 1 on forwarding to core. It became [CWG2121], discussed in Kona and needed someone to volunteer wording. This paper presents text that implements that decision, for consideration.

[P1102R0] was published in June 2018. It was discussed on the EWG reflector in June 2018, Nina Ranns provided feedback, and EWG chair agreed that the paper should move to CWG directly given previous polls.

P1102R1 responds to feedback about ambiguous requires-clauses from Hubert Tong.

2. Introduction and motivation

Currently, C++ lambdas with no parameters do not require a parameter declaration clause. The specification even contains this language in [expr.prim.lambda] section 8.4.5 ❡4:

If a lambda-expression does not include a lambda-declarator, it is as if the lambda-declarator were ().

This allows us to omit the unused () in simple lambdas such as this:

std::string s1 = "abc";
auto withParen = [s1 = std::move(s1)] () {
  std::cout << s1 << '\n'; 
};

std::string s2 = "abc";
auto noSean = [s2 = std::move(s2)] { // Note no syntax error.
  std::cout << s2 << '\n'; 
};

These particular lambdas have ownership of the strings, so they ought to be able to mutate it, but s1 and s2 are const (because the const operator is declared const by default) so we need to add the mutable keyword:

std::string s1 = "abc";
auto withParen = [s1 = std::move(s1)] () mutable {
  s1 += "d";
  std::cout << s1 << '\n'; 
};

std::string s2 = "abc";
auto noSean = [s2 = std::move(s2)] mutable { // Currently a syntax error.
  s2 += "d";
  std::cout << s2 << '\n'; 
};

Confusingly, the current Standard requires the empty parens when using the mutable keyword. This rule is unintuitive, causes common syntax errors, and clutters our code. When compiling with clang, we even get a syntax error that indicates the compiler knows exactly what is going on:

example.cpp:11:54: error: lambda requires '()' before 'mutable'
auto noSean = [s2 = std::move(s2)] mutable { // Currently a syntax error.
                                   ^
                                   () 
1 error generated.

This proposal would make these parentheses unnecessary like they were before we added mutable. This will apply to:

• lambda template parameters

• constexpr

• mutable

• Exception specifications and noexcept

• attributes

• trailing return types

• requires

3. Impact

This change will not break existing code.

4. Wording

Modify Lambda expressions [expr.prim.lambda] as follows:

lambda-expression :
lambda-introducer lambda-parameter-list_opt lambda-declarator_opt lambda-specifiers
compound-statement
lambda-introducer < template-parameter-list > requires-clause_opt
lambda-parameter-list-and-specifiers_optlambda-declarator_opt compound-statement
lambda-introducer :
[ lambda-capture_opt ]
lambda-parameter-list :
( parameter-declaration-clause )
lambda-parameter-list-and-specifiers :
lambda-parameter-list lambda-specifiers
lambda-declarator lambda-specifiers :
( parameter-declaration-clause ) decl-specifier-seq_opt
noexcept-specifier_opt attribute-specifier-seq_opt trailing-return-type_opt requires-clause_opt

Because parts of lambda-declarator have been renamed to lambda-parameter-list and lambda-specifiers, each reference to lambda-declarator must be updated.

Modify Function parameter scope [basic.scope.param] ❡1:

A function parameter (including one appearing in a lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list ) or function-local predefined variable (9.5) has function parameter scope. [...]

Modify Lambda expressions [expr.prim.lambda.general] ❡3:

In the decl-specifier-seq of the lambda-declarator lambda-specifiers , each decl-specifier shall be one of mutable, constexpr, or consteval.

Modify Lambda expressions [expr.prim.lambda.general] ❡4:

If a lambda-expression does not include a lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list , it is as if the lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list were (). The lambda return type is auto, which is replaced by the type specified by the trailing-return-type if provided and/or deduced from return statements as described in 9.2.9.6.

Modify Closure types [expr.prim.lambda.closure] ❡2 Note 1:

This determines the set of namespaces and classes associated with the closure type (6.5.3). The parameter types of a lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list do not affect these associated namespaces and classes.

Modify Closure types [expr.prim.lambda.closure] ❡3:

[...] The trailing requires-clause of the function call operator or operator template is the requires-clause following the lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list , if any.

Modify Closure types [expr.prim.lambda.closure] ❡4:

[...] An attribute-specifier-seq in a lambda-declarator lambda-specifiers appertains to the type of the corresponding function call operator or operator template. [...]

Modify Closure types [expr.prim.lambda.closure] ❡4 Note 3:

Names referenced in the lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list are looked up in the context in which the lambda-expression appears.

Modify Captures [expr.prim.lambda.capture] ❡5:

If an identifier in a simple-capture appears as the declarator-id of a parameter of the lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list ’s parameter-declaration-clause, the program is ill-formed.

Modify Default arguments [dcl.fct.default] ❡3:

A default argument shall be specified only in the parameter-declaration-clause of a function declaration or lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list or in a template-parameter (13.2); in the latter case, the initializer-clause shall be an assignment-expression. [...]

Modify Name resolution [temp.res.general] ❡5.2.5:

parameter-declaration in a lambda-declarator lambda-parameter-list or requirement-parameter-list, unless that parameter-declaration appears in a default argument, or