Neargye / nameof

Nameof operator for modern C++, simply obtain the name of a variable, type, function, macro, and enum

Nameof C++

Header-only C++17 library provides nameof macros and functions to simply obtain the name of a variable, type, function, macro, and enum.

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Documentation

• Reference
• Limitations
• Integration

Features & Examples

• Nameof

  // Name of variable.
  NAMEOF(somevar) -> "somevar"
  
  // Name of member variable.
  NAMEOF(person.address.zip_code) -> "zip_code"
  
  // Name of function.
  NAMEOF(foo<int, float>()) -> "foo"
  
  // Name of member function.
  NAMEOF(somevar.some_method()) -> "some_method"
  NAMEOF(somevar.some_method<int>()) -> "some_method"
  
  // Name of macro.
  NAMEOF(__LINE__) -> "__LINE__"
  NAMEOF(NAMEOF(structvar)) -> "NAMEOF"
  
  // Obtains full name of variable, function, macro.
  NAMEOF_FULL(somevar.some_method<int>()) -> "some_method<int>"
  
  // Obtains raw name of variable, function, macro.
  NAMEOF_RAW(somevar.some_method<int>()) -> "somevar.some_method<int>()"

• Nameof enum

  enum class Color { RED = 1, BLUE = 2, GREEN = 4 };
  
  auto color = Color::RED;
  // Name of enum variable.
  NAMEOF_ENUM(color) -> "RED"
  nameof::nameof_enum(color) -> "RED"
  
  // Static storage enum variable to string.
  // This version is much lighter on the compile times and is not restricted to the enum_range limitation.
  NAMEOF_ENUM_CONST(Color::GREEN) -> "GREEN"
  nameof::nameof_enum<Color::GREEN>() -> "GREEN"
  
  // Enum flags variable to string.
  NAMEOF_ENUM_FLAG(Color::GREEN | Color::BLUE) -> "GREEN|BLUE"
  nameof::nameof_enum_flag<Color::GREEN | Color::BLUE>() -> "GREEN|BLUE"
  
  // Obtains name of enum variable or default value if enum variable out of range.
  NAMEOF_ENUM_OR(Color::GREEN) -> "GREEN"
  NAMEOF_ENUM_OR((Color)0, "none") -> "none"

• Nameof type

  const my::detail::SomeClass<int>& var_ref = var;
  // Name of variable type.
  NAMEOF_TYPE_EXPR(var_ref) -> "my::detail::SomeClass<int>"
  nameof::nameof_type<decltype(var_ref)>() -> "my::detail::SomeClass<int>"
  NAMEOF_FULL_TYPE_EXPR(var_ref) -> "const my::detail::SomeClass<int>&"
  nameof::nameof_full_type<decltype(var_ref)>() -> "const my::detail::SomeClass<int>&"
  NAMEOF_SHORT_TYPE_EXPR(var_ref) -> "SomeClass"
  nameof::nameof_short_type<decltype(var_ref)>() -> "SomeClass"
  
  using T = const my::detail::SomeClass<int>&;
  // Name of type.
  NAMEOF_TYPE(T) ->"my::detail::SomeClass<int>"
  nameof::nameof_type<T>() -> "my::detail::SomeClass<int>"
  NAMEOF_FULL_TYPE(T) -> "const my::detail::SomeClass<int>&"
  nameof::nameof_full_type<T>() -> "const my::detail::SomeClass<int>&"
  NAMEOF_SHORT_TYPE(T) -> "SomeClass"
  nameof::nameof_short_type<T>() -> "SomeClass"
  
  my::detail::Base* ptr = new my::detail::Derived();
  // Name of type, using rtti.
  NAMEOF_TYPE_RTTI(*ptr) -> "my::detail::Derived"
  NAMEOF_FULL_TYPE_RTTI(*ptr) -> "volatile const my::detail::Derived&"
  NAMEOF_SHORT_TYPE_RTTI(*ptr) -> "Derived"
  
  struct A {
    int this_is_the_name;
  };
  // Obtains name of member.
  NAMEOF_MEMBER(&A::this_is_the_name) -> "this_is_the_name"
  nameof::nameof_member(&A::this_is_the_name) -> "this_is_the_name"
  
  int someglobalvariable = 0;
  // Obtains name of a function, a global or class static variable.
  NAMEOF_POINTER(&someglobalconstvariable) == "someglobalconstvariable"
  nameof::nameof_pointer(&someglobalconstvariable) == "someglobalconstvariable"
  
  constexpr auto global_ptr = &someglobalvariable;
  NAMEOF_POINTER(global_ptr) == "someglobalconstvariable"
  nameof::nameof_pointer(global_ptr) == "someglobalconstvariable"

Remarks

• Before use, read the limitations of functionality.

Integration

You should add required file nameof.hpp.

If you are using vcpkg on your project for external dependencies, then you can use the nameof package.

If you are using Conan to manage your dependencies, merely add nameof/x.y.z to your conan's requires, where x.y.z is the release version you want to use.

Archlinux users can install nameof by package manager AUR, using the following command: yay -S nameof.

Alternatively, you can use something like CPM which is based on CMake's Fetch_Content module.

CPMAddPackage(
    NAME nameof
    GITHUB_REPOSITORY Neargye/nameof
    GIT_TAG x.y.z # Where `x.y.z` is the release version you want to use.
)

Compiler compatibility

Check in the reference for each features.

Licensed under the MIT License