Using variable number of float arguments

Question

I'm trying to implement a flexible constructor for my struct Polynomial :

struct Polynomial
{
    std::vector<float> coefficients;
    size_t degree;
};

The degree of the polynomial is variable. What I would like is to have a constructor like

Polynomial(float... _coefficients);

I've tried variadic template :

template<float... Args>
Polynomial(Args... args);

But float is a non-type, so I've done :

template<typename... Args>
Polynomial(Args... args);

But this allow my coefficients to be anything, not realy what I want. I know I could use :

Polynomial(size_t _degree, ...);

But it is really unsafe.

At the moment I'm using :

Polynomial(std::vector<float>);

But this force the call to be like :

Polynomial P({f1, f2, f3}); // with fn floats

So I would like to know if there is a good way to do this.

Thank you !

Answer 1

You can use initializer_list :

#include <vector>
#include <initializer_list>

struct Polynomial {
    std::vector<float> coeffs;
    std::size_t degree;

    Polynomial(std::initializer_list<float> init)
        : coeffs{ init }, degree(init.size()) { }
};

int main() {
    Polynomial p{ 1, 2, 3. };
}

Answer 2

Answering your question

I would like to know if there is a good way to do this

Yes, i think the way you are doing it it's more than acceptable. And even the syntax where you use it Polynomial P({f1, f2, f3}); isn't so ugly at all.

Furthermore, use std::vector is as efficient as variadic and much more comprehensible for others.

With the variadic approach, you will find difficult to force those types received to be float , but with std::vector you got it controlled

Answer 3

I think that your way (a vector parameter, or better (IMHO) an initializer list) is a good way.

Another way (simple but with drawbacks) could be the use of narrowing to be sure that Args... are float or types that can be narrowed to float . Something like

struct Polinomial
 {
   std::vector<double>  v;
   std::size_t          degree;

   template <typename ... Args>
   Polinomial (Args const & ... args)
      : v { float{args}... }, degree { sizeof...(Args) }
    { }
 };

It's simple and works, by example

Polinomial p { 2.3f, 3.5f, 6.7f };

but your constructor doesn't accept, by example, integer or double or long double values; so

Polinomial p { 2.3f, 3.5f, 6.7 };
// ........................^^^  double, error

Polinomial p { 2.3f, 3.5f, 6 };
// ........................^  int, error

and probably is too restrictive.

Answer 4

You can use a recursive template parameter processing. The general idea is to use a private method that adds first parameter to the coefficient vectors and recurse with other parameters until they have all been processed:

struct Polynomial
{
    template<class...Args>
    Polynomial(Args... coeffs) {
        init(coeffs...);
        degree = coefficients.size() - 1;
    }
    std::vector<float> coefficients;
    size_t degree;
private:
    void init(float coeff) {
        coefficients.push_back(coeff);
    }
    template<class...Args> void init(float first, Args...others) {
        init(first);
        init(others...);
    }
};

Answer 5

You have many options. You might want to look at the constructors of std::vector for inspiration. For example a templated constructor that takes two iterators is very flexible:

template<typename T>
Polynomial(T begin, T end) : coefficients(begin, end), degree(coefficients.size()) {}

auto init = std::vector<float>{2.0, 1.0, 4.0};
Polynomial p2{init.begin(), init.end()};

Or you could take a std::initializer_list<float> as Jodocus suggested.

You could have a templated constructor that takes any container type:

template<typename T>
Polynomial(T container) 
: coefficients(begin(container), end(container))
, degree(coefficients.size()) {}

auto init = std::vector<float>{2.0, 1.0, 4.0};
Polynomial p2{init};

Live demo .

Or you could provide a combination of different constructors to suit different needs.

Answer 6

The way you are doing it is a "good way". Imagine the caller wants to pass 100 coefficients. If you use variadics you force the caller to do something like that:

float c1,c2,c3,....c100;
// init them
Polynomial P(c1, c2, c3,....,c100);

If I was to use 100 coefficients I would certainly store them in a vector, and it would be rather cumbersome to pass them to your polynomial:

auto coeffs = std::vector<float>(100);
Polynomial P(coeffs[0],coeffs[1],....,coeffs[100]);

If however, you accept a vector, the caller can do both without pain:

Polynomial P({c1,c2,c2});
Polynomial P(coeffs);

On the other hand, using std::vector but not allowing a different container is an arbitrary restriction. The better way then would be to accept iterators, and let the caller do:

Polynomial P(coeffs.begin(),coeffs.end());