Can I write something that uses type deduction as in make_tuple?

Question

I can either write make_tuple<int,bool>(1,true) or write make_tuple(1,true) and the compiler will deduce it's types. Is this ability available for code I write or is it somehow built into the compiler to which I can't access?

Answer 1

Template argument deduction (the proper name for this) is mandated by the standard for all function templates. The process that should be followed is explained in C++11, section 14.8.2.

Answer 2

Here's an example:

template <typename... Ts>
tuple<Ts...> my_make_tuple(Ts... ts)
{
    return tuple<Ts...>(ts...);
}

NOTE: This doesn't use perfect forwarding or any other tricks. It's just an example of how you can write your own function that does argument deduction.

Answer 3

Compiler will be able to deduce the types provided that deduction is unambiguous. Otherwise, you may need to provide hint for compiler in form of those template arguments.

Answer 4

The make_tuple function is just a normal function template. You could do the same thing yourself.