Nameof C++

A header-only C++17 library that provides nameof macros and functions for obtaining the name of a variable, type, function, macro, or enum.

Documentation

• Reference
• Limitations
• Custom names
• 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__"
  
  // Obtains full name of variable, function, macro.
  NAMEOF_FULL(somevar.some_method<int>()) -> "some_method<int>"
  
  // Obtains raw expression text.
  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 value.
  NAMEOF_ENUM(color) -> "RED"
  nameof::nameof_enum(color) -> "RED"
  
  // Name of enum value known at compile time.
  // This version has a lower compile-time cost and is not restricted by the enum_range limitation.
  NAMEOF_ENUM_CONST(Color::GREEN) -> "GREEN"
  nameof::nameof_enum<Color::GREEN>() -> "GREEN"
  
  enum AnimalFlags { HasClaws = 1, CanFly = 2, EatsFish = 4 };
  
  // Enum flag value to string.
  auto flag = static_cast<AnimalFlags>(CanFly | EatsFish);
  NAMEOF_ENUM_FLAG(flag) -> "CanFly|EatsFish"
  nameof::nameof_enum_flag(flag, '$') -> "CanFly$EatsFish"
  
  // Obtains name of enum value or default value if no name is available.
  NAMEOF_ENUM_OR(Color::GREEN, "none") -> "GREEN"
  NAMEOF_ENUM_OR((Color)0, "none") -> "none"
  nameof::nameof_enum_or(Color::GREEN, "none") -> "GREEN"
  

• Nameof type

  Exact type spellings are compiler-specific.

  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();
  // Obtains type name using RTTI.
  NAMEOF_TYPE_RTTI(*ptr) -> "my::detail::Derived"
  NAMEOF_FULL_TYPE_RTTI(*ptr) -> "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;
  const int someglobalconstvariable = 42;
  // 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) -> "someglobalvariable"
  nameof::nameof_pointer<global_ptr>() -> "someglobalvariable"
  

Integration

• Single header: add nameof.hpp to your project.

• CMake package:

  find_package(nameof CONFIG REQUIRED)
  target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE nameof::nameof)
  

• vcpkg: install the nameof package with vcpkg install nameof.

• Conan: add nameof/x.y.z to the requires section, where x.y.z is the required release version.

• AUR: install nameof with an AUR helper, for example yay -S nameof.

• CPM:

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

Compiler compatibility

nameof requires C++17 or newer and supports:

• Clang/LLVM >= 5
• GCC >= 9
• Visual Studio >= 2017

See the reference for feature-specific requirements.

Licensed under the MIT License