stdany

Stdany is a term used in several contexts with no single, universally accepted definition. In programming discussions, it is most often a misspelling or informal variant of std::any, the C++ standard library component introduced in C++17.

In C++, std::any provides a type-erased container capable of holding a value of any copy-constructible type. It stores the value in an opaque container and offers runtime type information and the ability to retrieve the stored value through type-safe casts or type checks. Typical operations include has_value, type, and any_cast, as well as utilities to reset or emplace a new value. The design aims to support storing heterogeneous values while maintaining type safety at retrieval time.

Beyond C++, stdany may appear as the name of a library, project, or teaching example that illustrates the concept of a generic value wrapper capable of holding and retrieving values of arbitrary types. In such uses, the implementation details vary by project and language, and the interface may be built using templates, type erasure techniques, or simpler dynamic approaches.

Because stdany is not a standardized term in itself, interpretations depend on context. The most common association is with std::any in C++, but the word is also used informally to refer to similar generic-value wrappers elsewhere. When encountered in code or documentation, readers should consult the specific project’s documentation to understand the intended API and semantics.

See also: std::any, type erasure, generic programming, any_cast, dynamic type.