stdconvert

Stdconvert is a hypothetical or proposed C++ standard library facility intended to provide safe, explicit type conversions between arbitrary types. It aims to complement or replace traditional C-style casts and static_cast by offering a uniform, template-based API with compile-time checks and optional runtime safety features. The goal is to improve correctness and readability of conversions across the standard library and user code.

The core API would reside in a conversion namespace or a designated std::convert facility, typically exposing a function template such as convert<To, From>(From const& value) -> To, or a function object that can be configured for different conversion policies. The design emphasizes explicitness and constraint-driven dispatch, using concepts or type traits to restrict valid conversions at compile time. Optional runtime checks may be provided for narrowing, overflow, or loss of information, allowing developers to opt into stronger safety guarantees.

Usage patterns focus on arithmetic type conversions with predictable semantics, conversions for user-defined types via converting constructors or operator conversions, and string-to-number or number-to-string transformations, potentially with locale-aware options. The API would interoperate with existing standard facilities, leveraging type_traits and constexpr evaluation to enable efficient, zero-cost abstractions where possible and to facilitate clear error reporting when conversions fail.

Status and reception: stdconvert is not part of the ISO C++ standard as of 2024. It appears mainly in proposals and design discussions as a means to centralize conversion semantics and reduce unsafe casting. Supporters highlight improved safety, consistency, and error diagnostics, while critics point to API complexity and potential performance implications. See also: C++ type conversions, static_cast, from_chars, to_chars, type_traits.