XXXXR0
views::cartesian_product

Draft Proposal,

This version:
http://wg21.link/PXXXX
Author:
Sy Brand (sy.brand at microsoft dot com)
Audience:
LEWG
Project:
ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG21 14882: Programming Language — C++

Abstract

This paper proposes std::ranges::cartesian_product_view for taking the cartesian product of multiple forward ranges.

1. Motivation

Cartesian product is a fundamental mathematical construct. There should be a cartesian_product_view which generates the cartesian product of any number of ranges, e.g.:

Before After
std::vector<int> a,b,c;
for (auto&& ea : a) {
    for (auto&& eb : b) {
        for (auto&& ec : c) {
            use(ea,eb,ec);
        }
    }
}
std::vector<int> a,b,c;
for (auto&& [ea,eb,ec] : std::views::cartesian_product(a,b,c)) {
    use(ea,eb,ec);
}

This is especially useful for composing with other views, or dealing with parameter packs of ranges:

Before After
template <std::size_t N = 0, class F, 
          class Res, class Tuple, class... Args>
auto find_tuples_satisfying_impl(
    F f, Res& res, Tuple const& ranges, Args const&... args)
requires(N == std::tuple_size_v<std::remove_cvref_t<Tuple>>) {
  if (std::invoke(f, args...)) {
    res.push_back(std::make_tuple(args...));
  }
}

template <std::size_t N = 0, class F, 
          class Res, class Tuple, class... Args>
auto find_tuples_satisfying_impl(
    F f, Res& res, Tuple const& ranges, Args const&... args) {
  for (auto&& e : std::get<N>(ranges)) {
    find_tuples_satisfying_impl<N+1>(f, res, ranges, args..., e);
  }
}

template <class F, std::ranges::forward_range... Vs>
requires(std::regular_invocable<
          F, std::ranges::range_reference_t<Vs>...>)
auto find_tuples_satisfying(F f, Vs&&... vs) {
  std::vector<std::tuple<std::ranges::range_value_t<Vs>...>> res;
  find_tuples_satisfying_impl(
        f, res, std::tuple(std::forward<Vs&&>(vs)...));
  return res;
}
template <class F, std::ranges::forward_range... Vs>
requires(std::regular_invocable<F, 
          std::ranges::range_reference_t<Vs>...>)
auto find_tuples_satisfying(F f, Vs&&... vs) {
  return std::views::cartesian_product(std::forward<Vs>(vs)...) 
    | std::views::filter([f](auto&& tuple) { return std::apply(f, tuple); });)
    | std::ranges::to<std::vector>(); //given P1206
}

2. Design

2.1. Minimum Range Requirements

This paper requires all ranges passed to cartesian_product_view to be forward ranges. It would be possible to implement the type such that exactly one of the ranges could be an input range, but we don’t consider this use-case strong enough for the implementation burden.

2.2. Tuple or pair

A potential design would be to use std::tuple as the value_type and reference_type of cartesian_product_view. This paper uses std::pair if two ranges are passed and std::tuple otherwise. See p2321 for motivation.

2.3. reference_type

This paper uses tuple-or-pair<ranges::reference_t<Vs>...> as the reference type. See p2214 for discussion of value types (particularly pair and tuple) as the reference_type for ranges, and p2321 for wording of improvements for key use-cases.

2.4. Empty cartesian product view

Trying to take the cartesian product view of 0 views will produce an empty_view<tuple<>>, in parity with Range-v3 and p2321.

2.5. Common Range

cartesian_product_view can be a common range either if all the underlying ranges are common, or if the underlying ranges are all sized and random access. This paper reflects this.

2.6. Bidirectional Range

cartesian_product_view can be a bidirectional range if the underlying ranges are bidirectional and common, or if they are random access and sized. Non-common bidirectional ranges are not supported because decrementing when one of the iterators is at the beginning of its range would require advancing the iterator to end, which may be linear in complexity.

We don’t consider non-common, random access, sized ranges as worth supporting, so this paper requires bidirectional and common.

2.7. Random Access Range

cartesian_product_view can be a random access range if all the underlying ranges are random access and sized. Sized ranges are required because when the view is incremented, the new states of the iterators are calculated modulo the size of their views.

We can’t think of too many use-cases for this and it adds a fair bit of implementation burden, but this paper supports the necessary operations.

2.8. Sized Range

cartesian_product_view can be a sized range if all the underlying ranges are, in which case the size is the product of all underlying sizes. This is reflected in the paper.

2.9. Naming

An alternative name is std::ranges::product_view. This paper uses cartesian_product_view as we believe it is more explicit in what its semantics are.

2.10. Pipe Support

It may be possible to support syntax such as vec1 | views::cartesian_product(vec2) by either fixing the number of arguments allowed to the view, or adding a pipe operator to cartesian_product_view itself.

However, it’s problematic for the same reason as views::zip, in that one cannot distinguish between the usages in a | views::cartesian_product(b, c) and views::cartesian_product(b,c) on its own. As such, this paper does not support this syntax.

3. Implementation

There are implementations of a cartesian product view in Range-v3, cor3ntin::rangesnext, and tl::ranges, among others.

4. Wording

4.1. Cartesian Product view [range.cartesian]

4.1.1. Overview [range.cartesian.overview]

cartesian_product_view presents a view with a value type that represents the cartesian product of the adapted ranges.

The name views::cartesian_product denotes a customization point object. Given a pack of subexpressions Es..., the expression views::cartesian_product(Es...) is expression-equivalent to

[Example:

std::vector<int> v { 0, 1, 2 };
for (auto&& [a,b,c] : std::views::cartesian_product(v, v, v)) {
  std::cout << a << ' ' << b << ' ' << c << '\n';
  //0 0 0
  //0 0 1
  //0 0 2
  //0 1 0
  //0 1 1
  //...
}
-- end example ]

4.1.2. Class template cartesian_product_view [range.cartesian.view]

namespace std::ranges {
    template <class... Vs>
    concept cartesian-product-is-random-access = //exposition only
      ((random_access_range<Vs> && ...) && 
            (sized_range<Vs> && ...));

    template <class... Vs>
    concept cartesian-product-is-bidirectional = //exposition only
      ((bidirectional_range<Vs> && ...) && (common_range<Vs> && ...));

    template <class... Vs>
    concept cartesian-product-is-common = //exposition only
     (std::ranges::common_range<Vs> && ...)
         || cartesian-product-is-random-access<Vs...>;

    template<class... Ts>
    using tuple-or-pair = decltype([]{            // exposition only
        if constexpr (sizeof...(Ts) == 2) {
            return type_identity<pair<Ts...>>{};
        }
        else {
            return type_identity<tuple<Ts...>>{};
        }
    }())::type;

    template<class F, class Tuple>
    constexpr auto tuple-transform(F&& f, Tuple&& tuple) // exposition only
    {
        return apply([&]<class... Ts>(Ts&&... elements){
            return tuple-or-pair<invoke_result_t<F&, Ts>...>(
                invoke(f, std::forward<Ts>(elements))...
            );
        }, std::forward<Tuple>(tuple));
    }

    template<class F, class Tuple>
    constexpr void tuple-for-each(F&& f, Tuple&& tuple) // exposition only
    {
        apply([&]<class... Ts>(Ts&&... elements){
            (invoke(f, std::forward<Ts>(elements)), ...);
        }, std::forward<Tuple>(tuple));
    }

    template<forward_range... Vs>
    requires (view<Vs> && ...)
    class cartesian_product_view
    : public view_interface<cartesian_product_view<Vs...>> {
    private:
        std::tuple<Vs...> bases_; //exposition only

        template<bool Const>
        struct iterator; //exposition only
        template<bool Const>
        struct sentinel; //exposition only
    public:
        constexpr cartesian_product_view() = default;
        constexpr cartesian_product_view(Vs... bases);

        constexpr iterator<false> begin() requires(!simple_view<Vs> || ...);
        constexpr iterator<true> begin() const requires (range<const Vs> && ...);

        constexpr iterator<false> end() 
        requires ((!simple_view<Vs> || ...) && cartesian-product-is-common<Vs...>);
        constexpr iterator<true> end() const 
        requires(cartesian-product-is-common<const Vs...>);
        constexpr default_sentinel_t end() const 
        requires (!cartesian-product-is-common<const Vs...>);

        constexpr auto size() requires (sized_range<Vs> && ...);
        constexpr auto size() const requires (sized_range<const Vs> && ...);
    };

    template <class... Vs>
    cartesian_product_view(Vs&&...)->cartesian_product_view<all_t<Vs>...>;
   
    namespace views { inline constexpr unspecified cartesian_product = unspecified; }
   }

}
constexpr cartesian_product_view(Vs... bases);

Effects: Initialises bases_ with std::move(bases)....

constexpr iterator<false> begin() requires(!simple_view<Vs> || ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return iterator<false>(tuple-transform(ranges::begin, bases_));

constexpr iterator<true> begin() requires (range<Vs> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return iterator<true>(tuple-transform(ranges::begin, bases_));

constexpr iterator<false> end() 
requires ((!simple_view<Vs> || ...) && cartesian-product-is-common<Vs...>);

Effects: If every range in Vs models random_access_range, equivalent to return begin() + size(). Otherwise equivalent to:

iterator<false> it(tuple-transform(ranges::begin, bases_));
std::get<0>(it.current_) = std::ranges::end(std::get<0>(bases_));
return it;
constexpr iterator<true> end() const 
requires(cartesian-product-is-common<const Vs...>);

Effects: If every range in Vs models random_access_range, equivalent to return begin() + size(). Otherwise equivalent to:

iterator<true> it(tuple-transform(ranges::begin, bases_));
std::get<0>(it.current_) = std::ranges::end(std::get<0>(bases_));
return it;
constexpr default_sentinel_t end() const 
requires (!cartesian-product-is-common<const Vs...>) {

Effects: Equivalent to return default_sentinel;.

constexpr auto size() requires (sized_range<Vs> && ...);
constexpr auto size() const requires (sized_range<const Vs> && ...);

Effects: Returns the product of the size of all ranges in bases_.

4.1.3. Class template cartesian_product_view::iterator [ranges.cartesian.iterator]

namespace std::ranges {
template<forward_range... Vs>
requires (view<Vs> && ...)
template<bool Const>
class cartesian_product_view<Vs...>::iterator {
    maybe-const<Const, cartesian_product_view>* parent_; //exposition only
    tuple-or-pair<iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>...> current_{}; //exposition only

    template <size_t N = (sizeof...(Vs) - 1)>
    void next(); //exposition only

    template <size_t N = (sizeof...(Vs) - 1)>
    void prev(); //exposition only

public:
    using iterator_category = input_iterator_tag;
    using iterator_concept  = *see below*;
    using value_type = tuple-or-pair<range_value_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>...>;
    using difference_type = std::common_type_t<range_difference_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>...>;

    iterator() = default;
    constexpr explicit iterator(tuple-or-pair<iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>...> current);
    
    constexpr iterator(iterator<!Const> i) requires Const && (std::convertible_to<
            std::ranges::iterator_t<Vs>,
            std::ranges::iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>> && ...);

    constexpr auto operator*() const;
    constexpr iterator& operator++();
    constexpr iterator operator++(int);

    constexpr iterator& operator--() 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-bidirectional<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);
    constexpr iterator operator--(int) 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-bidirectional<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);

    constexpr iterator& operator+=(difference_type x) 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-random-access<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);
    constexpr iterator& operator-=(difference_type x) 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-random-access<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);

    constexpr reference operator[](difference_type n) const 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-random-access<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);

    friend constexpr bool operator==(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
    requires (equality_comparable<iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>> && ...);

    friend constexpr bool operator==(const iterator& x, const std::default_sentinel_t&);

    friend constexpr auto operator<(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
    requires (std::ranges::random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);
    friend constexpr auto operator>(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
    requires (std::ranges::random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);
    friend constexpr auto operator<=(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
    requires (std::ranges::random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);
    friend constexpr auto operator>=(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
    requires (std::ranges::random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

    friend constexpr auto operator<=>(const iterator& x, const iterator& y)
    requires ((std::ranges::random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...) &&               
              (std::ranges::three_way_comparable<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...));

    friend constexpr iterator operator+(const iterator& x, difference_type y) 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-random-access<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);
    friend constexpr iterator operator+(difference_type x, const iterator& y) 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-random-access<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);
    friend constexpr iterator operator-(const iterator& x, difference_type y) 
    requires (cartesian-product-is-random-access<maybe-const<Const, Vs>...>);
    friend constexpr difference_type operator-(const iterator& x, const iterator& y)
    requires (sized_sentinel_for<iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>, iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>> && ...);
}
}

iterator::iterator_concept is defined as follows:

template <size_t N = (sizeof...(Vs) - 1)>
void next() //exposition only

Effects: Equivalent to:

auto& it = get<N>(current_);
++it;
if constexpr (N > 0) {
   if (it == ranges::end(get<N>(parent_->bases_))) {
       it = ranges::begin(get<N>(parent->bases_));
       next<N - 1>();
   }
}
template <size_t N = (sizeof...(Vs) - 1)>
void prev() //exposition only

Effects: Equivalent to:

auto& it = std::get<N>(currents_);
if (it == std::ranges::begin(std::get<N>(parent_->bases_))) {
  std::ranges::advance(it, std::ranges::end(std::get<N>(parent_->bases_)));
  if constexpr (N > 0) {
      prev<N - 1>();
  }
}
--it;
constexpr explicit iterator(tuple-or-pair<iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>...> current);

Effects: Initializes current_ with std::move(current).

constexpr iterator(iterator<!Const> i)
  requires Const && (convertible_to<iterator_t<Vs>, iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>> && ...);

Effects: Initializes current_ with std::move(i.current_).

  constexpr auto operator*() const;

Effects: Equivalent to:

 return tuple-transform([](auto& i) -> decltype(auto) { return *i; }, current_);
constexpr iterator& operator++();

Effects: Equivalent to:

next();
return *this;
constexpr iterator operator++(int);

Effects: Equivalent to:

auto tmp = *this;
++*this;
return tmp;
constexpr iterator& operator--() requires (bidirectional_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to:

prev();
return *this;
constexpr iterator operator--(int) requires (bidirectional_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to:

auto tmp = *this;
--*this;
return tmp;
constexpr iterator& operator+=(difference_type x) requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Sets the position of the iterators in current_:

constexpr iterator& operator-=(difference_type x) requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to:

*this += -x;
return *this;
constexpr reference operator[](difference_type n) const requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return *((*this) + n);.

friend constexpr bool operator==(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
requires (equality_comparable<iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return x.current_ == y.current_;.

friend constexpr auto operator<(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return x.current_ < y.current_;.

friend constexpr auto operator>(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return y < x;.

friend constexpr auto operator<=(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return !(y < x);.

friend constexpr auto operator>=(const iterator& x, const iterator& y) 
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return !(x < y);.

friend constexpr auto operator<=>(const iterator& x, const iterator& y)
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>&&...)&& (three_way_comparable<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...));

Effects: Equivalent to return x.current_ <=> y.current_;.

friend constexpr iterator operator+(const iterator& x, difference_type y) 
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return iterator{ x } += y;.

friend constexpr iterator operator+(difference_type x, const iterator& y) 
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return y + x;.

friend constexpr iterator operator-(const iterator& x, difference_type y) 
requires (random_access_range<maybe-const<Const, Vs>> && ...);

Effects: Equivalent to return iterator{ x } -= y;.

friend constexpr difference_type operator-(const iterator& x, const iterator& y)
requires (sized_sentinel_for<iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>, iterator_t<maybe-const<Const, Vs>>> && ...);

Effects: Let scaled_distance(x,y,N) be the distance between (get<N>(x.current_) - get<N>(y.current_)) * get<N>(x.parent_->bases_). Returns the sum of scaled_distance(x,y,N) for every N in the interval (0, sizeof...(Vs)].

4.1.4. Class template cartesian_product_view::sentinel [ranges.cartesian.sentinel]

template <bool Const>
class sentinel {
    using parent = maybe-const<Const, cartesian_product_view>; //exposition only
    using first_base = decltype(get<0>(std::declval<parent>().bases_)); //exposition only
    sentinel_t<first_base> end_; //exposition only

public:
    sentinel() = default;
    sentinel(std::ranges::sentinel_t<first_base> end);

    friend constexpr bool operator==(sentinel const& s, iterator_t<parent> const& it);

    constexpr sentinel(sentinel<!Const> other) 
    requires Const &&
         (std::convertible_to<std::ranges::sentinel_t<first_base>, std::ranges::sentinel_t<const first_base>>);
};
sentinel(std::ranges::sentinel_t<first_base> end);

Effects: Initialises end_ with std::move(end).

constexpr sentinel(sentinel<!Const> other) 
requires Const &&
    (std::convertible_to<std::ranges::sentinel_t<first_base>, std::ranges::sentinel_t<const first_base>>)
    : end_(other.end_) {}

Effects: Initialises end_ with std::move(other.end_).

friend constexpr bool operator==(sentinel const& s, iterator_t<parent> const& it);

Effects: Equivalent to return get<0>(it.current_) == s.end_;.

5. Acknowledgements

Thank you to Christopher Di Bella, Corentin Jabot, and Barry Revzin for feedback and guidance.