std::function implementation

function.cpp

/******************************************************************************

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18453145/how-is-stdfunction-implemented

*******************************************************************************/

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>

template <typename T>
class function;

template <typename R, typename... Args>
class function<R(Args...)>
{
    // function pointer types for the type-erasure behaviors
    // all these char* parameters are actually casted from some functor type
    typedef R (*invoke_fn_t)(char*, Args&&...);
    typedef void (*construct_fn_t)(char*, char*);
    typedef void (*destroy_fn_t)(char*);

    // type-aware generic functions for invoking
    // the specialization of these functions won't be capable with
    //   the above function pointer types, so we need some cast
    template <typename Functor>
    static R invoke_fn(Functor* fn, Args&&... args)
    {
        return (*fn)(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
    }

    template <typename Functor>
    static void construct_fn(Functor* construct_dst, Functor* construct_src)
    {
        // the functor type must be copy-constructible
        new (construct_dst) Functor(*construct_src);
    }

    template <typename Functor>
    static void destroy_fn(Functor* f)
    {
        f->~Functor();
    }

    // these pointers are storing behaviors
    invoke_fn_t invoke_f;
    construct_fn_t construct_f;
    destroy_fn_t destroy_f;

    // erase the type of any functor and store it into a char*
    // so the storage size should be obtained as well
    std::unique_ptr<char[]> data_ptr;
    size_t data_size;
public:
    function()
        : invoke_f(nullptr)
        , construct_f(nullptr)
        , destroy_f(nullptr)
        , data_ptr(nullptr)
        , data_size(0)
    {}

    // construct from any functor type
    template <typename Functor>
    function(Functor f)
        // specialize functions and erase their type info by casting
        : invoke_f(reinterpret_cast<invoke_fn_t>(invoke_fn<Functor>))
        , construct_f(reinterpret_cast<construct_fn_t>(construct_fn<Functor>))
        , destroy_f(reinterpret_cast<destroy_fn_t>(destroy_fn<Functor>))
        , data_ptr(new char[sizeof(Functor)])
        , data_size(sizeof(Functor))
    {
        // copy the functor to internal storage
        this->construct_f(this->data_ptr.get(), reinterpret_cast<char*>(&f));
    }

    // copy constructor
    function(function const& rhs)
        : invoke_f(rhs.invoke_f)
        , construct_f(rhs.construct_f)
        , destroy_f(rhs.destroy_f)
        , data_size(rhs.data_size)
    {
        if (this->invoke_f) {
            // when the source is not a null function, copy its internal functor
            this->data_ptr.reset(new char[this->data_size]);
            this->construct_f(this->data_ptr.get(), rhs.data_ptr.get());
        }
    }

    ~function()
    {
        if (data_ptr != nullptr) {
            this->destroy_f(this->data_ptr.get());
        }
    }

    // other constructors, from nullptr, from function pointers

    R operator()(Args&&... args)
    {
        return this->invoke_f(this->data_ptr.get(), std::forward<Args>(args)...);
    }
};

// examples
int main()
{
    int i = 0;
    auto fn = [i](std::string const& s) mutable
    {
        std::cout << ++i << ". " << s << std::endl;
    };
    fn("first");                                   // 1. first
    fn("second");                                  // 2. second

    // construct from lambda
    ::function<void(std::string const&)> f(fn);
    f("third");                                    // 3. third

    // copy from another function
    ::function<void(std::string const&)> g(f);
    f("forth - f");                                // 4. forth - f
    g("forth - g");                                // 4. forth - g

    // capture and copy non-trivial types like std::string
    std::string x("xxxx");
    ::function<void()> h([x]() { std::cout << x << std::endl; });
    h();

    ::function<void()> k(h);
    k();
    return 0;
}