Is it possible to print a variable's type in standard C++?

Question

For example:

int a = 12;
cout << typeof(a) << endl;

Expected output:

int

Answer 1

According to Howard's solution, if you don't like the magic number, I think this is a good way to represent and it looks intuitive:

#include <string_view>

template <typename T>
constexpr auto type_name() noexcept {
  std::string_view name = "Error: unsupported compiler", prefix, suffix;
#ifdef __clang__
  name = __PRETTY_FUNCTION__;
  prefix = "auto type_name() [T = ";
  suffix = "]";
#elif defined(__GNUC__)
  name = __PRETTY_FUNCTION__;
  prefix = "constexpr auto type_name() [with T = ";
  suffix = "]";
#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
  name = __FUNCSIG__;
  prefix = "auto __cdecl type_name<";
  suffix = ">(void) noexcept";
#endif
  name.remove_prefix(prefix.size());
  name.remove_suffix(suffix.size());
  return name;
}

Demo.

Answer 2

For anyone still visiting, I've recently had the same issue and decided to write a small library based on answers from this post. It provides constexpr type names and type indices und is is tested on Mac, Windows and Ubuntu.

The library code is here: https://github.com/TheLartians/StaticTypeInfo

Answer 3

Howard Hinnant used magic numbers to extract type name. 康桓瑋 suggested string prefix and suffix. But prefix/suffix keep changing. With “probe_type” type_name automatically calculates prefix and suffix sizes for “probe_type” to extract type name:

#include <string_view>
using namespace std;

namespace typeName {
 template <typename T>
  constexpr string_view wrapped_type_name () {
#ifdef __clang__
    return __PRETTY_FUNCTION__;
#elif defined(__GNUC__)
    return  __PRETTY_FUNCTION__;
#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
    return  __FUNCSIG__;
#endif
  }

  class probe_type;
  constexpr string_view probe_type_name ("typeName::probe_type");
  constexpr string_view probe_type_name_elaborated ("class typeName::probe_type");
  constexpr string_view probe_type_name_used (wrapped_type_name<probe_type> ().find (probe_type_name_elaborated) != -1 ? probe_type_name_elaborated : probe_type_name);

  constexpr size_t prefix_size () {
    return wrapped_type_name<probe_type> ().find (probe_type_name_used);
  }

  constexpr size_t suffix_size () {
    return wrapped_type_name<probe_type> ().length () - prefix_size () - probe_type_name_used.length ();
  }

  template <typename T>
  string_view type_name () {
    constexpr auto type_name = wrapped_type_name<T> ();

    return type_name.substr (prefix_size (), type_name.length () - prefix_size () - suffix_size ());
  }
}

#include <iostream>

using typeName::type_name;
using typeName::probe_type;

class test;

int main () {
  cout << type_name<class test> () << endl;

  cout << type_name<const int*&> () << endl;
  cout << type_name<unsigned int> () << endl;

  const int ic = 42;
  const int* pic = &ic;
  const int*& rpic = pic;
  cout << type_name<decltype(ic)> () << endl;
  cout << type_name<decltype(pic)> () << endl;
  cout << type_name<decltype(rpic)> () << endl;

  cout << type_name<probe_type> () << endl;
}

Output

gcc 10.2:

test
const int *&
unsigned int
const int
const int *
const int *&
typeName::probe_type

clang 11.0.0:

test
const int *&
unsigned int
const int
const int *
const int *&
typeName::probe_type

VS 2019 version 16.7.6:

class test
const int*&
unsigned int
const int
const int*
const int*&
class typeName::probe_type