Auto in C++

What is the Auto Keyword in C++?

Have you ever tried to declare an iterator for a map in C++? The exact syntax for the same will be

The above syntax looks tiny enough, but imagine you have a map of pairs of vectors. Also, consider the case where you must declare more than one iterator. Writing this piece of extended code, again and again, can be cumbersome. But there is a solution: the auto keyword in C++.

The auto keyword automatically detects the data type of a variable by its initialization. Not only this, but the auto keyword can also be used to declare the return type of a function. Let us look at this keyword in detail.

How Does The Auto Keyword Work?

Consider the C++ line auto x = 5;. The auto keyword deduces the type of x from the type of 5, the same way template type deduction works for function templates. For example, consider a function template:

At pos A, a type has been assigned to T based on the value passed for the parameter to func. When you do auto x = 5;, the same type deduction is used to determine the type of x from the type of 5 that's used to initialize it.

As explained above, the auto keyword in C++ detects the data type of a variable by itself. This means that we can replace the data type of a variable with the keyword auto in C++. The online C++ compiler will automatically detect the variable's data type at compile time. Also, the auto keyword is not only limited to variables. We can also use it as the return type for a function.

Let us look at both of these.

Auto Used with Variables

The auto keyword in C++ will analyze the variable's data type when used with variables. The compiler decides the data type for a variable by looking at its initialization.

Let us look at the syntax for the same:

Here var is the name of the variable. So at compile time, the compiler will reach the auto keyword and automatically assign the data type integer to var as it has been initialized with an integer value.

Example: Program to Use Auto with Functions in C++

Output

In this code, the compiler decides the return type of the function to be an integer because of the auto keyword.

Function with the auto keyword in header file

The functions defined using return type as auto are also used in header files. But for that, its return type needs to be specified in the function declaration using the '->' operator.

Let us look at an example.

Output

In this example, the function product() has been declared using the auto keyword, and we have also specified the function's return type using the '->' operator. Now, this function can be included in a header file also. If we don't declare the expected return type using the '->' operator, then the function declared using the auto keyword cannot be included in a header file.

Difference Between auto and decltype in C++

Difference Between Syntax of auto and decltype

So essentially, while the auto keyword deduces the variable type by its initialization, the decltype keyword deduces and assigns the data type of a variable based on the parameter passed to it.

Let us look at an example to see the same.

Output

Important Uses of the Auto Keyword in C++

We have already looked at the usage of the auto keyword with variables and as a return type of function. But there are many other instances where the auto keyword can be useful.

Let us look at some of these.

Iterators

We can use the auto keyword to declare iterators instead of writing out the complete syntax, which may be lengthy and time-consuming for some complex structures.

Example: Declare an iterator for a map

As the code above shows, using the auto keyword saves time and effort.

Function Parameter

The auto keyword can not only be used as the return type for functions but also as the data type of the parameters declared in the function.
When the function is called, the compiler analyses the correct data types of the parameters.

Example: Declare a function using auto for parameters

Output

Class Objects

The auto keyword can also declare custom class objects in C++.

Example: Declare a Custom Class Object

Output

Pointers

We can also use auto to declare pointers to other variables. Although we can use * along with the auto keyword to make the code readable, it is not necessary to analyze that it has been declared as a variable.

Example: Declare a Pointer

Output

References

Like pointers, we can also use auto to declare references to other variables. But for this, we will have to use the & symbol with the auto keyword.

The syntax will be:

Here, ref_var is the variable that references the variable var1.

Example: Declare Reference to a Variable

Output

Lambda Functions

The auto keyword can not only be used for the return type of normal functions but is also the best for lambda functions.

For a recap, lambda functions are functions that can be defined as a code snippet inside another function call so that they can use the variables that have been declared in the function before them without having to pass them as parameters.

Example: Declare Lambda Function

Output

Templates

Templates in C++ are like a generalized function that can be used for many different data types because we do not define them for any particular data type but instead for a generalized data type using a template.

Now, we can use the auto keyword for the return type of templates just like we can with functions. Let us look at an example.

Example: Declare template using auto keyword

Output

Structured Binding

Structured Binding in C++ helps us decompose the different components of a pair/tuple or an object consisting of different variables. So there will be a single object enclosing various other variables, which can be taken apart using structured binding.

The auto keyword is used in structured bindings to decompose the individual components.

Let us take the example of a pair and understand how we can use the auto keyword to specify the different variables enclosed.

Example: Structured Binding using auto keyword

Output

It is evident in this code how easy it became to assign num1 and d1 the values in the pair by using the auto keyword. We didn't even need to declare the variables. They were declared using the auto keyword.

What is auto&& in C++?

Like the auto keyword in C++, the auto&& keyword can be used as a universal reference value, which means it will accept any value, whether an lvalue or an rvalue reference expression. Let us look in detail at what this exactly means.

To recap, an lvalue expression is one whose resources cant be reused, like normal variables in C++ or any other objects that are declared using a name directly. For example, in the code int y = 7; $y$ is an lvalue. Similarly, $arr[0]$ is also an lvalue where $arr$ is a vector. These objects are such that they are declared with a name and are permanent.

But an rvalue expression denotes an object whose resources cannot be reused, which means a temporary disposable object. These objects are not declared or defined explicitly. For example, in the code func(class_obj()) where func() is a function that takes a class object as a parameter. It is clear in the code that we have not explicitly defined any class object. Instead, we have just passed the function class_obj() as a parameter which will create a temporary class object and pass it to the function func(). Hence, this class object is temporary, disposable, and an rvalue.

Now, to reference an lvalue object or variable, we have to use one & symbol, but to reference an rvalue object or variable, we have to use two ampersands &&. But, if we use the auto keyword to declare the reference, we can use auto&&, which will work for both lvalue and rvalue reference expressions.

Common Mistakes with the Auto Keyword in C++

Although the auto keyword in C++ is beneficial, it may cause errors because of some very common mistakes while using it in your program. Some of these are:

Variable Initialization

As mentioned in the first section, it is necessary to initialize a variable in the same statement while declaring it with the auto keyword in C++. This is because the compiler will need the initialized value to assign the variable a data type, and not doing so will lead to a compilation error.

Multiple Variable Declarations using Auto

We usually declare multiple variables in the same line when they all are of the same data type.

For example, this syntax is very common in C++:

In this case, x and y are assigned the data type integer. But, if we try to do the same with the auto keyword, it will lead to an error. Only one variable declaration and initialization is permitted with the auto keyword in C++ in a line.

Integer and Boolean Values

You might've come across programs that use integers as boolean. Booleans are also sometimes initialized using integers. But, if you use the data type auto to initialize your variable, it isn't easy to understand whether the variable was intended to be a boolean value or an integer value. In this case, the auto keyword can be avoided to avoid confusion.

Auto Used to Store Function Return Values

Consider this line of code:

Here f() is some custom defined function. Looking at this code, we cannot know what data type var will be assigned. Instead, we will have to go and look at the definition of the function f() for the same, which might be cumbersome.

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Learn More:

• Keywords in C++.
• C++ Constants.