Example
C++14
Lambdas can capture expressions, rather than just variables. This permits lambdas to store move-only types:
auto p = std::make_unique<T>(...);
auto lamb = [p = std::move(p)]() //Overrides capture-by-value of `p`.
{
p->SomeFunc();
};
This moves the outer p variable into the lambda capture variable, also called p. lamb now owns the memory allocated by make_unique. Because the closure contains a type that is non-copyable, this means that lamb is itself non-copyable. But it can be moved:
auto lamb_copy = lamb; //Illegal
auto lamb_move = std::move(lamb); //legal.
Now lamb_move owns the memory.
Note that std::function<> requires that the values stored be copyable. You can write your own move-only-requiring std::function, or you could just stuff the lambda into a shared_ptr wrapper:
auto shared_lambda = [](auto&& f){
return [spf = std::make_shared<std::decay_t<decltype(f)>>(decltype(f)(f))]
(auto&&...args)->decltype(auto) {
return (*spf)(decltype(args)(args)...);
};
};
auto lamb_shared = shared_lambda(std::move(lamb_move));
takes our move-only lambda and stuffs its state into a shared pointer then returns a lambda that can be copied, and then stored in a std::function or similar.
Generalized capture uses auto type deduction for the variable's type. It will declare these captures as values by default, but they can be references as well:
int a = 0;
auto lamb = [&v = a](int add) //Note that `a` and `v` have different names
{
v += add; //Modifies `a`
};
lamb(20); //`a` becomes 20.
Generalize capture does not need to capture an external variable at all. It can capture an arbitrary expression:
auto lamb = [p = std::make_unique<T>(...)]()
{
p->SomeFunc();
}
This is useful for giving lambdas arbitrary values that they can hold and potentially modify, without having to declare them externally to the lambda. Of course, that is only useful if you do not intend to access those variables after the lambda has completed its work.
