nameof_module/README.md

# Nameof C++

```text
 _   _                             __    _____
| \ | |                           / _|  / ____|_     _
|  \| | __ _ _ __ ___   ___  ___ | |_  | |   _| |_ _| |_
| . ` |/ _` | '_ ` _ \ / _ \/ _ \|  _| | |  |_   _|_   _|
| |\  | (_| | | | | | |  __/ (_) | |   | |____|_|   |_|
|_| \_|\__,_|_| |_| |_|\___|\___/|_|    \_____|
```

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C++ alternative to [nameof](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-reference/keywords/nameof) operator in [C#](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Sharp_(programming_language)).

Used to obtain the simple name of a variable, type, member, function, macros.
Before, you had to use string literals to refer to definitions, which is brittle when renaming code elements because tools do not know to check these string literals.

A nameof macros expression has this form:

```cpp
std::cout << NAMEOF(person.address.zip_code) << std::endl; // prints "zip_code"
```

## Features

* Simple name
* C++11
* Header-only
* Dependency-free
* Compile-time
* Compilation check

## [Examples](example/example.cpp)

* Name of a variable, member or function and etc

```cpp
NAMEOF(somevar) -> "somevar"
NAMEOF(somevar.somefield) -> "somefield"
NAMEOF(SomeMethod) -> "SomeMethod"
```

* Name of enum

```cpp
NAMEOF(SomeEnum::RED) -> "RED"
NAMEOF(SomeEnum::GREEN) -> "GREEN"
```

* Name of type

```cpp
NAMEOF(volatile const int) -> "volatile const int int"
NAMEOF(std::string) -> "string"
```

* Name of macros

```cpp
NAMEOF(__LINE__) -> "__LINE__"
NAMEOF(__FILE__) -> "__FILE__"
```

* Constexpr

```cpp
constexpr auto constexpr_work_fine = NAMEOF(somevar); -> "somevar"
```

* Compilation check

```cpp
NAMEOF(std::stringgg) -> error namespace "std" has no member "stringgg"
```

* Validate parameters

```cpp
void f(char* s) {
  if (s == nullptr)
    throw std::invalid_argument(NAMEOF(s));
}
```

* Serialization, for example json:

```cpp
void to_json(json& j, const person& p) {
  j = json{{NAMEOF(p.name), p.name},
           {NAMEOF(p.address), p.address},
           {NAMEOF(p.age), p.age}};
}

void from_json(const json& j, person& p) {
  p.name = j.at(NAMEOF(p.name));
  p.address = j.at(NAMEOF(p.address));
  p.age = j.at(NAMEOF(p.age));
}
```

* Logging

```cpp
void f() {
  Log(NAMEOF(f), " method entry");
}
```

## Remarks

* The argument expression identifies a code definition, but it is never evaluated.

* If you need fully-qualified name, use NAMEOF_FULL().

```cpp
NAMEOF_FULL(somevar.somefield) -> "somevar.somefield"
NAMEOF_FULL(&SomeStruct::SomeMethod) -> "&SomeStruct::SomeMethod"
NAMEOF_FULL(std::string) -> "std::string"
```

* Spaces and Tabs ignored

```cpp
NAMEOF(   std::string   ) -> "string"
NAMEOF(	std::string	) -> "string"
```

## Integration

You should add required file [nameof.hpp](include/nameof.hpp) and switch to C++11.

## Compiler compatibility

* GCC
* Clang
* MSVC

## Licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE)