Added support for std::expected; resolves #716

README.md

@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ reflect-cpp and sqlgen fill important gaps in C++ development. They reduce boile
     - [JSON schema](#json-schema)
     - [Enums](#enums)
     - [Algebraic data types](#algebraic-data-types)
-    - [Extra fields](#extra-fields)
+  - [Extra fields](#extra-fields)
+  - [std::expected](#stdexpected)
     - [Reflective programming](#reflective-programming)
     - [Standard Library Integration](#support-for-containers)
   - [The team behind reflect-cpp](#the-team-behind-reflect-cpp)
@@ -509,6 +510,52 @@ This results in the following JSON string:
 {"firstName":"Homer","lastName":"Simpson","age":45,"email":"homer@simpson.com","town":"Springfield"}
 ```
 
+### std::expected
+
+reflect-cpp also supports C++-23's `std::expected`:
+
+```cpp
+#include <expected>
+#include <rfl/json.hpp>
+
+// A success value is serialized like the value itself:
+const std::expected<int, std::string> age = 45;
+const std::string json_string = rfl::json::write(age);
+// -> 45
+
+// An error is serialized as an object with a single "error" field:
+const std::expected<int, std::string> no_age = std::unexpected("unknown age");
+const std::string json_string2 = rfl::json::write(no_age);
+// -> {"error":"unknown age"}
+
+const auto age2 =
+    rfl::json::read<std::expected<int, std::string>>(json_string).value();
+const auto no_age2 =
+    rfl::json::read<std::expected<int, std::string>>(json_string2).value();
+```
+
+`std::expected` can be used anywhere other types can be used, for example as a
+field of a struct or inside a container:
+
+```cpp
+struct Person {
+  std::string first_name;
+  std::vector<std::expected<int, std::string>> ages;
+};
+
+const auto homer =
+    Person{.first_name = "Homer",
+           .ages = {42, std::unexpected("unknown age")}};
+
+const std::string json_string3 = rfl::json::write(homer);
+// -> {"first_name":"Homer","ages":[42,{"error":"unknown age"}]}
+```
+
+`std::expected` requires a standard library that provides the C++-23 feature
+(feature-test macro `__cpp_lib_expected`). Note that `std::expected<void, E>` and
+`std::expected<T, T>` with an identical value and error type are not supported.
+Refer to the [documentation](https://rfl.getml.com/expected) for details.
+
 ### Reflective programming
 
 Beyond serialization and deserialization, reflect-cpp also supports reflective programming in general.
@@ -617,6 +664,7 @@ reflect-cpp supports the following containers from the C++ standard library:
 - `std::atomic`
 - `std::atomic_flag`
 - `std::deque`
+- `std::expected`
 - `std::chrono::duration`
 - `std::filesystem::path`
 - `std::forward_list`
@@ -677,21 +725,6 @@ The following compilers are supported for C++-20:
 The following compilers are supported for C++-26:
 - GCC 16.2 or higher
 
-### Compiling with C++-26 reflection
-
-To compile reflect-cpp using the standard C++ reflection facilities, pass the CMake option
-`REFLECTCPP_USE_CPP26_REFLECTION` together with the compiler flag that activates reflection
-support in your compiler (`-freflection` for GCC, `-freflection-latest` for Clang):
-
-```bash
-cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=26 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DREFLECTCPP_USE_CPP26_REFLECTION=ON -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-freflection"
-cmake --build build -j 4
-```
-
-With C++-26 reflection, fixed-size C arrays and inheritance are supported out of the box (no
-`-DREFLECT_CPP_C_ARRAYS_OR_INHERITANCE` flag needed), and there are no range restrictions for
-enums. Refer to the [documentation](https://rfl.getml.com/cpp26_reflection) for details.
-
 ### Using vcpkg
 
 https://vcpkg.io/en/package/reflectcpp
@@ -729,6 +762,21 @@ cmake --build build --config Release -j 4 # MSVC
 
 For other installation methods, refer to the [documentation](https://rfl.getml.com/docs-readme).
 
+### Compiling with C++-26 reflection
+
+To compile reflect-cpp using the standard C++ reflection facilities, pass the CMake option
+`REFLECTCPP_USE_CPP26_REFLECTION` together with the compiler flag that activates reflection
+support in your compiler (`-freflection` for GCC, `-freflection-latest` for Clang):
+
+```bash
+cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=26 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DREFLECTCPP_USE_CPP26_REFLECTION=ON -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-freflection"
+cmake --build build -j 4
+```
+
+With C++-26 reflection, fixed-size C arrays and inheritance are supported out of the box (no
+`-DREFLECT_CPP_C_ARRAYS_OR_INHERITANCE` flag needed), and there are no range restrictions for
+enums. Refer to the [documentation](https://rfl.getml.com/cpp26_reflection) for details.
+
 ## The team behind reflect-cpp
 
 reflect-cpp has been developed by [getML (Code17 GmbH)](https://getml.com), a company specializing in software engineering and machine learning for enterprise applications. reflect-cpp is currently maintained by Patrick Urbanke and Manuel Bellersen, with major contributions coming from the community.

docs/docs-readme.md

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 [Standard containers](standard_containers.md) - Describes how reflect-cpp treats containers in the standard library.
 
+[std::expected](expected.md) - For serializing and deserializing `std::expected`, the C++-23 result type.
+
 [C arrays and inheritance](c_arrays_and_inheritance.md) - Describes how reflect-cpp handles C arrays and inheritance.
 
 [rfl::Bytestring](bytestring.md) - Describes how reflect-cpp handles binary strings for formats that support them.

docs/expected.md

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+# `std::expected`
+
+C++-23 introduced `std::expected` as the standard way of expressing the result of an operation that might fail. Unlike `std::optional`, it holds both the value on success (of type `T`) and the error on failure (of type `E`). reflect-cpp supports `std::expected` out of the box: you can use it as a top-level type, as a field of a struct, or inside containers.
+
+## Availability
+
+`std::expected` is a C++-23 feature. reflect-cpp detects it via the feature-test macro `__cpp_lib_expected`. Note that some standard libraries only expose `<expected>` when compiled in C++-23 mode — for instance, GCC's libstdc++ requires `-std=c++23`. If your standard library does not provide `std::expected`, reflect-cpp will not recognize the type, and attempting to serialize one will result in a compile-time error.
+
+## How `std::expected` is serialized
+
+A `std::expected<T, E>` is serialized as the two alternatives of an untagged variant (an `rfl::Variant`):
+
+- If it holds a value, the value is written as-is, i.e. exactly the same way as it would be written if it were of type `T`.
+- If it holds an error, an object with a single field named `error` is written, containing the value of type `E`.
+
+Wrapping the error in an object makes sure that the error is always recognized as an object, even if `T` itself is a struct.
+
+```cpp
+#include <expected>
+#include <rfl/json.hpp>
+
+const std::expected<int, std::string> ok = 42;
+const std::string ok_json = rfl::json::write(ok);
+// -> 42
+
+const std::expected<int, std::string> err = std::unexpected("Something went wrong.");
+const std::string err_json = rfl::json::write(err);
+// -> {"error":"Something went wrong."}
+```
+
+Reading works in the reverse direction:
+
+```cpp
+const auto ok2 = rfl::json::read<std::expected<int, std::string>>(ok_json).value();
+const auto err2 = rfl::json::read<std::expected<int, std::string>>(err_json).value();
+
+// ok2.value() == 42
+// err2.error() == "Something went wrong."
+```
+
+## Inside structs and containers
+
+`std::expected` can be used as a field type and inside containers, just like any other supported type:
+
+```cpp
+struct Person {
+  std::string name;
+  std::expected<int, std::string> age;
+};
+
+const Person homer = {.name = "Homer", .age = 42};
+const Person maggie = {.name = "Maggie", .age = std::unexpected("too young")};
+
+const std::string homer_json = rfl::json::write(homer);
+// -> {"name":"Homer","age":42}
+
+const std::string maggie_json = rfl::json::write(maggie);
+// -> {"name":"Maggie","age":{"error":"too young"}}
+```
+
+Vectors of `std::expected` work as well:
+
+```cpp
+struct Person {
+  std::string first_name;
+  std::vector<std::expected<int, std::string>> ages;
+};
+
+const auto homer =
+    Person{.first_name = "Homer",
+           .ages = {42, std::unexpected("unknown age")}};
+
+const std::string json = rfl::json::write(homer);
+// -> {"first_name":"Homer","ages":[42,{"error":"unknown age"}]}
+```
+
+## Structs as value types
+
+If `T` is a struct, the success case is serialized as the struct itself:
+
+```cpp
+const std::expected<Person, std::string> value =
+    Person{.first_name = "Bart", .ages = {10}};
+
+const std::string json_string = rfl::json::write(value);
+// -> {"first_name":"Bart","ages":[10]}
+```
+
+The error case is still serialized as an object with an `error` field, so the two alternatives remain unambiguous.
+
+## JSON schema
+
+Schemata are generated for `std::expected` as well. The schema of `std::expected<int, std::string>` looks like this:
+
+```json
+{"$schema":"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema","anyOf":[{"type":"integer"},{"type":"object","properties":{"error":{"type":"string"}},"required":["error"]}],"$defs":{}}
+```
+
+## Limitations
+
+- `std::expected<void, E>` is not supported.
+- Formats that do not support variants (CSV and Parquet) do not support `std::expected` either, since it is serialized as a variant under the hood.
+
+## Relation to `rfl::Result`
+
+reflect-cpp's own result type, [`rfl::Result`](result.md), is what `rfl::json::read` and `rfl::json::write` return and operate on. Supporting `std::expected` is a separate concern: it means that you can use `std::expected<T, E>` as a *data type* in your structs, which is what this section is about.
+
+Note that there is a CMake option `REFLECTCPP_USE_STD_EXPECTED` that makes `rfl::Result<T>` an alias for `std::expected<T, rfl::Error>`. This is a separate feature from the one described in this section, but the two can be combined.

docs/result.md

@@ -152,3 +152,6 @@ const auto embellish_error = [&](const Error& _e) -> rfl::Result<T> {
 return Parser<T>::read(_r, &_var).transform_error(embellish_error);
 ```
 
+## See also
+
+- [`std::expected`](expected.md) - The C++-23 standard result type, which is supported as a serializable data type.

docs/standard_containers.md

@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ This will also be represented as follows:
 ```
 
 All other supported standard containers 
-(other than `std::variant`, `std::optional`, `std::unique_ptr` and `std::shared_ptr`) 
+(other than `std::variant`, `std::optional`, `std::unique_ptr`, `std::shared_ptr` and `std::expected`) 
 will be represented as arrays. Containers for which the `value_type`
 is a key-value-pair will be represented as arrays of pairs. 
+
+`std::expected` is an exception to this: it is serialized as its value type, or as an object with a single `error` field. Refer to the [std::expected](expected.md) section for details.

include/rfl/bson/write.hpp

@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@ Result<std::pair<uint8_t*, size_t>> to_buffer(const auto& _obj) noexcept {
   const auto len = bson_writer_get_length(bson_writer.get());
   return nothing
       .transform([&](const auto&) { return std::make_pair(buf, len); })
-      .or_else([&](auto&& _err) {
-        bson_free(buf);
-        return error(_err.what());
-      });
+      .or_else(
+          [&](auto&& _err) -> Result<std::pair<uint8_t*, size_t>> {
+            bson_free(buf);
+            return error(_err.what());
+          });
 }
 
 /// Returns BSON bytes representation of the object.

include/rfl/parsing/ParserExpected.hpp

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+#ifndef RFL_PARSING_PARSER_EXPECTED_HPP_
+#define RFL_PARSING_PARSER_EXPECTED_HPP_
+
+#include <map>
+#include <type_traits>
+
+#include "../Field.hpp"
+#include "../NamedTuple.hpp"
+#include "../Result.hpp"
+#include "../Variant.hpp"
+#include "Parser_base.hpp"
+#include "schema/Type.hpp"
+
+#if __has_include(<expected>)
+#include <expected>
+#endif
+
+namespace rfl::parsing {
+
+template <class T>
+struct is_expected : std::false_type {};
+
+/// @brief Primary declaration; defined below if std::expected is available.
+template <class R, class W, class ExpectedType, class ProcessorsType>
+struct ParserExpected;
+
+#if defined(__cpp_lib_expected) && __cpp_lib_expected >= 202202L
+
+template <class T, class E>
+struct is_expected<std::expected<T, E>> : std::true_type {};
+
+/**
+ * @brief Parser specialization for std::expected.
+ *
+ * A std::expected<T, E> is serialized as an rfl::Variant<T, E>: the success
+ * value and the error are treated as the two alternatives of a variant.
+ */
+template <class R, class W, class ExpectedType, class ProcessorsType>
+struct ParserExpected {
+  using T = std::remove_cvref_t<ExpectedType>;
+
+  using ValueType = typename T::value_type;
+
+  using ErrorType = typename T::error_type;
+
+  using WrappedErrorType = NamedTuple<Field<"error", ErrorType>>;
+
+  using VariantType = rfl::Variant<ValueType, WrappedErrorType>;
+
+  using InputVarType = typename R::InputVarType;
+
+  static_assert(!std::is_void_v<ValueType>,
+                "std::expected<void, E> is not supported by reflect-cpp.");
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Reads a std::expected from the input.
+   *
+   * @param _r The reader to use.
+   * @param _var The input variable to read from.
+   * @return A Result containing the parsed std::expected or an error.
+   */
+  static Result<T> read(const R& _r, const InputVarType& _var) noexcept {
+    const auto to_expected = [](auto&& _alternative) -> T {
+      using AltType = std::remove_cvref_t<decltype(_alternative)>;
+      if constexpr (std::is_same_v<AltType, WrappedErrorType>) {
+        return T(std::unexpected(
+            std::forward<ErrorType>(_alternative.template get<"error">())));
+      } else {
+        return T(std::forward<ValueType>(_alternative));
+      }
+    };
+    return Parser<R, W, VariantType, ProcessorsType>::read(_r, _var).transform(
+        [&](auto&& _variant) -> T {
+          return std::forward<VariantType>(_variant).visit(to_expected);
+        });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Writes a std::expected to the output.
+   *
+   * @tparam P The type of the parent.
+   * @param _w The writer to use.
+   * @param _var The std::expected to write.
+   * @param _parent The parent object.
+   */
+  template <class P>
+  static void write(const W& _w, const T& _var, const P& _parent) {
+    const VariantType variant =
+        _var.has_value() ? VariantType(_var.value())
+                         : VariantType(WrappedErrorType(_var.error()));
+    Parser<R, W, VariantType, ProcessorsType>::write(_w, variant, _parent);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Generates the schema for the std::expected.
+   *
+   * @param _definitions The map of definitions to add to.
+   * @return The schema type.
+   */
+  static schema::Type to_schema(
+      std::map<std::string, schema::Type>* _definitions) {
+    return Parser<R, W, VariantType, ProcessorsType>::to_schema(_definitions);
+  }
+};
+
+#endif  // __cpp_lib_expected
+
+template <class T>
+constexpr bool is_expected_v = is_expected<std::remove_cvref_t<T>>::value;
+
+}  // namespace rfl::parsing
+
+#endif