#include <boost/preprocessor/for.hpp>

#define BOOST_PP_FOR(X,C,F,I)

Repeats I(R,X) and iterates F(R,X) while C(R,X) is true.

In other words, expands to the sequence:

  I(R,X)  I(R,F(R,X))  I(R,F(R,F(R,X)))  ...  I(R,F(R,F(...F(R,X)...)))

The length of the sequence is determined by C(R,X).

Legend

• X is the current state of iteration. The state is usually a tuple.
• C is the condition for iteration. It must expand to a decimal integer literal.
• F is the iterated macro. Note that if the state is a tuple, then F(R,X) usually expands to a tuple of the same number of elements.
• I is the state instantiation macro.
• R is the recursion depth and should only be used as a parameter to other macros using BOOST_PP_FOR() or for invoking BOOST_PP_FOR##R() directly. For each macro using BOOST_PP_FOR(), there is a version of the macro, distinguished by the R suffix, that accepts an additional recursion depth as the first parameter. This technique is necessary to avoid recursively expanding the same macro again, which is not permitted by the C++ preprocessor.

BOOST_PP_REPEAT() vs BOOST_PP_FOR()

BOOST_PP_FOR() is a generalization of BOOST_PP_REPEAT(). This means that BOOST_PP_REPEAT() can be implemented using BOOST_PP_FOR(). However, BOOST_PP_REPEAT() was introduced earlier, is generally easier to use, and is still quite useful on its own.

2D and 3D repetition

BOOST_PP_FOR() can be used for multidimensional repetition simply by invoking BOOST_PP_FOR##R() directly.

Test

• for_test.cpp

Revised

© Copyright Housemarque Oy 2002

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