std::swap vs std::exchange vs swap operator
Solution 1:
std::swap vs std::exchange
swap(x, y) and exchange(x, y) are not the same thing. exchange(x, y) never assigns a new value to y. You could do so if you use it like this: y = exchange(x, y). But that isn't the main use case for exchange(x, y). N3668 includes the statement:
The benefit isn't huge, but neither is the specification cost.
(with regard to standardizing exchange).
N3668 was voted into the C++1y working draft at the Bristol meeting, April 2013. The meeting minutes indicate that there was some discussion about the best name for this function in the Library Working Group, and that ultimately there was no objection to putting it up for a formal vote in full committee. The formal vote was strongly in favor of putting it into the working draft, but not unanimous.
Bottom line: exchange is a minor utility, does not compete with swap(x, y), and has far fewer use cases.
std::swap vs swap operator
N3553, a previous revision to N3746, was discussed in the Evolution Working Group at the April 2013 meeting in Bristol. The meeting minutes acknowledge "annoying ADL problems" with std::swap(x, y), but conclude that a swap operator would not address those problems. Because of backwards compatibility, the EWG also believed that if accepted, std::swap and the swap operator would forever co-exist. The EWG decided in Bristol not to proceed with N3553.
The Sep. 2013 Chicago EWG meeting minutes make no mention of N3746. I was not present at that meeting but presume that the EWG declined to look at N3746 because of its previous decision in Bristol on N3553.
Bottom line: The C++ committee does not appear to be moving forward with a swap operator at this time.
Update: Can std::exchange be faster than std::swap?
Preview: No. At best exchange will be just as fast as swap. At worst, it can be slower.
Consider a test like this:
using T = int;
void
test_swap(T& x, T& y)
{
using std::swap;
swap(x, y);
}
void
test_exchange(T& x, T& y)
{
y = std::exchange(x, std::move(y));
}
Which generates faster code?
Using clang -O3, they both generate identical code (except for the mangled names of the functions):
__Z9test_swapRiS_: ## @_Z9test_swapRiS_
.cfi_startproc
## BB#0: ## %entry
pushq %rbp
Ltmp0:
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 16
Ltmp1:
.cfi_offset %rbp, -16
movq %rsp, %rbp
Ltmp2:
.cfi_def_cfa_register %rbp
movl (%rdi), %eax
movl (%rsi), %ecx
movl %ecx, (%rdi)
movl %eax, (%rsi)
popq %rbp
retq
.cfi_endproc
For some arbitrary type X, which does not have a specialized swap function, both tests will generate one call to X(X&&) (assuming move members exist for X), and two calls X& operator=(X&&):
test_swap
__Z9test_swapR1XS0_: ## @_Z9test_swapR1XS0_
.cfi_startproc
## BB#0: ## %entry
pushq %rbp
Ltmp0:
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 16
Ltmp1:
.cfi_offset %rbp, -16
movq %rsp, %rbp
Ltmp2:
.cfi_def_cfa_register %rbp
pushq %r15
pushq %r14
pushq %rbx
pushq %rax
Ltmp3:
.cfi_offset %rbx, -40
Ltmp4:
.cfi_offset %r14, -32
Ltmp5:
.cfi_offset %r15, -24
movq %rsi, %r14
movq %rdi, %rbx
leaq -32(%rbp), %r15
movq %r15, %rdi
movq %rbx, %rsi
callq __ZN1XC1EOS_
movq %rbx, %rdi
movq %r14, %rsi
callq __ZN1XaSEOS_
movq %r14, %rdi
movq %r15, %rsi
callq __ZN1XaSEOS_
addq $8, %rsp
popq %rbx
popq %r14
popq %r15
popq %rbp
retq
.cfi_endproc
test_exchange
.globl __Z13test_exchangeR1XS0_
.align 4, 0x90
__Z13test_exchangeR1XS0_: ## @_Z13test_exchangeR1XS0_
.cfi_startproc
## BB#0: ## %entry
pushq %rbp
Ltmp6:
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 16
Ltmp7:
.cfi_offset %rbp, -16
movq %rsp, %rbp
Ltmp8:
.cfi_def_cfa_register %rbp
pushq %r14
pushq %rbx
subq $16, %rsp
Ltmp9:
.cfi_offset %rbx, -32
Ltmp10:
.cfi_offset %r14, -24
movq %rsi, %r14
movq %rdi, %rbx
leaq -24(%rbp), %rdi
movq %rbx, %rsi
callq __ZN1XC1EOS_
movq %rbx, %rdi
movq %r14, %rsi
callq __ZN1XaSEOS_
leaq -32(%rbp), %rsi
movq %r14, %rdi
callq __ZN1XaSEOS_
addq $16, %rsp
popq %rbx
popq %r14
popq %rbp
retq
.cfi_endproc
Again nearly the same code.
But for types that have an optimized swap, test_swap is likely to generate far superior code. Consider:
using T = std::string;
(using libc++)
test_swap
.globl __Z9test_swapRNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEES6_
.align 4, 0x90
__Z9test_swapRNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEES6_: ## @_Z9test_swapRNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEES6_
.cfi_startproc
## BB#0: ## %entry
pushq %rbp
Ltmp0:
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 16
Ltmp1:
.cfi_offset %rbp, -16
movq %rsp, %rbp
Ltmp2:
.cfi_def_cfa_register %rbp
movq 16(%rdi), %rax
movq %rax, -8(%rbp)
movq (%rdi), %rax
movq 8(%rdi), %rcx
movq %rcx, -16(%rbp)
movq %rax, -24(%rbp)
movq 16(%rsi), %rax
movq %rax, 16(%rdi)
movq (%rsi), %rax
movq 8(%rsi), %rcx
movq %rcx, 8(%rdi)
movq %rax, (%rdi)
movq -8(%rbp), %rax
movq %rax, 16(%rsi)
movq -24(%rbp), %rax
movq -16(%rbp), %rcx
movq %rcx, 8(%rsi)
movq %rax, (%rsi)
popq %rbp
retq
.cfi_endproc
test_exchange
.globl __Z13test_exchangeRNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEES6_
.align 4, 0x90
__Z13test_exchangeRNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEES6_: ## @_Z13test_exchangeRNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEES6_
Lfunc_begin0:
.cfi_startproc
.cfi_personality 155, ___gxx_personality_v0
.cfi_lsda 16, Lexception0
## BB#0: ## %entry
pushq %rbp
Ltmp9:
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 16
Ltmp10:
.cfi_offset %rbp, -16
movq %rsp, %rbp
Ltmp11:
.cfi_def_cfa_register %rbp
pushq %r14
pushq %rbx
subq $32, %rsp
Ltmp12:
.cfi_offset %rbx, -32
Ltmp13:
.cfi_offset %r14, -24
movq %rsi, %r14
movq %rdi, %rbx
movq 16(%rbx), %rax
movq %rax, -32(%rbp)
movq (%rbx), %rax
movq 8(%rbx), %rcx
movq %rcx, -40(%rbp)
movq %rax, -48(%rbp)
movq $0, 16(%rbx)
movq $0, 8(%rbx)
movq $0, (%rbx)
Ltmp3:
xorl %esi, %esi
## kill: RDI<def> RBX<kill>
callq __ZNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEE7reserveEm
Ltmp4:
## BB#1: ## %_ZNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEE5clearEv.exit.i.i
movq 16(%r14), %rax
movq %rax, 16(%rbx)
movq (%r14), %rax
movq 8(%r14), %rcx
movq %rcx, 8(%rbx)
movq %rax, (%rbx)
movq $0, 16(%r14)
movq $0, 8(%r14)
movq $0, (%r14)
movw $0, (%r14)
Ltmp6:
xorl %esi, %esi
movq %r14, %rdi
callq __ZNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEE7reserveEm
Ltmp7:
## BB#2: ## %_ZNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEaSEOS5_.exit
movq -32(%rbp), %rax
movq %rax, 16(%r14)
movq -48(%rbp), %rax
movq -40(%rbp), %rcx
movq %rcx, 8(%r14)
movq %rax, (%r14)
xorps %xmm0, %xmm0
movaps %xmm0, -48(%rbp)
movq $0, -32(%rbp)
leaq -48(%rbp), %rdi
callq __ZNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEED1Ev
addq $32, %rsp
popq %rbx
popq %r14
popq %rbp
retq
LBB1_3: ## %terminate.lpad.i.i.i.i
Ltmp5:
movq %rax, %rdi
callq ___clang_call_terminate
LBB1_4: ## %terminate.lpad.i.i.i
Ltmp8:
movq %rax, %rdi
callq ___clang_call_terminate
Lfunc_end0:
.cfi_endproc
.section __TEXT,__gcc_except_tab
.align 2
GCC_except_table1:
Lexception0:
.byte 255 ## @LPStart Encoding = omit
.byte 155 ## @TType Encoding = indirect pcrel sdata4
.asciz "\242\200\200" ## @TType base offset
.byte 3 ## Call site Encoding = udata4
.byte 26 ## Call site table length
Lset0 = Ltmp3-Lfunc_begin0 ## >> Call Site 1 <<
.long Lset0
Lset1 = Ltmp4-Ltmp3 ## Call between Ltmp3 and Ltmp4
.long Lset1
Lset2 = Ltmp5-Lfunc_begin0 ## jumps to Ltmp5
.long Lset2
.byte 1 ## On action: 1
Lset3 = Ltmp6-Lfunc_begin0 ## >> Call Site 2 <<
.long Lset3
Lset4 = Ltmp7-Ltmp6 ## Call between Ltmp6 and Ltmp7
.long Lset4
Lset5 = Ltmp8-Lfunc_begin0 ## jumps to Ltmp8
.long Lset5
.byte 1 ## On action: 1
.byte 1 ## >> Action Record 1 <<
## Catch TypeInfo 1
.byte 0 ## No further actions
## >> Catch TypeInfos <<
.long 0 ## TypeInfo 1
.align 2
So in summary, never use std::exchange to perform a swap.
Solution 2:
Short answer: it isn't necessary, but it's useful.
Long answer:
One of the largest possible markets for C++ is scientific computations and engineering computations, which is dominated in many ways by Fortran. Fortran isn't exactly pleasant to program in, but generates superior results because of various numerical optimizations it is capable of. This was one of the major reasons behind the development of expression templates, which allowed libraries like Blitz++ to develop near-Fortran levels of speed (at the cost of long compile times and cryptic error messages).
Move semantics and expression templates were developed to speed up certain areas of C++, mostly by eliminating unnecessary copies and temporary values. In the case of move semantics, this drastically increased the speed of numerical computations at basically no cost to the end user; once they were supported and default move semantics were added to objects, many common uses in numerics became faster, simply by allowing already present libraries to stop doing full copies on common operations. Due to the dramatic success of move semantics, other areas of the language, traditionally dominated by idioms such as copy-and-swap, are being viewed in a new light, and standardized. std::array is an example of one such strength reduction; where as previously most standard writers would have said "use vectors, they do everything you want and who cares if they are slow", now the call is for more specialized and specific containers, such as the static std::array.
So why swap?
If you look at boost::swap you'll understand why we have a need for the new swap operator: Argument Dependent Lookup is difficult to encapsulate and use correctly, and results in an explosion of needed functions, where as the basic idea of just giving a swap member function is quite simple. Having an operator that can do it, and providing a default swap operator that can then be used for a default Copy And Swap is an enormous performance boost.
Why? Because std::swap is defined in terms of MoveConstructible and MoveAssignable in C++11 (formerly copy construction and copy assignment, in C++98); this requires three moves, and a temporary (much faster than the full copies needed in C++98). This is generic, and quite fast, but not quite as fast as a custom swap (which can be 2-3x faster, by removing the temporary and one move in many cases). std::swap also depends on the type being nothrow-move-constructible and nothrow-move-assignable; it is conceivable to think of a class which is not, but which could provide exception guarantees on a custom swap, thus avoiding undefined behavior.
ADL and std::swap can interact very nicely, but the syntax is somewhat odd; you add
using std::swap;
to your function calling swap, and provide a free friend function as a swap specialization. Replacing this strange implicit ADL corner case with an explicit operator would be easier on the eyes, but as noted, it seems to be dead on arrival.
Exchange is a very similar beast
By using std::move in exchange, a full copy is no longer necessary. By using a universal reference for new_val, the new value can be perfectly forwarded or moved directly into it's new spot. In theory, exchange can run with absolutely zero copies, just two moves.
In Summary
Why is it necessary? Because it's fast and imposes no cost to end users, and expands C++ as a useful alternative to Fortran in scientific computing.