8.6 — Typedefs and type aliases

Type aliases

In C++, using is a keyword that creates an alias for an existing data type. To create such an alias, we use the using keyword, followed by a name for the alias, followed by an equals sign and an existing data type. For example:

using distance_t = double; // define distance_t as an alias for type double

Many type alias names use a “_t” or “_type” suffix to help decrease the chance of naming collisions with other identifiers. However, such use is inconsistent at best, and many type aliases have no suffix at all.

using distance_type = double; // Also ok, more about this in a later chapter
using distance = double; // Also ok, but could be confused for- and collide with variable names

Once defined, an alias can be used anywhere a type is needed. For example, we can create a variable with the alias name as the type:

distance_t milesToDestination{ 3.4 }; // defines a variable of type double 

When the compiler encounters an alias name, it will substitute in the aliased type. For example:

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    using distance_t = double; // define distance_t as an alias for type double

    distance_t milesToDestination{ 3.4 }; // defines a variable of type double

    std::cout << milesToDestination << '\n'; // prints a double value

    return 0;
}

This prints:

3.4

In the above program, we first define distance_t as an alias for type double.

Next, we define a variable named milesToDestination of type distance_t. Because the compiler knows distance_t is an alias, it will use the aliased type, which is double. Thus, variable milesToDestination is actually compiled to be a variable of type double, and it will behave as a double in all regards.

Finally, we print the value of milesToDestination, which prints as a double value.

Type aliases are not new types

An alias does not actually define a new type -- it just introduces a new identifier for an existing type. An alias is completely interchangeable with the aliased type.

This allows us to do things that are syntactically valid but semantically meaningless. For example:

int main()
{
    using miles_t = long; // define miles_t as an alias for type long
    using speed_t = long; // define speed_t as an alias for type long

    miles_t distance { 5 }; // distance is actually just a long
    speed_t mhz  { 3200 };  // mhz is actually just a long

    // The following is syntactically valid (but semantically meaningless)
    distance = mhz;

    return 0;
}

Although conceptually we intend miles_t and speed_t to have distinct meanings, both are just aliases for type long. This effectively means miles_t, speed_t, and long can all be used interchangeably. And indeed, when we assign a value of type speed_t to a variable of type miles_t, the compiler only sees that we’re assigning a value of type long to a variable of type long, and it will not complain.

Because the compiler does not prevent these kinds of semantic errors for type aliases, we say that aliases are not type safe. In spite of that, they are still useful.

The scope of a type alias

Because scope is a property of an identifier, type alias identifiers follow the same scoping rules as variable identifiers: a type alias defined inside a block has block scope and is usable only within that block, whereas a type alias defined in the global namespace has file scope and is usable to the end of the file. In the above example, miles_t and speed_t are only usable in the main() function.

If you need to use one or more type aliases across multiple files, they can be defined in a header file and #included into any code files that needs to use the definition:

mytypes.h:

#ifndef MYTYPES
#define MYTYPES

    using miles_t = long;
    using speed_t = long;

#endif

Type aliases #included this way will be imported into the global namespace and thus have global scope.

Typedef

typedef (which is short for “type definition”) is a keyword with the same semantics as “using”, but reversed syntax.

// The following aliases are identical
typedef long miles_t;
using miles_t = long;

Typedefs are still in C++ for historical reasons, but their use is discouraged.

Typedefs have a few syntactical issues. First, it’s easy to forget whether the typedef name or aliased type name come first. Which is correct?

typedef distance_t double; // incorrect (typedef name first)
typedef double distance_t; // correct (aliased type name first)

It’s easy to get backwards. Fortunately, in such cases, the compiler will complain.

Second, the syntax for typedefs can get ugly with more complex types. For example, here is a hard-to-read typedef, along with an equivalent (and slightly easier to read) type alias with “using”:

typedef int (*fcn_t)(double, char); // fcn_t hard to find
using fcn_t = int(*)(double, char); // fcn_t easier to find

In the above typedef definition, the name of the new type (fcn_t) is buried in the middle of the definition, making the definition hard to read.

Third, the name “typedef” suggests that a new type is being defined, but that’s not true. As we have seen above, an alias is interchangeable with the aliased type.

When should we use type aliases?

Now that we’ve covered what type aliases are, let’s talk about what they are useful for.

Using type aliases for platform independent coding

One of the uses for type aliases is that they can be used to hide platform specific details. On some platforms, an int is 2 bytes, and on others, it is 4 bytes. Thus, using int to store more than 2 bytes of information can be potentially dangerous when writing platform independent code.

Because char, short, int, and long give no indication of their size, it is fairly common for cross-platform programs to use type aliases to define aliases that include the type’s size in bits. For example, int8_t would be an 8-bit signed integer, int16_t a 16-bit signed integer, and int32_t a 32-bit signed integer. Using type aliases in this manner helps prevent mistakes and makes it more clear about what kind of assumptions have been made about the size of the variable.

In order to make sure each aliased type resolves to a type of the right size, type aliases of this kind are typically used in conjunction with preprocessor directives:

#ifdef INT_2_BYTES
using int8_t = char;
using int16_t = int;
using int32_t = long;
#else
using int8_t = char;
using int16_t = short;
using int32_t = int;
#endif

On machines where integers are only 2 bytes, INT_2_BYTES can be #defined, and the program will be compiled with the top set of type aliases. On machines where integers are 4 bytes, leaving INT_2_BYTES undefined will cause the bottom set of type aliases to be used. In this way, int8_t will resolve to a 1 byte integer, int16_t will resolve to a 2 bytes integer, and int32_t will resolve to a 4 byte integer using the combination of char, short, int, and long that is appropriate for the machine the program is being compiled on.

The fixed-width integers (such as std::int_fast16_t and std::int_least32_t) and size_t type (both covered in lesson 4.6 -- Fixed-width integers and size_t) are actually just type aliases to various fundamental types.

This is also why when you print an 8-bit fixed-width integer using std::cout, you’re likely to get a character value. For example:

#include <cstdint> // for fixed-width integers
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    std::int_least8_t x{ 97 }; // int_least8_t is actually a type alias for a char type
    std::cout << x;

    return 0;
}

This program prints:

a

Because std::int_least8_t is typically defined as a type alias for one of the char types, variable x will be defined as a char type. And char types print their values as ASCII characters rather than as integer values.

Using type aliases to make complex types simple

Although we have only dealt with simple data types so far, in advanced C++, types can be complicated and lengthy to manually enter on your keyboard. For example, you might see a function and variable defined like this:

#include <string> // for std::string
#include <vector> // for std::vector
#include <utility> // for std::pair

bool hasDuplicates(std::vector<std::pair<std::string, int>> pairlist)
{
    // some code here
    return false;
}

int main()
{
     std::vector<std::pair<std::string, int>> pairlist;

     return 0;
}

Typing std::vector<std::pair<std::string, int>> everywhere you need to use that type is cumbersome, and it is easy to make a typing mistake. It’s much easier to use a type alias:

#include <string> // for std::string
#include <vector> // for std::vector
#include <utility> // for std::pair

using pairlist_t = std::vector<std::pair<std::string, int>>; // make pairlist_t an alias for this crazy type

bool hasDuplicates(pairlist_t pairlist) // use pairlist_t in a function parameter
{
    // some code here
    return false;
}

int main()
{
     pairlist_t pairlist; // instantiate a pairlist_t variable

     return 0;
}

Much better! Now we only have to type pairlist_t instead of std::vector<std::pair<std::string, int>>.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what std::vector, std::pair, or all these crazy angle brackets are yet. The only thing you really need to understand here is that type aliases allow you to take complex types and give them a simple name, which makes your code easier to read and saves typing.

This is probably the best use for type aliases.

Using type aliases for legibility

Type aliases can also help with code documentation and comprehension.

With variables, we have the variable’s identifier to help document the purpose of the variable. But consider the case of a function’s return value. Data types such as char, int, long, double, and bool are good for describing what type a function returns, but more often we want to know what purpose a return value serves.

For example, given the following function:

int gradeTest();

We can see that the return value is an integer, but what does the integer mean? A letter grade? The number of questions missed? The student’s ID number? An error code? Who knows! The return type of int does not tell us much. If we’re lucky, documentation for the function exists somewhere that we can reference. If we’re unlucky, we have to read the code and infer the purpose.

Now let’s do an equivalent version using a type alias:

using testScore_t = int;
testScore_t gradeTest();

The return type of testScore_t makes it a little more obvious that the function is returning a type that represents a test score.

In our experience, creating a type alias just to document the return type of a single function isn’t worth it (use a comment instead). But if you have already created a type alias for other reasons, this can be a nice additional benefit.

Using type aliases for easier code maintenance

Type aliases also allow you to change the underlying type of an object without having to change lots of code. For example, if you were using a short to hold a student’s ID number, but then later decided you needed a long instead, you’d have to comb through lots of code and replace short with long. It would probably be difficult to figure out which objects of type short were being used to hold ID numbers and which were being used for other purposes.

However, if you use type aliases, then changing types becomes as simple as updating the type alias (e.g. from using studentID_t = short; to using studentID_t = long;).

While this seems like a nice benefit, caution is necessary whenever a type is changed, as the behavior of the program may also change. This is especially true when changing the type of a type alias to a type in a different type family (e.g. an integer to a floating point value, or vice versa)! The new type may have comparison or integer/floating point division issues, or other issues that the old type did not. If you change an existing type to some other type, your code should be thoroughly retested.

Downsides and conclusion

While type aliases offer some benefits, they also introduce yet another identifier into your code that needs to be understood. If this isn’t offset by some benefit to readability or comprehension, then the type alias is doing more harm than good.

A poorly utilized type alias can take a familiar type (such as std::string) and hide it behind a custom name that needs to be looked up. In some cases (such as with smart pointers, which we’ll cover in a future chapter), obscuring the type information can also be harmful to understanding how the type should be expected to work.

For this reason, type aliases should be used primarily in cases where there is a clear benefit to code readability or code maintenance. This is as much of an art as a science. Type aliases are most useful when they can be used in many places throughout your code, rather than in fewer places.

Quiz time

int printData();

using error_t = int;

error_t printData();