Observing Compiler Deduced Types

Scott Meyers lecture on Type Deduction and Why You Care (at around minute 43) explains a technique to force compilers to display the types it deduces when a function template is instantiated or when an auto variable is defined. Here is the code

template<typename T> TD;   // Declaration for TD. TD == "Type Displayer"

template<typename T> void f(T& param)  // A template w/types of interest
{
  TD<T> tType;                      // cause T to be shown
  TD<decltype(param)>  paramType;   // ditto for param's type
}

that forces two compile errors that will display both the deduced type for T and param. Examples:

int x = 27;  // x is an int
f(x);  // main.cpp line 67

Using g++ version 7.2.0, the output is:

main.cpp: In instantiation of ‘void f(T&) [with T = int]’:
main.cpp:67:6:   required from here
main.cpp:53:9: error: ‘TD<int> tType’ has incomplete type
   TD<T> tType;               // cause T to be shown
         ^~~~~
main.cpp:54:24: error: ‘TD<int&> paramType’ has incomplete type
   TD<decltype(param)>  paramType; // ditto for param's type
                        ^~~~~~~~~

int& rx = x;  // rx is a reference to an int
f(rx); // main.cpp line 70

Using g++ version 7.2.0, the output is:

main.cpp: In instantiation of ‘void f(T&) [with T = int]’:
main.cpp:70:6:   required from here
main.cpp:60:9: error: ‘TD<int> tType’ has incomplete type
   TD<T> tType;               // cause T to be shown
         ^~~~~
main.cpp:61:24: error: ‘TD<int&> paramType’ has incomplete type
   TD<decltype(param)>  paramType; // ditto for param's type
                        ^~~~~~~~~

const int& crx = x;  // crx is a reference to a const int
f(crx); // main.cpp line 74

Using g++ version 7.2.0, the output is:

main.cpp: In instantiation of ‘void f(T&) [with T = const int]’:
main.cpp:74:8:   required from here
main.cpp:60:9: error: ‘TD<const int> tType’ has incomplete type
   TD<T> tType;               // cause T to be shown
         ^~~~~
main.cpp:61:24: error: ‘TD<const int&> paramType’ has incomplete type
   TD<decltype(param)>  paramType; // ditto for param's type
                        ^~~~~~~~~

Now if f is changed to take a const &, and we re-run the same examples, we get:

template<typename T> void f(const T& param)  // template w/types of interest
{
  TD<T> tType;                    // cause T to be shown
  TD<decltype(param)>  paramType; // ditto for param's type
}

int x = 27;
f(rx);   // line 67

the output is:

main.cpp: In instantiation of ‘void f(const T&) [with T = int]’:
main.cpp:67:6:   required from here
main.cpp:60:9: error: ‘TD<int> tType’ has incomplete type
   TD<T> tType;               // cause T to be shown
         ^~~~~
main.cpp:61:24: error: ‘TD<const int&> paramType’ has incomplete type
   TD<decltype(param)>  paramType; // ditto for param's type
                        ^~~~~~~~~

int& rx = x; // rx is a reference to an int
f(rx);  // line 70

the output is:

main.cpp: In instantiation of ‘void f(const T&) [with T = int]’:
main.cpp:70:7:   required from here
main.cpp:60:9: error: ‘TD<int> tType’ has incomplete type
   TD<T> tType;               // cause T to be shown
         ^~~~~
main.cpp:61:24: error: ‘TD<const int&> paramType’ has incomplete type
   TD<decltype(param)>  paramType; // ditto for param's type
                        ^~~~~~~~~

const int& crx = x; // crx is a reference to a const int.
f(crx); // line 74

the output is:

main.cpp: In instantiation of ‘void f(const T&) [with T = int]’:
main.cpp:74:8:   required from here
main.cpp:60:9: error: ‘TD<int> tType’ has incomplete type
   TD<T> tType;               // cause T to be shown
         ^~~~~
main.cpp:61:24: error: ‘TD<const int&> paramType’ has incomplete type
   TD<decltype(param)>  paramType; // ditto for param's type
                        ^~~~~~~~~