Reflection - Compile-Time Introspection of C++

The talk explains static reflection and reification in C++, then demonstrates how compile-time introspection can extend generic programming. Examples include generating indirection and implementing serialization and deserialization for classes.

Syllabus

Introduction
Examples
Reflection and metaprogramming: final
Motivation for metaprogramming
Where static reflection helps
Generating indirection
Reflection operator (P2320) Is an expression Produces a comple-time (as in constexpr) value that describes its operand
Reflection type (P1240)
Testing our indirection generator
Reflection library (P1240)
Making pointers iteratively
Splice operator
Splice equation
A reflective indirection generator
Expansion statements
A trivial implementation
Equivalent specialization
Serialization algorithm
Sketch of algorithm
Serialization as a facility
The main structure
Serialization interface
Serializing base cases
Serializing composites
Generic and extensible
Deserialization
Deserializing classes