modern C++ modules: convert existing example from .h to module

8 Feb 2025

I'm experimenting with new C++ constructs.

In C++ callbacks and templates , I developed a generic object oriented callback handler using templates.
In modern C++ modules I tried out an example that uses C++ modules.
This post brings those two together. I convert my callback design (a single .h file) into a module (a single .cpp file).

You need a recent compiler, and tell it that you use modern C++ constructs.
In this blog I use GCC14, and give it these parameters to enable modules:
-std=c++26 -fmodules-ts

The traditional header file approach

The original design, using header file looked like this:

#ifndef CALLBACKMANAGER_H_
#define CALLBACKMANAGER_H_

template <typename R, typename... Args>
  requires std::is_void<R>::value || std::is_arithmetic_v<R>

class Callback {
public:
	Callback() : callback_(nullptr){}

	inline void set(std::function<R(Args... args)> callback) {
	    callback_ = callback;
	}

// ...
};


#endif /* CALLBACKMANAGER_H_ */

and was used like this (an example that uses a class method as callback. The design can also call back functions, static methods, lambdas and other mechanisms) :

#include "callbackmanager.h"

class MyClass {
public:
	inline int handler(const int& num1, const int& num2) const {
          return num1 + num2;
      }
};

int main() {

    int a = 4;
    int b = 5;

    MyClass myClass;

    Callback<int, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to capture myClass and call the object method
    cb.set([&myClass](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> int {
        return myClass.handler(num1, num2);
    });

    int o = cb.call(a, b);
    printf("Value: %i\n", o);
	fflush(stdout);

// ...

What you notice here:

the callback functionality is in a header file
the header file has the usual include guards at start and end (#ifndef ...)
the client file includes the header file

The module approach

The callback class now sits in a .cpp source file:

module;

export module callbackmanager;

export template <typename R, typename... Args>
  requires std::is_void<R>::value || std::is_arithmetic_v<R>

class Callback {
public:
	Callback() : callback_(nullptr){}

	inline void set(std::function<R(Args... args)> callback) {
	    callback_ = callback;
	}
// ...
};

and the file that uses it, imports the module instead of including the header.

import callbackmanager;

class MyClass {
public:
	inline int handler(const int& num1, const int& num2) const {
          return num1 + num2;
      }
};

int main() {

    int a = 4;
    int b = 5;

    MyClass myClass;

    Callback<int, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to capture myClass and call the object method
    cb.set([&myClass](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> int {
        return myClass.handler(num1, num2);
    });

    int o = cb.call(a, b);
    printf("Value: %i\n", o);
	fflush(stdout);

// ...

Differences:

the callback design sits in a source file. It creates the module, and exports the accessible module functionality.
no include guards anymore. They are not needed
the client file imports the module

That's it.

Full source

callbackmanager.cpp

/*
 * callbackmanager.cpp
 *
 *  Created on: 16 jun. 2024
 *      Author: jancu
 */

 module;

 #include <functional>
 
 export module callbackmanager;
 
 namespace callbackmanager {
 
 export template <typename R, typename... Args>
  requires std::is_void<R>::value || std::is_arithmetic_v<R>
class Callback {
	using callbackfunction_t = std::function<R(Args...)>;	
public:
	Callback() : callback_(nullptr), isSet(false){}

	inline void set(callbackfunction_t callback) {
	    callback_ = callback;
		isSet = true;
	}

	inline void unset() {
		callback_ = nullptr;
		isSet = false;
	}

	/*
	 * R can either be an arithmetic type, or void
	 */
	inline R call(Args... args) {
		if constexpr (std::is_void<R>::value) {
			if (!isSet) {
				return;
			}
			(callback_)(args...);
		}

		if constexpr (! std::is_void<R>::value) {
			if (!isSet) {
				return 0; // R can only be a arithmetic type. 0 should work as default.
			}
			return (callback_)(args...);
		}
	}

	inline bool is_set() {
		return isSet;		
	}

private:
	callbackfunction_t callback_;
	bool isSet;
};

} // namespace callbackmanager

callback_example.cpp (showing a number of examples that use the callback as OO or functional mechanism)

// https://community.element14.com/products/devtools/software/f/forum/54719/c-callbacks-and-templates


#include <cstdio>
#include <string>
#include <typeinfo>

import callbackmanager;

class MyClass {
public:
	inline int handler(const int& num1, const int& num2) const {
          return num1 + num2;
      }
      static inline int staticHandler(const int& num1, const int& num2) {
          return num1 + num2;
      }
};

int functionHandler(const int& num1, const int& num2) {
    return num1 + num2;
}

int main() {

    int a = 4;
    int b = 5;

	{ // scenario: call object method
    MyClass myClass;

    callbackmanager::Callback<int, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to capture myClass and call the object method
    cb.set([&myClass](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> int {
        return myClass.handler(num1, num2);
    });

    int o = cb.call(a, b);
    printf("Value: %i\n", o);
	fflush(stdout);
	}

	{ // scenario: call static method
	callbackmanager::Callback<int, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to call the static method
    cb.set([](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> int {
        return MyClass::staticHandler(num1, num2);
    });

    int o = cb.call(a, b);
    printf("Value: %i\n", o);
	fflush(stdout);
	}

	{ // scenario: call C function
	callbackmanager::Callback<int, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to call the classic C function
    cb.set([](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> int {
        return functionHandler(num1, num2);
    });

    int o = cb.call(a, b);
    printf("Value: %i\n", o);
	fflush(stdout);
	}

	{ // scenario: call pure lambda
	callbackmanager::Callback<int, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to execute anonymous C code
    cb.set([](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> int {
        return num1 + num2;
    });

    int o  = cb.call(a, b);
    printf("Value: %i\n", o);
	fflush(stdout);
	}

	{ // scenario: return a bool
	callbackmanager::Callback<bool, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to execute anonymous C code
    cb.set([](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> bool {
        return num1 == num2;
    });

    printf("Value: %s\n", cb.call(a, b) ? "true" : "false");
	fflush(stdout);
	}

	{ // scenario: use void
	callbackmanager::Callback<void, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to execute anonymous C code
    cb.set([](const int& num1, const int& num2) {
        printf("void gets num1: %i, num2: %i\n", num1, num2);
    	fflush(stdout);
        return;
    });
    cb.call(a, b);
	}

	{ // scenario: use void, and no attributes
	callbackmanager::Callback<void> cb;
    // Use a lambda to execute anonymous C code
    cb.set([]() {
        printf("void with no parameters\n");
    	fflush(stdout);
        return;
    });
    cb.call();
	}

	{ // scenario: use void, and a const std::string reference
	callbackmanager::Callback<void, const std::string&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to execute anonymous C code
    cb.set([](const std::string& s) {
        printf(s.c_str());
    	fflush(stdout);
        return;
    });
    cb.call("hello, world!\r\n");
	}

	{ // scenario: use void, and a const std::string reference
	std::string updateme;
	callbackmanager::Callback<void, std::string&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to execute anonymous C code
    cb.set([](std::string& s) {
    	s.assign("hello, world!\r\n");
        return;
    });
    cb.call(updateme);
    printf(updateme.c_str());
	fflush(stdout);
	}

	/*
	{ // scenario: use an unsupported (non-fundamental) type for return value R
	  // this will generate a compile error
    callbackmanager::Callback<std::string, const int&, const int&> cb;
	}
*/

}

cmake file

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.28)

project(callbackmanager C CXX ASM)

# GoogleTest requires at least C++14
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 26)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fmodules-ts -fcommon")
# set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "-Wl,-allow-multiple-definition")

include(FetchContent)
FetchContent_Declare(
  googletest
  URL https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/03597a01ee50ed33e9dfd640b249b4be3799d395.zip
)
# For Windows: Prevent overriding the parent project's compiler/linker settings
set(gtest_force_shared_crt ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest)

enable_testing()

add_executable(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_example)
target_sources(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_example
        PUBLIC
        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/example/callback_examples.cpp
)
target_sources(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_example
        PUBLIC
        FILE_SET cxx_modules TYPE CXX_MODULES FILES
        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/callbackmanager.cpp
)

target_link_libraries( ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_example
)

add_executable(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_test)
target_sources(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_test
        PUBLIC
        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/callbackmanager_test.cpp
)
target_sources(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_test
        PUBLIC
        FILE_SET cxx_modules TYPE CXX_MODULES FILES
        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/callbackmanager.cpp
)

target_link_libraries( ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_test

        GTest::gtest_main
        GTest::gmock_main
)

include(GoogleTest)
gtest_discover_tests(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}_test)

Thank you for reading.

DAB 8 months ago

Nice post Jan.
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Jan Cumps 8 months ago
I used an object's method as callback handler in the example. But you can as well use a standard c type function. Here's an example
```
int functionHandler(const int& num1, const int& num2) {
    return num1 + num2;
}

int main() {

    int a = 4;
    int b = 5;

	// scenario: call C function
	callbackmanager::Callback<int, const int&, const int&> cb;
    // Use a lambda to call the classic C function
    cb.set([](const int& num1, const int& num2) -> int {
        return functionHandler(num1, num2);
    });

    int o = cb.call(a, b);
    printf("Value: %i\n", o);
	fflush(stdout);
```
It calls function functionHandler().

You an also use it to call plain c code that's not in a function (a lambda). See all options in C++ callbacks and templates: make the Callback class call an object member, a static member, a C function and a pure lambda function .
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