dariomt@gmail.com wrote:

Tobias Schwinger wrote:

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Here's an MPL-based solution. Whoa! Thanks a lot!

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compiles with GCC4 For me it also works with VS2003

Good.

Right now I'm still scratching my head in astonishment ;) I'll definitely come back looking for some more help to understand your solution.

The algorithm is quite easy -- the details around it take some time to get used to :). Here's a runtime version of the metaprogram simulating types with strings. Regards, Tobias #include <vector> #include #include <string> #include <iostream> typedef std::string type; typedef std::vector<type> type_vector; class cursor { type_vector::const_iterator here, start, end; public: cursor(type_vector const& l) : here(l.begin()), start(l.begin()), end(l.end()) { } // A return value of true means: "We reached the end and reset the position // to the start" ('wrapped' member in compile time version). // // Note: We change the state of the cursor, here. // Compile time algorithms are strictly functional, so the 'next' and // 'wrap_around' metafunctions have to create new cursor types. bool wrapping_next() { if (++here == end) { here = start; return true; } return false; } type deref() const { return *here; } }; typedef std::vector<cursor> cursor_vector; // Returns 'true' if all combinations (if any) have been processed. bool nested_loops_step(cursor_vector& cursors) { // Note: In compile time world we create a new sequence since types are // immutable -- once they are there we can't change them. for (cursor_vector::iterator i = cursors.begin(), e = cursors.end(); i != e; ++i) if (! i->wrapping_next()) return false; return true; } int main() { using namespace boost::assign; type_vector l1; l1 += std::string("A1"), std::string("A2"); type_vector l2; l2 += std::string("B1"), std::string("B2"); type_vector l3; l3 += std::string("C1"), std::string("C2"); cursor_vector cursors; cursors += cursor(l1), cursor(l2), cursor(l3); // Note: We use the algorithm to determine whether there is something // to do in the first place (just like the compile time version). // However, the runtime version works directly on mutable cursors, so // we copy the sequence to ignore its effect on the cursors. cursor_vector disposable_copy_of_cursors(cursors); if (! nested_loops_step(disposable_copy_of_cursors)) { do { std::cout << cursors[0].deref() << ',' << cursors[1].deref() << ',' << cursors[2].deref() << std::endl; } while (! nested_loops_step(cursors)); } }