std::vector<bool> is NOT a std::vector containing bools

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Everything in the title, but let me explain... Lately I've spent a lot of time trying to make a serialization/deserialization work with the huge piece of software I'm working on at Golaem. Anyway I came across a strange compiler error when trying to deserialize a std::vector<bool>. Here's what our serialization engine is like:

1template<T>
2void read(std::vector<T>& myVector, Bitstream myStream)
3{
4  unsigned int size;
5  read(size,myStream);
6  vector.resize(size);
7  for (unsigned int i = 0 ; i < size ; i++)
8  {
9    read(vector[i],stream);
10  }
11}
12
13void read(bool& myBool, Bitstream stream)
14{
15  ...
16}
17
18template<T>
19void write(const std::vector<T>& myVector, Bitstream myStream)
20{
21  unsigned int size;
22  write((unsigned int)myVector.size(),myStream);
23  for (unsigned int i = 0 ; i < myVector.size() ; i++)
24  {
25    write(vector[i],stream);
26  }
27}
28
29void write(const bool& myBool, Bitstream stream)
30{
31  ...
32}

The serialization worked ok, but when trying the deserialization I got a cryptic compiler error:

impossible to convert from std::_Vb_reference<_Sizet,_Difft,_MycontTy> to bool &

WTF ? This code worked perfectly for doubles, ints and other basic types bools should be fine no ? After a quick google and follow links session I stopped on the cplusplus.com reference page of the std::vector. You should go and read this page completly, yep now! I give you a few seconds...

OK you should've finished now, and yeah, you read well, std::vector<bool> is a template specialization of std::vector<T> and it does not have the the same properties: std::vector<bool>::operator[] doesn't returns a reference to a bool but a specially defined type. I love C++ and especially the STL... Yes, in most cases it's transparent because this type defines a transtyping operator to bool. Yes, it is designed to save space as each element of a std::vector<bool> takes only 1 bit. But, it is inconsistent (std::deque<bool> is a std::deque of bools), opposed to the basic principles of c++ templates, and, apparently not normalized (see this open letter wrote by Herb Sutter the day i turned 15). Another good joke from our pals at C++ ISO committee...