Concept (generic programming)

In generic programming, a concept is a description of supported operations on a type, including syntax and semantics. In this way, concepts are related to abstract base classes but concepts do not require a subtype relationship. The term was in use as early as 1998.

For example, if a type I satisfies the Trivial Iterator concept in C++, and i is of type I, the following are valid expressions with corresponding semantics:

• I i default construction.
• *i must be convertible to some type T.
• i->m is valid if (*i).m is.

Concepts have been accepted into the C++ standard for the next revision.

See also

• ConceptGCC

References