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V833. Using 'std::move' function's with const object disables move semantics.
The analyzer detected a situation when move semantics does not work. Such code slows down the performance.
- The 'std::move' function may have received an lvalue reference to a const object as an argument.
- The 'std::move' function's result may have been passed to a function that takes an lvalue reference to a const as a parameter.
Example:
#include <string>
#include <vector>
void foo()
{
std::vector<std::string> fileData;
const std::string alias = ....;
....
fileData.emplace_back(std::move(alias));
....
}This code does not work as the developer expects. Move semantics is impossible for const-qualified objects. As a result, the compiler calls a copy constructor for 'std::string' and the expected optimization does not happen.
To fix this code, you can remove the 'const' keyword from the 'alias' local variable:
#include <string>
#include <vector>
void foo()
{
std::vector<std::string> fileData;
std::string alias = ....;
....
fileData.emplace_back(std::move(alias));
....
}The diagnostic also issues a warning when 'std::move' is used on a function's formal parameter:
#include <string>
void foo(std::string);
void bar(const std::string &str)
{
....
foo(std::move(str));
....
}There's no universal way to fix such code, but the approaches below could help.
Approach 1
Add a function overload that takes an rvalue reference:
#include <string>
void foo(std::string);
void bar(const std::string &str)
{
....
foo(str); // copy here
....
}
void bar(std::string &&str) // new overload
{
....
foo(std::move(str)); // move here
....
}Approach 2
Rewrite the function to make it a function template that takes a forward reference. Limit the template parameter to the required type. Then apply the 'std::forward' function to the template argument:
#include <string>
#include <type_traits> // until C++20
#include <concepts> // since C++20
void foo(std::string);
// ------------ Constraint via custom trait (since C++11) ------------
template <typename T>
struct is_std_string
: std::bool_constant<std::is_same<std::decay_t<T>,
std::string>::value>
{};
template <typename T,
std::enable_if_t<is_std_string<T>::value, int> = 0>
void bar(T &&str)
{
....
foo(std::forward<T>(str));
....
}
// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// ------------ Constraint via custom trait (since C++14) ------------
template <typename T>
static constexpr bool is_std_string_v =
std::is_same<std::decay_t<T>, std::string>::value;
template <typename T, std::enable_if_t<is_std_string_v<T>, int> = 0>
void bar(T &&str)
{
....
foo(std::forward<T>(str));
....
}
// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// ------------------ Constraint via C++20 concept -------------------
template <typename T>
void bar(T &&str) requires std::same_as<std::remove_cvref_t<T>,
std::string>
{
....
foo(std::forward<T>(str));
....
}
// -------------------------------------------------------------------Approach 3
If the above - or any other - approaches are not applicable, remove the 'std::move' call.
The diagnostic rule also fires when the 'std::move' function's result is passed to a function that takes an lvalue reference to a const. Example:
#include <string>
std::string foo(const std::string &str);
void bar(std::string str, ....)
{
....
auto var = foo(std::move(str));
....
}Although 'std::move' is executed and returns an xvalue object, that object is still copied and not moved. This happens because the function's formal parameter is an lvalue reference to a const. In this case, the result of the 'std::move' call falls within the context where a move constructor call is impossible. However, if you write a new function overload, that takes an rvalue reference, or a function template with a forwarding reference - the compiler will choose that entity and will execute the code as you expect:
#include <string>
std::string foo(const std::string &str);
std::string foo(std::string &&str);
void bar(std::string str, ....)
{
....
auto var = foo(std::move(str));
....
}Now let's examine the case when 'std::move' can be applied to a reference to a const and works correctly:
template <typename T>
struct MoC
{
MoC(T&& rhs) : obj (std::move(rhs)) {}
MoC(const MoC& other) : obj (std::move(other.obj)) {}
T& get() { return obj; }
mutable T obj;
};The code above is the MoC (Move on Copy) idiom implementation. The copy constructor moves the object. In this case, it is possible because the non-static data member 'obj' has the 'mutable' specifier and tells the compiler explicitly to process this object as a non-const object.
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