Reflections on reflections and changes to reflections that may be reflected in C++ 26!

• Frustrated by C++’s lack of built-in reflection capabilities?

• Tired of using macros and templates to simulate reflective properties?

• Curious how the introduction of static reflection to C++ 26 may affect your code?

Unlike languages like Java and C#, C++ lacks native, high-level reflection capabilities, forcing developers to use external scripts or implement custom solutions to achieve similar functionality. But this may change with the C++ 26 standard. The current proposal contemplates the addition of static reflection, which will allow programs to inspect program-constructs at compile time, enabling a host of use cases and reducing external dependencies for simpler, more elegant coding.

In a special edition of our C++ meetup series, held to coincide with the International C++ Standards Committee meeting we hosted in Tokyo, four members of the Standards Committee — Hana Dusíková (Woven by Toyota), Inbal Levi (Millenium) and Daveed Vandevoorde (Edison Design Group), along with moderator JF Bastien (Woven by Toyota) — discuss this proposed addition. Through examples and lively discussion, this meetup highlights some of the benefits, risks and limitations of the current proposal, with special attention paid to the downstream effects on libraries.

In the closing Q&A, the meetup discusses, among other things, the future of reflection and what we may expect in future iterations of the C++ standard, helping attendees better understand where we are today, where we’re going and the broader sweep of the language’s evolution.

Panel Discussion

• Panelists

  • Hana Dusíková (Woven by Toyota)

  • Inbal Levi (Millennium)

  • Daveed Vandevoorde (Edison Design Group)

• Moderator

  • JF Bastien (Woven by Toyota)

Through our series of meetups, we hope to invite as many people who are interested in our discussions on C++, and very much look forward to interacting and socializing with them.

For periodic updates of our activities, please visit our official websites and social media pages.

Woven by Toyota

• Website: https://woven.toyota

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• Twitter Japan: https://twitter.com/Woven_ToyotaJP