std::is_base_of

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Iterators library
Ranges library(C++20)
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External libraries

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Metaprogramming library

Type traits

Type categories

is_void

(C++11)

is_null_pointer

(C++11)(DR*)

is_array (C++11)
is_pointer (C++11)
is_enum (C++11)
is_union (C++11)
is_class (C++11)
is_function (C++11)
is_reference (C++11)

is_object (C++11)
is_scalar (C++11)
is_compound (C++11)
is_integral (C++11)
is_floating_point (C++11)
is_fundamental (C++11)
is_arithmetic (C++11)

is_lvalue_reference

(C++11)

is_rvalue_reference

(C++11)

is_member_pointer

(C++11)

is_member_object_pointer

(C++11)

is_member_function_pointer

(C++11)

Type properties

(C++11)

(C++11)

(C++11)

(C++11)

(C++14)

(C++11)

(C++17)

(C++23)

(C++11)(deprecated in C++26)

is_trivially_copyable

(C++11)

is_standard_layout

(C++11)

is_literal_type

(C++11)(until C++20*)

is_pod

(C++11)(deprecated in C++20)

(C++11)

(C++11)

(C++20)

(C++20)

(C++23)

has_unique_object_representations

(C++17)

Type trait constants

integral_constantbool_constanttrue_typefalse_type

(C++11)(C++17)(C++11)(C++11)

Metafunctions

conjunction

(C++17)

disjunction

(C++17)

negation

(C++17)

Supported operations

is_constructibleis_trivially_constructibleis_nothrow_constructible (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
is_default_constructibleis_trivially_default_constructibleis_nothrow_default_constructible (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
is_copy_constructibleis_trivially_copy_constructibleis_nothrow_copy_constructible (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
is_move_constructibleis_trivially_move_constructibleis_nothrow_move_constructible (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
is_assignableis_trivially_assignableis_nothrow_assignable (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)

is_copy_assignableis_trivially_copy_assignableis_nothrow_copy_assignable (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
is_move_assignableis_trivially_move_assignableis_nothrow_move_assignable (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
is_destructibleis_trivially_destructibleis_nothrow_destructible (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
has_virtual_destructor (C++11)
is_swappable_withis_swappableis_nothrow_swappable_withis_nothrow_swappable (C++17)(C++17)(C++17)(C++17)

Relationships and property queries

is_same (C++11)
is_convertibleis_nothrow_convertible (C++11)(C++20)
is_layout_compatible (C++20)
is_pointer_interconvertible_base_of (C++20)
is_pointer_interconvertible_with_class (C++20)
is_corresponding_member (C++20)
reference_constructs_from_temporary (C++23)
reference_converts_from_temporary (C++23)

is_base_of (C++11)
is_virtual_base_of (C++26)
alignment_of (C++11)
rank (C++11)
extent (C++11)
is_invocableis_invocable_ris_nothrow_invocableis_nothrow_invocable_r (C++17)(C++17)(C++17)(C++17)

Type modifications

remove_cvremove_constremove_volatile (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
add_cvadd_constadd_volatile (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
make_signed (C++11)
make_unsigned (C++11)

remove_reference (C++11)
add_lvalue_referenceadd_rvalue_reference (C++11)(C++11)
remove_pointer (C++11)
add_pointer (C++11)
remove_extent (C++11)
remove_all_extents (C++11)

Type transformations

aligned_storage (C++11)(deprecated in C++23)
aligned_union (C++11)(deprecated in C++23)
decay (C++11)
remove_cvref (C++20)
result_ofinvoke_result (C++11)(until C++20*)(C++17)

conditional (C++11)
common_type (C++11)
common_reference (C++20)
underlying_type (C++11)
type_identity (C++20)
enable_if (C++11)
void_t (C++17)

Compile-time rational arithmetic

Compile-time integer sequences

integer_sequence

(C++14)

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Defined in header`<type_traits>`
template<class Base,class Derived> struct is_base_of;		(since C++11)

std::is_base_of is aBinaryTypeTrait.

IfDerived isderived fromBase or if both are the same non-union class (in both cases ignoring cv-qualification), provides the member constantvalue equal totrue. Otherwisevalue isfalse.

If bothBase andDerived are non-union class types, and they are not the same type (ignoring cv-qualification),Derived should be acomplete type; otherwise the behavior is undefined.

If the program adds specializations forstd::is_base_of orstd::is_base_of_v(since C++17), the behavior is undefined.

[edit]Helper variable template

template<class Base,class Derived> constexprbool is_base_of_v= is_base_of<Base, Derived>::value;		(since C++17)

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Inherited fromstd::integral_constant

Member constants

value

[static]

true ifDerived is derived fromBase or if both are the same non-union class (in both cases ignoring cv-qualification),false otherwise
(public static member constant)

Member functions

operator bool	converts the object tobool, returnsvalue (public member function)
operator() (C++14)	returnsvalue (public member function)

Member types

Type	Definition
`value_type`	bool
`type`	std::integral_constant<bool, value>

[edit]Notes

std::is_base_of<A, B>::value istrue even ifA is a private, protected, or ambiguous base class ofB. In many situations,std::is_convertible<B*, A*> is the more appropriate test.

Although no class is its own base,std::is_base_of<T, T>::value is true because the intent of the trait is to model the "is-a" relationship, andT is aT. Despite that,std::is_base_of<int,int>::value isfalse because only classes participate in the relationship that this trait models.

[edit]Possible Implementation

namespace details{template<typename B>std::true_type test_ptr_conv(constvolatile B*);template<typename>std::false_type test_ptr_conv(constvolatilevoid*); template<typename B,typename D>auto test_is_base_of(int)-> decltype(test_ptr_conv<B>(static_cast<D*>(nullptr)));template<typename,typename>auto test_is_base_of(...)->std::true_type;// private or ambiguous base} template<typename Base,typename Derived>struct is_base_of:std::integral_constant<bool,std::is_class<Base>::value&&std::is_class<Derived>::value&&        decltype(details::test_is_base_of<Base, Derived>(0))::value>{};

[edit]Example

Run this code

#include <type_traits> class A{};class B: A{};class C: B{};class D{};union E{};using I=int; static_assert(    std::is_base_of_v<A, A>==true&&    std::is_base_of_v<A, B>==true&&    std::is_base_of_v<A, C>==true&&    std::is_base_of_v<A, D>!=true&&    std::is_base_of_v<B, A>!=true&&    std::is_base_of_v<E, E>!=true&&    std::is_base_of_v<I, I>!=true); int main(){}

[edit]Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
LWG 2015	C++11	the behavior might be undefined if `Derived` is an incomplete union type	the base characteristic is std::false_type in this case

[edit]See also

is_virtual_base_of (C++26)	checks if a type is a virtual base of the other type (class template)[edit]
is_convertibleis_nothrow_convertible (C++11)(C++20)	checks if a type can be converted to the other type (class template)[edit]
derived_from (C++20)	specifies that a type is derived from another type (concept)[edit]