Question 1

How does RTTR compare to Boost.Hana for C++ reflection?

Accepted Answer

RTTR provides runtime reflection for dynamic type manipulation, ideal for serialization or plugins, while Boost.Hana focuses on compile-time metaprogramming with templates. Choose RTTR for runtime flexibility; use Hana for static type computations.

Question 2

How to serialize objects to JSON using RTTR?

Accepted Answer

RTTR gives you type and property info, but you must write the JSON serialization logic yourself. Iterate over properties with get_properties(), extract values via get_value(), and convert them to JSON formats, handling nested objects recursively.

Question 3

Is RTTR compatible with private class members?

Accepted Answer

No, by default RTTR can only access public members. To reflect private ones, you need to add friend declarations or provide public accessors, which can break encapsulation and increase code verbosity.

Question 4

What's the performance impact of RTTR in game engines?

Accepted Answer

RTTR avoids RTTI and exceptions to minimize overhead, but dynamic reflection always has a cost. For performance-critical paths, limit reflection calls or cache results; it's best suited for offline tools or initialization phases.

Question 5

Can RTTR work with template classes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but registration must be done for each template instantiation manually, which can be cumbersome. There's no automatic reflection for templates, so you'll need to register each specialized type separately.

Question 6

Are there any good alternatives to RTTR?

Accepted Answer

Yes, options include cppreflection, Meta, or compiler-specific tools like Clang's AST. RTTR stands out for its no-dependency design and console-friendly features, but evaluate based on your project's automation needs and C++ version.

RTTR

What is RTTR?

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