From cd7e358a6b708aae1eb2d602933bcaf17865f349 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Carson Radtke <carsonradtke@microsoft.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:45:06 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] introduce gsl::not_null<T>::element_type

---
 docs/headers.md                | 8 ++++++++
 include/gsl/pointers           | 2 ++
 tests/pointers_tests.cpp       | 6 ++++++
 tests/strict_notnull_tests.cpp | 7 +++++++
 4 files changed, 23 insertions(+)

diff --git a/docs/headers.md b/docs/headers.md
index 96465a3..ff7ec31 100644
--- a/docs/headers.md
+++ b/docs/headers.md
@@ -224,6 +224,14 @@ When a nullptr check fails, `std::terminate` is called.
 
 See [F.23: Use a `not_null<T>` to indicate that “null” is not a valid value](https://isocpp.github.io/CppCoreGuidelines/CppCoreGuidelines#Rf-nullptr)
 
+#### Member Types
+
+```cpp
+using element_type = T;
+```
+
+The type of the pointed-to object.
+
 #### Member functions
 
 ##### Construct/Copy
diff --git a/include/gsl/pointers b/include/gsl/pointers
index e1bda04..af631b9 100644
--- a/include/gsl/pointers
+++ b/include/gsl/pointers
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ class not_null
 public:
     static_assert(details::is_comparable_to_nullptr<T>::value, "T cannot be compared to nullptr.");
 
+    using element_type = T;
+
     template <typename U, typename = std::enable_if_t<std::is_convertible<U, T>::value>>
     constexpr not_null(U&& u) noexcept(std::is_nothrow_move_constructible<T>::value) : ptr_(std::forward<U>(u))
     {
diff --git a/tests/pointers_tests.cpp b/tests/pointers_tests.cpp
index 1c15712..e11e7b6 100644
--- a/tests/pointers_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/pointers_tests.cpp
@@ -88,4 +88,10 @@ TEST(pointers_test, swap)
                   "!SwapCompilesFor<NotMoveAssignableCustomPtr>");
 }
 
+TEST(pointers_test, member_types)
+{
+    static_assert(std::is_same_v<gsl::not_null<int>::element_type, int>,
+                  "check member type: element_type");
+}
+
 } // namespace
diff --git a/tests/strict_notnull_tests.cpp b/tests/strict_notnull_tests.cpp
index d75f5d6..e4022aa 100644
--- a/tests/strict_notnull_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/strict_notnull_tests.cpp
@@ -366,6 +366,13 @@ TEST(strict_notnull_tests, TestStrictNotNull)
     }
 }
 
+TEST(pointers_test, member_types)
+{
+    // make sure `element_type` is inherited from `gsl::not_null`
+    static_assert(std::is_same_v<gsl::strict_not_null<int>::element_type, int>,
+                  "check member type: element_type");
+}
+
 #if defined(__cplusplus) && (__cplusplus >= 201703L)
 
 TEST(strict_notnull_tests, TestStrictNotNullConstructorTypeDeduction)