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std::basic_ios<CharT,Traits>::operator bool

operator /* unspecified-boolean-type */() const;	(1)	(until C++11)
explicit operator bool() const;	(2)	(since C++11)

Checks whether the stream has no errors.

1) Returns a value that evaluates to false in a boolean context if fail() returns true, otherwise returns a value that evaluates to true in a boolean context.

2) Returns true if the stream has no errors and is ready for I/O operations. Specifically, returns !fail().

This operator makes it possible to use streams and functions that return references to streams as loop conditions, resulting in the idiomatic C++ input loops such as while (stream >> value) {...} or while (std::getline(stream, string)) {...}. Such loops execute the loop's body only if the input operation succeeded.

Parameters

(none).

Return value

1) A value that evaluates to true in a boolean context if the stream has no errors, a value that evaluates to false in a boolean context otherwise.

2) true if the stream has no errors, false otherwise.

Notes

This conversion can be used in contexts where a bool is expected (e.g. an if condition). However, implicit conversions (e.g. to int) that can occur with bool are not allowed.

In C++98, operator bool could not be provided directly due to the safe bool problem. The initial solution in C++98 is to provide operator void*, which returns a null pointer if fail() returns true or a non-null pointer otherwise. It is replaced by the resolution of LWG issue 468, which allows Safe Bool idiom to be applied.

Since C++11, conversion functions can be explicit. The resolution of LWG issue 1094 introduced the explicit operator bool and the boolean conversion is now safe.

Example

#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
 
int main()
{
    std::istringstream s("1 2 3 error");
    int n;
 
    std::cout << std::boolalpha << "s is " << static_cast<bool>(s) << '\n';
    while (s >> n)
        std::cout << n << '\n';
    std::cout << "s is " << static_cast<bool>(s) << '\n';
}

Output:

s is true
1
2
3
s is false

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 468	C++98	operator void* was provided	a conversion function to an unspecified boolean type is provided instead

`ios_base::iostate` flags			`basic_ios` accessors
`eofbit`	`failbit`	`badbit`	`good()`	`fail()`	`bad()`	`eof()`	`operator bool`	`operator!`
false	false	false	true	false	false	false	true	false
false	false	true	false	true	true	false	false	true
false	true	false	false	true	false	false	false	true
false	true	true	false	true	true	false	false	true
true	false	false	false	false	false	true	true	false
true	false	true	false	true	true	true	false	true
true	true	false	false	true	false	true	false	true
true	true	true	false	true	true	true	false	true