✨ Add safe_identity

Problem:
- `std::identity` can cause dangling references.

Solution:
- Add `safe_identity` which safely moves from an rvalue-reference argument.

Note:
- I have had similar use cases, and written similar functions before, but I
  think never quite as succinctly as elucidated by Dr Walter Brown in
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIZUg9tN4sk. Thanks, Walter!

Author: elbeno

docs/functional.adoc

@@ -10,6 +10,30 @@ NOTE: https://wg21.link/P2714[P2714] added the ability (in C\\++26) to use a
 non-type template parameter for the bound function; this works for function
 pointers in C++17, and also for lambda expressions in C++20 and beyond.
 
+=== `safe_identity`
+
+`safe_identity` is a function object (of type `safe_identity_t`)  similar
+in intent to
+https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/utility/functional/identity.html[`std::identity`].
+A call to `safe_identity` returns its argument unchanged. _However_, the vital
+difference with `safe_identity` is in the value category of what is returned.
+
+[source,cpp]
+----
+int x;
+auto f() -> int;
+
+decltype(auto) r1 = std::identity{}(x);       // r1 has type int &
+decltype(auto) r2 = std::identity{}(f());     // r2 has type int && - dangling!
+
+decltype(auto) r3 = stdx::safe_identity(x);   // r3 has type int &
+decltype(auto) r4 = stdx::safe_identity(f()); // r4 has type int - no longer dangling
+----
+
+NOTE: In standard usage, the type is `std::identity` and we must instantiate it
+to use it; in `stdx`, the type is `safe_identity_t` and `safe_identity` is a
+`constexpr inline` variable of that type.
+
 === `with_result_of`
 
 `with_result_of` is a class that can be used for lazy evaluation.

include/stdx/functional.hpp

@@ -187,5 +187,13 @@ template <> struct unary_plus<void> {
     }
 };
 
+constexpr inline struct safe_identity_t {
+    using is_transparent = void;
+
+    template <typename T>
+    constexpr auto operator()(T &&t) const -> decltype(auto) {
+        return T(std::forward<T>(t));
+    }
+} safe_identity;
 } // namespace v1
 } // namespace stdx

test/functional.cpp

@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
+#include "detail/tuple_types.hpp"
+
 #include <stdx/functional.hpp>
 
 #include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
 
 #include <type_traits>
+#include <utility>
 
 namespace {
 template <typename T, typename = void>
@@ -28,3 +31,61 @@ TEST_CASE("unary_plus transparency", "[functional]") {
 TEST_CASE("unary_plus calls operator+", "[functional]") {
     STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::unary_plus<>{}(S{}) == 17);
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("safe_identity returns unchanged argument", "[functional]") {
+    static_assert(stdx::safe_identity(17) == 17);
+    static_assert(stdx::safe_identity(move_only{17}).value == 17);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("safe_identity (copy)", "[functional]") {
+    counter::reset();
+    counter c0{};
+    [[maybe_unused]] auto c1 = stdx::safe_identity(c0);
+    CHECK(counter::copies == 1);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("safe_identity (move)", "[functional]") {
+    counter::reset();
+    counter c0{};
+    [[maybe_unused]] auto c1 = stdx::safe_identity(std::move(c0));
+    CHECK(counter::copies == 0);
+    CHECK(counter::moves == 1);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("safe_identity transparency", "[functional]") {
+    STATIC_REQUIRE(detect_is_transparent<stdx::safe_identity_t>);
+}
+
+namespace {
+template <typename T> auto declval() -> T;
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("safe_identity value categories", "[functional]") {
+    static_assert(
+        std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(declval<int>())), int>);
+    static_assert(
+        std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(declval<int &>())), int &>);
+    static_assert(
+        std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(declval<int &&>())), int>);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("safe_identity cvref categories", "[functional]") {
+    static_assert(
+        std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(declval<int const &>())),
+                       int const &>);
+    static_assert(
+        std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(declval<int volatile &>())),
+                       int volatile &>);
+    static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(
+                                     declval<int const volatile &>())),
+                                 int const volatile &>);
+    static_assert(
+        std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(declval<int const &&>())),
+                       int>);
+    static_assert(
+        std::is_same_v<
+            decltype(stdx::safe_identity(declval<int volatile &&>())), int>);
+    static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(stdx::safe_identity(
+                                     declval<int const volatile &&>())),
+                                 int>);
+}