Implementing Pipeable sort for C++ Ranges

One of the most common frustrations for C++ developers using the standard library’s ranges is the inability to pipe a collection directly into a sort algorithm. While C++20 provides beautiful syntax for filter and transform, sort remains a missing piece in the pipeline - at least until today.

In this episode of Qt Widgets and more, we take on the challenge. Join us as we walk through the journey of building a robust, pipeable sort implementation from scratch.

What you’ll learn in this deep dive:

• The "Why": Understanding the technical constraints and why sort doesn't pipe natively in C++20 ranges.
• The Implementation: How to overload the pipe operator (|) to create clean, readable, modern syntax for your codebases.
• Expert Techniques: A deep dive into advanced C++ concepts, including - Argument Dependent Lookup (ADL), template template parameters, and compile-time optimizations using if constexpr.
• Flexibility: How to support custom containers (like QList or std::vector), custom comparators, and projections to make your sort as powerful as std::ranges::sort.

Whether you are looking to sharpen your C++20/23 skills or you need a battle-tested solution to improve your code readability, this episode covers the "how-to" and the "why" behind the code.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome

00:23 What exactly is it we are missing?

05:35 How to implement sort then?

07:40 Adding options to sort

12:31 Detour Argument Depended Lookup

15:37 The solution for the ADL problem

16:30 the final version of sortview

18:53 Now to the gory details

Links:

• Ranges V3
• Taming the filter view
• Argument Dependent Lookup
• Interview with Nicolai Josuttis
• template template parameters
• All Qt Widgets and more videos...