Merge #12731: Support serialization as another type without casting

818dc74 Support serialization as another type without casting (Pieter Wuille)

Pull request description:

  This adds a `READWRITEAS(type, obj)` macro which serializes `obj` as if it were converted to `const type&` when `const`, and to `type&` when non-`const`. No actual cast is involved, so this only works when this conversion can be done automatically.

  This makes it usable in serialization code that uses a single implementation for both serialization and deserializing, which doesn't know the constness of the object involved.

  This is a redo of #12712, using a slightly different interface.

Tree-SHA512: 262f0257284ff99b5ffaec9b997c194e221522ba35c3ac8eaa9bb344449d7ea0a314de254dc77449fa7aaa600f8cd9a24da65aade8c1ec6aa80c6e9a7bba5ca7

src/addrman.h

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public:
 
     template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
     inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(*static_cast<CAddress*>(this));
+        READWRITEAS(CAddress, *this);
         READWRITE(source);
         READWRITE(nLastSuccess);
         READWRITE(nAttempts);

src/primitives/block.h

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public:
 
     template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
     inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(*static_cast<CBlockHeader*>(this));
+        READWRITEAS(CBlockHeader, *this);
         READWRITE(vtx);
     }
 

src/protocol.h

@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ public:
         uint64_t nServicesInt = nServices;
         READWRITE(nServicesInt);
         nServices = static_cast<ServiceFlags>(nServicesInt);
-        READWRITE(*static_cast<CService*>(this));
+        READWRITEAS(CService, *this);
     }
 
     // TODO: make private (improves encapsulation)

src/script/script.h

@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ public:
 
     template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
     inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(static_cast<CScriptBase&>(*this));
+        READWRITEAS(CScriptBase, *this);
     }
 
     CScript& operator+=(const CScript& b)

src/serialize.h

@@ -162,8 +162,13 @@ enum
     SER_GETHASH         = (1 << 2),
 };
 
+//! Convert the reference base type to X, without changing constness or reference type.
+template<typename X> X& ReadWriteAsHelper(X& x) { return x; }
+template<typename X> const X& ReadWriteAsHelper(const X& x) { return x; }
+
 #define READWRITE(obj)      (::SerReadWrite(s, (obj), ser_action))
 #define READWRITEMANY(...) (::SerReadWriteMany(s, ser_action, __VA_ARGS__))
+#define READWRITEAS(type, obj) (::SerReadWriteMany(s, ser_action, ReadWriteAsHelper<type>(obj)))
 
 /** 
  * Implement three methods for serializable objects. These are actually wrappers over

src/txdb.h

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ struct CDiskTxPos : public CDiskBlockPos
 
     template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
     inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(*static_cast<CDiskBlockPos*>(this));
+        READWRITEAS(CDiskBlockPos, *this);
         READWRITE(VARINT(nTxOffset));
     }
 

src/wallet/wallet.h

@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ public:
             mapValueCopy["timesmart"] = strprintf("%u", nTimeSmart);
         }
 
-        s << *static_cast<const CMerkleTx*>(this);
+        s << static_cast<const CMerkleTx&>(*this);
         std::vector<CMerkleTx> vUnused; //!< Used to be vtxPrev
         s << vUnused << mapValueCopy << vOrderForm << fTimeReceivedIsTxTime << nTimeReceived << fFromMe << fSpent;
     }
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ public:
         Init(nullptr);
         char fSpent;
 
-        s >> *static_cast<CMerkleTx*>(this);
+        s >> static_cast<CMerkleTx&>(*this);
         std::vector<CMerkleTx> vUnused; //!< Used to be vtxPrev
         s >> vUnused >> mapValue >> vOrderForm >> fTimeReceivedIsTxTime >> nTimeReceived >> fFromMe >> fSpent;