---
title: "C++ Reflection: a Universal Printer"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/c-reflection-a-universal-printer-pmscycfou
source_url: https://accu.org/journals/overload/34/193/decock
type: article
source: "C++"
published: 2026-08-05T21:43:52.243Z
updated: 2026-08-05T23:00:22.174Z
tags: ["c++"]
reading_time: 14
upvotes: 1
comments: 0
language: en
---

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# C++ Reflection: a Universal Printer

**[C\+\+](https://daily.dev/sources/isocpp)** · 14 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

C++26 introduces static reflection, and this tutorial demonstrates how to build a universal printer/formatter using it. Starting with the lift operator (^^) to enter the reflection domain and the splice operator ([: :]) to return to the code domain, the guide walks through querying struct members via nonstatic_data_members_of(), handling access contexts (public vs private), and implementing a custom std::formatter. The tutorial progressively covers inheritance (bases_of()), unnamed types (has_identifier()), and enum formatting (enumerators_of()), culminating in a complete UniversalFormatter that can print any struct's members — including private ones and base class fields — by name and value.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://accu.org/journals/overload/34/193/decock>

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