QVariant: add fromMetaType

The QVariant(QMetaType) constructor is a major anti-pattern: unlike
*every* other QVariant's constructor, it doesn't build a QVariant
holding the QMetaType object, but a QVariant of the specified type.

Introduce a named constructor for this use case instead.

In principle, this should lead to a deprecation of the QMetaType
constructor... except that it's used everywhere, so I can't do it at
this time.

Drive-by, improve the documentation of the QVariant(QMetaType)
constructor (since it's basically c&p for the new fromMetaType
function).

[ChangeLog][QtCore][QVariant] Added the QVariant::fromMetaType named
constructor, that builds a QVariant of a given QMetaType.

Change-Id: I4a499526bd0fe98eed0c1a3e91bcfc21efa9e352
Reviewed-by: Fabian Kosmale <fabian.kosmale@qt.io>

src/corelib/kernel/qvariant.cpp

@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ void QVariant::create(int type, const void *copy)
 */
 void QVariant::create(QMetaType type, const void *copy)
 {
-    *this = QVariant(type, copy);
+    *this = QVariant::fromMetaType(type, copy);
 }
 
 /*!
@@ -910,27 +910,27 @@ void *QVariant::prepareForEmplace(QMetaType type)
 */
 
 /*!
-    Constructs variant of type \a type, and initializes with
+    Constructs a variant of type \a type, and initializes it with
-    \a copy if \a copy is not \nullptr.
+    a copy of \c{*copy} if \a copy is not \nullptr (in which case, \a copy
+    must point to an object of type \a type).
 
-    Note that you have to pass the address of the variable you want stored.
+    Note that you have to pass the address of the object you want stored.
 
     Usually, you never have to use this constructor, use QVariant::fromValue()
     instead to construct variants from the pointer types represented by
     \c QMetaType::VoidStar, and \c QMetaType::QObjectStar.
 
-    If \a type does not support copy and default construction, the variant will
+    If \a type does not support copy construction and \a copy is not \nullptr,
-    be invalid.
+    the variant will be invalid. Similarly, if \a copy is \nullptr and
+    \a type does not support default construction, the variant will be
+    invalid.
 
-    \sa QVariant::fromValue(), QMetaType::Type
+    \sa QVariant::fromMetaType, QVariant::fromValue(), QMetaType::Type
 */
-QVariant::QVariant(QMetaType type, const void *copy) : d(type.iface())
+QVariant::QVariant(QMetaType type, const void *copy)
+    : d()
 {
-    type.registerType();
+    *this = fromMetaType(type, copy);
-    if (isValidMetaTypeForVariant(type.iface(), copy))
-        customConstruct(type.iface(), &d, copy);
-    else
-        d = {};
 }
 
 QVariant::QVariant(int val) noexcept : d(std::piecewise_construct_t{}, val) {}
@@ -2711,6 +2711,41 @@ QT_WARNING_POP
     \overload
 */
 
+
+/*!
+    \since 6.7
+
+    Creates a variant of type \a type, and initializes it with
+    a copy of \c{*copy} if \a copy is not \nullptr (in which case, \a copy
+    must point to an object of type \a type).
+
+    Note that you have to pass the address of the object you want stored.
+
+    Usually, you never have to use this constructor, use QVariant::fromValue()
+    instead to construct variants from the pointer types represented by
+    \c QMetaType::VoidStar, and \c QMetaType::QObjectStar.
+
+    If \a type does not support copy construction and \a copy is not \nullptr,
+    the variant will be invalid. Similarly, if \a copy is \nullptr and
+    \a type does not support default construction, the variant will be
+    invalid.
+
+    Returns the QVariant created as described above.
+
+    \sa QVariant::fromValue(), QMetaType::Type
+*/
+QVariant QVariant::fromMetaType(QMetaType type, const void *copy)
+{
+    QVariant result;
+    type.registerType();
+    const auto iface = type.iface();
+    if (isValidMetaTypeForVariant(iface, copy)) {
+        result.d = Private(iface);
+        customConstruct(iface, &result.d, copy);
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
 /*!
     \fn template<typename T> T qvariant_cast(const QVariant &value)
     \relates QVariant

src/corelib/kernel/qvariant.h

@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ public:
         // handle special cases
         using Type = std::remove_cv_t<T>;
         if constexpr (std::is_null_pointer_v<Type>)
-            return QVariant(QMetaType::fromType<std::nullptr_t>());
+            return QVariant::fromMetaType(QMetaType::fromType<std::nullptr_t>());
         else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<Type, QVariant>)
             return std::forward<T>(value);
         else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<Type, std::monostate>)
@@ -586,6 +586,8 @@ public:
         return fromStdVariantImpl(std::move(value));
     }
 
+    static QVariant fromMetaType(QMetaType type, const void *copy = nullptr);
+
     template<typename T>
     bool canConvert() const
     { return canConvert(QMetaType::fromType<T>()); }

tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qvariant/tst_qvariant.cpp

@@ -442,11 +442,21 @@ void tst_QVariant::constructor()
     QVERIFY(var3.isNull());
     QVERIFY(var3.isValid());
 
+    QVariant var3a = QVariant::fromMetaType(QMetaType::fromType<QString>());
+    QCOMPARE(var3a.typeName(), "QString");
+    QVERIFY(var3a.isNull());
+    QVERIFY(var3a.isValid());
+
     QVariant var4 {QMetaType()};
     QCOMPARE(var4.typeId(), QMetaType::UnknownType);
     QVERIFY(var4.isNull());
     QVERIFY(!var4.isValid());
 
+    QVariant var4a = QVariant::fromMetaType(QMetaType());
+    QCOMPARE(var4a.typeId(), QMetaType::UnknownType);
+    QVERIFY(var4a.isNull());
+    QVERIFY(!var4a.isValid());
+
     QVariant var5(QLatin1String("hallo"));
     QCOMPARE(var5.typeId(), QMetaType::QString);
     QCOMPARE(var5.typeName(), "QString");
@@ -487,6 +497,14 @@ void tst_QVariant::constructor_invalid()
         QCOMPARE(variant.typeId(), int(QMetaType::UnknownType));
         QCOMPARE(variant.userType(), int(QMetaType::UnknownType));
     }
+    {
+        QTest::ignoreMessage(QtWarningMsg, QRegularExpression("^Trying to construct an instance of an invalid type"));
+        QVariant variant = QVariant::fromMetaType(QMetaType(typeId));
+        QVERIFY(!variant.isValid());
+        QVERIFY(variant.isNull());
+        QCOMPARE(variant.typeId(), int(QMetaType::UnknownType));
+        QCOMPARE(variant.userType(), int(QMetaType::UnknownType));
+    }
     {
         QTest::ignoreMessage(QtWarningMsg, QRegularExpression("^Trying to construct an instance of an invalid type"));
         QVariant variant(QMetaType(typeId), /* copy */ nullptr);