C++ attribute: likely, unlikely (since C++20)

C++

Language

Headers

Freestanding and hosted implementations

Named requirements

Language support library

Concepts library (C++20)

Diagnostics library

Utilities library

Strings library

Containers library

Algorithms library

Iterators library

Numerics library

Input/output library

Localizations library

Regular expressions library (C++11)

Atomic operations library (C++11)

Thread support library (C++11)

Filesystem library (C++17)

Technical Specifications

C++ language

Declarations

Overview declaration syntax decl-specifier-seq declarator Specifiers typedef inline function specifier virtual function specifier explicit function specifier friend constexpr (C++11) storage class specifiers class union enum decltype (C++11) auto (C++11) alignas (C++11) const/volatile elaborated type specifier attributes (C++11) Declarators reference pointer array

Block declarations simple-declaration structured binding declaration (C++17) alias declaration(C++11) namespace alias definition using-declaration using-directive static_assert declaration (C++11) asm-definition opaque enum declaration(C++11) Other declarations namespace definition function declaration class template declaration function template declaration explicit template instantiation(C++11) explicit template specialization linkage specification attribute declaration (C++11) empty declaration

Attributes

noreturnlrm; (C++11)

carries_dependency (C++11)

deprecated (C++14)

fallthrough (C++17)

nodiscard (C++17)

maybe_unused (C++17)

likelyunlikely (C++20)(C++20)

no_unique_address (C++20)

expectsensuresassert (C++20)(C++20)(C++20)

optimize_for_synchronized (TM TS)

Allow the compiler to optimize for the case where paths of execution including that statement are more or less likely than any alternative path of execution that does not include such a statement

Syntax

[[likely]]	(1)
[[unlikely]]	(2)

Explanation

These attributes may be applied to labels and statements (other than declaration-statements). They may not be simultaneously applied to the same label or statement.

1) Applies to a statement to allow the compiler to optimize for the case where paths of execution including that statement are more likely than any alternative path of execution that does not include such a statement.

2) Applies to a statement to allow the compiler to optimize for the case where paths of execution including that statement are less likely than any alternative path of execution that does not include such a statement.

A path of execution is deemed to include a label if and only if it contains a jump to that label:

int f(int i) {
    switch(i) {
    case 1: [[fallthrough]];
    [[likely]] case 2: return 1;
    }
    return 2;
}

i == 2 is considered more likely than any other value of i, but the [[likely]] has no effect on the i == 1 case even though it falls through the case 2: label.