ReflectCpp — Codegen Assistant for C++26 Type-Erasure APIs
An editor plugin that reads a C++26 trait declaration and generates the matching vtable, tag list, and adapter boilerplate so engineering teams get the readability of rjk::duck without hand-rolling the metaprogramming every time.
C++ engineers building plugin-based software like game engines, DAWs, and trading platforms
- Trait declaration to vtable + tag codegen in one command
- Live compile checks against gcc -std=c++26 -freflection
- Starter templates for common patterns like Container, Drawable, and Plugin interfaces
- CI integration that emits a generated header artifact
C++26 reflection just landed in gcc and HN engagement shows the community is hungry for tools that turn the new metaprogramming capability into everyday productivity wins.
HN thread 'Beautiful Type Erasure with C++26 Reflection' (83 pts / 33 comments) is real and freshly aggregating on daily.dev; C++26 reflection just shipped in GCC 16.1 (April 2026), but the addressable audience (plugin-heavy C++ shops: game engines, DAWs, trading) is a narrow niche and adoption of the new reflection is still day-1.Beautiful Type Erasure with C++26 Reflection ↗Beautiful Type Erasure with C++26 Reflection - daily.dev ↗
No codegen / editor-plugin competitor specifically targeting C++26 reflection-based type erasure was found; adjacent type-erasure space is crowded with hand-rolled-template libraries (Boost.TypeErasure, MS Proxy, Dyno, function2, boost-ext/te), but they pre-date and don't compete with a reflection-aware codegen assistant.Self-Hosted C++ Type Erasure Libraries: Proxy vs Dyno vs Boost ... ↗boost-ext/te: C++17 Run-time Polymorphism (Type Erasure) library ↗
C++ developer tooling is notoriously hard to monetize individually; only JetBrains' CLion has cracked team-license sales in this space, and AI coding assistants are an active free/cheap market. A niche codegen plugin would likely need team sales to studios, capping revenue potential.Buy CLion: Pricing and Licensing, Discounts - JetBrains ↗AI coding assistant pricing and ROI guide (2026): costs, benchmarks ... ↗
C++26 reflection is locked into the standard (P2996R13) and shipping in GCC 16.1, so the foundation is durable; however, once the syntax matures the codegen helper may become a transitional crutch that engineers outgrow in 2-4 years.Reflection for C++26 - isocpp.org (P2996R13) ↗GCC 16.1 released: C++26 reflection / contracts / safety hardening ↗
Building a correct C++26 reflection-aware plugin requires parsing brand-new syntax that clangd/clang support for is still catching up; generating semantically correct vtable + tag-list + adapter code demands deep metaprogramming expertise, pushing this well beyond a weekend project.C++26: Reflection, Contracts, and a New Async Model ... ↗C++ modules in 2026: import std works, import boost is coming, your IDE ... ↗