error: no matching function for call to 'vformat_to'

[maritalweeping]

I'm building spdlog v1.9.2 from source on ubuntu-jammy using the following command

git clone https://github.com/gabime/spdlog --branch v1.9.2 --single-branch \
&& cd spdlog \
&& mkdir build && cd build \
&& cmake .. -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=/usr/bin/clang++-13\
-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=/usr/bin/clang-13 \
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-stdlib=libc++ -std=c++20" \
-DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=20 \
-DSPDLOG_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
&& make -j6 \
&& make install \
&& cd ../.. \
&& rm -rf spdlog

However, I consistently get the following error once I run my code. Strangely, this only seems an issue on linux, since the same code when run using apple-clang on my M1 mac mini runs without complaints.

In file included from /tmp/backtest2/tests/../src/utils/utils.hpp:32:
In file included from /tmp/backtest2/tests/../src/utils/../globals/global_settings.hpp:5:
In file included from /usr/local/include/spdlog/spdlog.h:14:
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:375:13: error: no matching function for call to 'vformat_to'
            fmt::detail::vformat_to(buf, fmt, fmt::make_format_args(std::forward<Args>(args)...));
            ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:90:9: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::log_<unsigned long long &>' requested here
        log_(loc, lvl, fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
        ^
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:96:9: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::log<unsigned long long &>' requested here
        log(source_loc{}, lvl, fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
        ^
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:152:9: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::log<unsigned long long &>' requested here
        log(level::debug, fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
        ^
/usr/local/include/spdlog/spdlog.h:155:27: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::debug<unsigned long long &>' requested here
    default_logger_raw()->debug(fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
                          ^
/tmp/jacktest2/tests/../src/utils/utils.hpp:633:21: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::debug<unsigned long long &>' requested here
            spdlog::debug("Generating a sequence of {} strategy parameters.", n);
                    ^
/usr/local/include/fmt/format.h:4135:6: note: candidate template ignored: could not match 'basic_format_args' against 'format_arg_store'
void vformat_to(buffer<Char>& buf, basic_string_view<Char> fmt,
     ^
In file included from /tmp/backtest2/tests/structprint_tests.cpp:4:
In file included from /tmp/backtest2/tests/../src/utils/structprint.hpp:9:
In file included from /tmp/backtest2/tests/../src/utils/utils.hpp:32:
In file included from /tmp/backtest2/tests/../src/utils/../globals/global_settings.hpp:5:
In file included from /usr/local/include/spdlog/spdlog.h:14:
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:375:13: error: no matching function for call to 'vformat_to'
            fmt::detail::vformat_to(buf, fmt, fmt::make_format_args(std::forward<Args>(args)...));
            ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:90:9: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::log_<unsigned long long &, unsigned long long &, double &>' requested here
        log_(loc, lvl, fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
        ^
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:96:9: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::log<unsigned long long &, unsigned long long &, double &>' requested here
        log(source_loc{}, lvl, fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
        ^
/usr/local/include/spdlog/logger.h:152:9: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::log<unsigned long long &, unsigned long long &, double &>' requested here
        log(level::debug, fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
        ^
/usr/local/include/spdlog/spdlog.h:155:27: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::logger::debug<unsigned long long &, unsigned long long &, double &>' requested here
    default_logger_raw()->debug(fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
                          ^
/tmp/jacktest2/tests/../src/utils/utils.hpp:655:21: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'spdlog::debug<unsigned long long &, unsigned long long &, double &>' requested here
            spdlog::debug("n: {}, remaining: {}, throughput: {}", n, num_iterations, thp);
                    ^
/usr/local/include/fmt/format.h:4135:6: note: candidate template ignored: could not match 'basic_format_args' against 'format_arg_store'
void vformat_to(buffer<Char>& buf, basic_string_view<Char> fmt,
     ^
2 errors generated.
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

[tt4g]

I can't be sure since you did not provide the source code of your project, but from the error message it is due to a failure to resolve a template function.

By name, num_iterations is an iterator object.
The iterator cannot be formatted as is, so replace it with fmt::join(num_iterations).
See: https://fmt.dev/latest/api.html#_CPPv4I0EN3fmt4joinE9join_viewIN6detail10iterator_tI5RangeEEN6detail10sentinel_tI5RangeEEERR5Range11string_view

[maritalweeping]

Thanks for your input @tt4g . Unfortunately, the variable num_iterations is a double, and the last template parameter in spdlog::logger::debug<unsigned long long &, unsigned long long &, double &>.

Given that all the variables n, num_iterations, thp are simple, numeric built-in types, I can't seem to fathom why spdlog wouldn't accept a variadic template pack without the explicit specification of its types in this case. After all, isn't it the raison d'etre of spdlog anyway?

[tt4g]

Is /usr/local/include/fmt an external fmt library?
Looking at the command when spdlog was built, SPDLOG_FMT_EXTERNAL is not defined, so spdlog is configured to use the bundled fmt.
The bundled fmt should be installed in /usr/local/include/spdlog/fmt/bundled/.

spdlog/CMakeLists.txt

Lines 306 to 307 in d011332

	install(DIRECTORY include/${PROJECT_NAME}/fmt/bundled/
	DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}/fmt/bundled/")

My guess is that the fmt installed on your machine is being used.
And I think that fmt is version 9 or above.

spdlog 1.9.2 does not support fmt 9.x.
See #2485.

[maritalweeping]

Thanks a ton @tt4g . Indeed it was the fact that v1.9.2 was seeing previous installations of fmt v9.x.x elsewhere on my system. Sticking to the compatible version of fmt fixed the issue.