A standard Boolean data type is now provided in C++ (and some compilers already implement it). Three new keywords have been introduced: bool, false and true.

Conditionals now require a value that converts to bool (if, while, for, ?:, &&, ||, !) and comparison and logical operators now return bool (==, !=, <, <=, >, >=, &&, ||, !).

Integral and pointer values convert to bool by implicit comparison against zero. bool converts to int with false becoming zero and true becoming one.

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Because bool is a distinct type, you can overload on it.

	void process(bool b);
	void process(int i);
	void process(void* p);

This also means that a conversion to bool will be selected when a boolean value is needed - currently a conversion to void* is generally used:

	class X
	{
	public:
		operator bool();
		operator int();
	};
	
	X x;
	// ...
		if (x)		// uses operator bool()
		{
		}
		if (x == 0)	// uses operator int()
		{
		}
	// ...

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As an example, istream typically has operator void*() to provide a conversion that when used in an if condition, yields a 'boolean' value (a null pointer or a non-null pointer). In future this can be replaced by an operator bool() that yields a genuine true or false value.

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One problem with operator bool() however, is that it gives a class all sorts of possibly unintended conversions that operator void*() doesn't have:

	class Y
	{
	public:
		operator bool();
	};
	
	Y y;
	double d = y;	// oops! uses operator bool() then
	            		// bool=>double