std::any and Small Object Optimization

Yes, most standard library implementations of std::any use a technique called "small object optimization" (SOO).

The idea behind SOO is that for small types (typically smaller than the size of two or three pointers), it's more efficient to store the object directly inside the std::any object, rather than allocating it on the heap.

Here's roughly how it works:

1. The std::any has a member variable that's a union of a pointer and an array of chars.
2. If the type stored is small enough, it's placement-new'ed into the char array.
3. If the type is too large, it's allocated on the heap and the pointer in the union is set to point to it.
4. A separate member variable stores the size of the stored type, which is used to determine whether the union holds a pointer or an object.

The benefits of this technique are:

1. Improved performance: Allocating memory on the heap is relatively expensive. By avoiding this for small types, SOO can significantly improve the performance of creating and copying std::any objects.
2. Reduced memory overhead: Without SOO, every std::any would need to store a pointer, which is 4 or 8 bytes on most systems. For small types, this can be a significant overhead. SOO reduces this overhead.
3. Better cache locality: Objects stored directly in the std::any are more likely to be in the CPU's cache when they're accessed, which can improve performance.

However, it's important to note that SOO is an implementation detail. The C++ standard doesn't require it, and the exact details (like the size threshold for "small" types) can vary between implementations.

As a user of std::any, you don't need to worry about SOO - it's all handled automatically. But it's a good example of the kind of low-level optimizations that go into making standard library types efficient.