The problem with boost::variant is that it is not a real variation template, which only simulates by adding several template parameters with the default value boost::detail::variant::void_ . To work with it as a variation template, you must first transfer it to a package with the corresponding types. A complete C ++ 11 ready-to-use approach to do what you want might look like this. The approach takes into account both the plane and the assumption of uniqueness to the type of result. The integer_sequence part integer_sequence be superfluous if you decide to use C ++ 14:
#include <boost/variant.hpp> #include <tuple> #include <type_traits> template <class T, T... Vs> struct integer_sequence { }; template <class T, class, class, class = integer_sequence<T>, class = integer_sequence<T, 0>, class = void> struct make_integer_sequence_impl; template <class T, T ICV1, T... Res, T... Pow> struct make_integer_sequence_impl<T, std::integral_constant<T, ICV1>, std::integral_constant<T, 0>, integer_sequence<T, Res...>, integer_sequence<T, Pow...>, typename std::enable_if<(ICV1 > 0)>::type>: make_integer_sequence_impl<T, std::integral_constant<T, ICV1/2>, std::integral_constant<T, ICV1%2>, integer_sequence<T, Res...>, integer_sequence<T, Pow..., (Pow + sizeof...(Pow))...>> { }; template <class T, T ICV1, T... Res, T... Pow> struct make_integer_sequence_impl<T, std::integral_constant<T, ICV1>, std::integral_constant<T, 1>, integer_sequence<T, Res...>, integer_sequence<T, Pow...>, void>: make_integer_sequence_impl<T, std::integral_constant<T, ICV1/2>, std::integral_constant<T, ICV1%2>, integer_sequence<T, Pow..., (Res + sizeof...(Pow))...>, integer_sequence<T, Pow..., (Pow + sizeof...(Pow))...>> { }; template <class T, class Res, class Pow> struct make_integer_sequence_impl<T, std::integral_constant<T, 0>, std::integral_constant<T, 0>, Res, Pow, void> { using type = Res; }; template <class T, T V> using make_integer_sequence = typename make_integer_sequence_impl<T, std::integral_constant<T, V/2>, std::integral_constant<T, V%2>>::type; template <class> struct is_variant_void { static constexpr size_t value = 0; }; template <> struct is_variant_void<boost::detail::variant::void_> { static constexpr size_t value = 1; }; constexpr size_t sum(size_t v){ return v; } template <class... Args> constexpr size_t sum(size_t v, Args... vs){ return v + sum(vs...); } template <class Variant> struct variant_size; template <class... Ts> struct variant_size<boost::variant<Ts...>> { static constexpr size_t value = sizeof...(Ts) - sum(is_variant_void<Ts>::value...); }; template <class...> struct pack { }; template <class V, class=make_integer_sequence<size_t, variant_size<V>::value>> struct variant_to_pack; template <class... Ts, size_t... Is> struct variant_to_pack<boost::variant<Ts...>, integer_sequence<size_t, Is...>> { using type = pack<typename std::tuple_element<Is, std::tuple<Ts...>>::type...>; }; template <class> struct unique_opaque { }; template <class... Ts> struct unique_pack: unique_opaque<Ts>... { }; template <class, class, class = void> struct unique; template <class... Res, class T, class... Ts> struct unique<unique_pack<Res...>, pack<T, Ts...>, typename std::enable_if<std::is_base_of<unique_opaque<T>, unique_pack<Res...>>::value>::type>: unique<unique_pack<Res...>, pack<Ts...>> { }; template <class... Res, class T, class... Ts> struct unique<unique_pack<Res...>, pack<T, Ts...>, typename std::enable_if<!std::is_base_of<unique_opaque<T>, unique_pack<Res...>>::value>::type>: unique<unique_pack<Res..., T>, pack<Ts...>> { }; template <class... Res> struct unique<unique_pack<Res...>, pack<>, void> { using type = boost::variant<Res...>; }; template <class...> struct flatten; template <class... Res, class T, class... Rest> struct flatten<pack<Res...>, T, Rest...>: flatten<pack<Res..., T>, Rest...> { }; template <class... Res, class... Vs, class... Rest> struct flatten<pack<Res...>, boost::variant<Vs...>, Rest...>: flatten<pack<Res...>, typename variant_to_pack<boost::variant<Vs...>>::type, Rest...> {}; template <class... Res, class... Vs, class... Rest> struct flatten<pack<Res...>, pack<Vs...>, Rest...>: flatten<pack<Res...>, Vs..., Rest...> { }; template <class Res> struct flatten<Res>:unique<unique_pack<>, Res> { }; int main() { boost::variant<int, boost::variant<float, int, boost::variant<char, bool>, bool>> vif; static_assert(std::is_same<flatten<pack<>, decltype(vif)>::type, boost::variant<int, float, char, bool>>::value, "Test"); }