Re: class inside of template puzzler

From:
Craig Scott <audiofanatic@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:26:19 CST
Message-ID:
<46f6ddfd$0$21421$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au>
Jason Turner wrote:

#include <map>

template<class P1>
struct T
{
    struct T2
     {
         T2() {}
     };

     T()
     {
       std::map<std::string, T2> m;


Case 1: Although T2 is a dependent type, std::map<std::string,T2> can only
ever be interpretted here as a type. There is no need for typename because
we are not using any member (function, typedef or variable) of
std::map<std::string,T2> but rather just that type itself to define "m".

       std::map<std::string, T2>::iterator itr1 = m.begin();


Case 2: T2 is a dependent name since T2 is a nested class within the T class
template. This makes std::map<std::string,T2> also dependent, so you need a
typename out the front to designate that "iterator" is a type within the
std::map template, not a member variable:

typename std::map<std::string, T2>::iterator itr1 = m.begin();

       std::map<std::string, T::T2>::iterator itr2 = m.begin();


Case 3: Like the previous case, only here you also need a typename in front
of T::T2. I guess this is because T on its own still does not name a
specific instantiation of the template (you would need to have an argument
to do that, such as T<int>). I'm a little surprised that T::T2 is not
equivalent to simply T2 in this context, but I am a little pressed for time
right now and will leave it to others to explain why this is the case. This
line should be:

typename std::map<std::string, typename T::T2>::iterator itr2 = m.begin();

       std::map<std::string, T<P1>::T2 >::iterator itr3 = m.begin();


Case 4: Again, same discussion as previous case. Adding an explicit argument
of P1 doesn't change things, since T<P1> is still not a specific
instantiation:

typename std::map<std::string, typename T<P1>::T2 >::iterator itr3 =
m.begin();

       std::map<std::string, T<int>::T2 >::iterator itr4 = m.begin();
         // Compiles, but not really useful


Case 5: On the contrary, this could still be useful. Here, T<int> defines a
specific instantiation and the definition of T<int> is fully known.
Therefore, the compiler has all the information it needs to determine that
T2 is indeed unambiguously a type and this is why you don't need the
typename keyword in this particular case.

       typename std::map<std::string, T2>::iterator itr5 = m.begin();
         // Works as expected


Case 6: Correct, as per case 2 discussion.

     }
};

int main() {}


--
Craig Scott
Computational Modeling, CSIRO (CMIS)
Melbourne, Australia

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