Re: Function overloading

From:
Frank Neuhaus <dtag00@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:28:55 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID:
<fc66120d-78d7-40e6-a88a-17979a1d2701@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>
Ok thank you both very much for your two replies. Realizing that it
appears to be impossible to make the compiler call an overload where a
conversion (Derived*->Base*) is needed in presence of a template
function, I went to look for something else... I found boost type
traits quite helpful. It looks like this now - just FYI :-) :

// note that I am not interested in T=pointers that are not derived by
Base

void f(int t)
{
    std::cout << "int" << std::endl;
}

template<typename T>
void f_ptr(const T& t, const boost::false_type&)
{
    std::cout << "cref" << std::endl;
}

void f_ptr(const Base* t, const boost::true_type&)
{
    std::cout << "base" << std::endl;
}

template<typename T>
void f(const T& t)
{
    f_ptr(t,boost::is_pointer<T>());
};

void f(const std::string& t)
{
    std::cout << "string" << std::endl;
};

On Sep 18, 12:59 am, Andrey Tarasevich <andreytarasev...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

Frank Neuhaus wrote:

...
void f(const Base* t)
{
   std::cout << "base" << std::endl;
}

template<typename T>
void f(const T& t)
{
   std::cout << "cref" << std::endl;
};
...

int main()
{

 > ...

   Base b;
   f(&b); // expecting "base"


In this case the candidates are

   void f(const Base* t);
   void f(Base* const& t); // specialized from template

while the argument type is 'Base*'. The first candidate requires a
qualification conversion 'Base* -> const Base*'. The second candidate
requires a direct reference binding, which is considered an identity
conversion (see 13.3.3.1.4/1). Identity conversion sequence is
considered a subsequence of any other non-identity conversion sequence
(13.3.3.2/3), and for this reason reference binding it is "better" than
qualification conversion. The compiler has to choose the second variant
(i.e. specialize the template).

   Derived d;
   f(&d); // expecting "base"


Virtually the same thing here. The candidates are

   void f(const Base* t);
   void f(Derived* const& t); // specialized from template

For the first variant a derived-to-base conversion is needed, which has
even higher rank than a qualification conversion. For the second one, a
direct reference binding works. And wins the resolution.

I want the call f(&b) and f(&d) to result in the output "base". What I
am getting is the result "cref" for both calls. The compiler appears
to prefer making T=Base*, and T=Derived* respectively in the templa=

te

function. What do I need to change in order to make this result in the
desired output?


Well, what can you change? Get rid of the template, for example...

--
Best regards,
Andrey Tarasevich

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