Re: How can I declare and define a friend template function in a template class?

From:
"Victor Bazarov" <v.Abazarov@comAcast.net>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:36:35 -0400
Message-ID:
<f8ndt2$i9k$1@news.datemas.de>
???? wrote:

Hi folks,
   I am running into with such a question when I tried to declare and
define a friend template function in a template class, here is the
code snippet:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template<typename T>
class Test {

   friend Test<T> index(Test<T>& start, Test<T>& end, Test<T>& step);


Since 'index' is a template, it has to be declared at the namespace level
before it's declared here. Otherwise, this friend declaration refers to
a non-template function.

Take the declaration of 'index' from below (not the whole definition)
and place it before the template definition. That will require the
template itself to be *declared* before it, as well. I know, I know,
it's a PITA, but that's what is required.

};

template<typename T>
Test<T> index(Test<T>& start, Test<T>& end, Test<T>& step) {
   cout << "This is index is working\n";
   return Test<T>();
}

int main() {

   Test<int> start = Test<int>();
   Test<int> end = Test<int>();
   Test<int> step = Test<int>();

   Test<int> rslt = index(start, end, step);
}

When compiled with VC8.0, a linkage error araised:

Test.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "class TVEC<int>
__cdecl index(class TVEC<int> &,class TVEC<int> &,class TVEC<int>
&)" (?index@@YA?AV?$TVEC@H@@AAV1@00@Z) referenced in function _main


This is what your code should look like (I think):

    #include <iostream>
    using namespace std;

    template<typename T> class Test;

    template<typename T>
    Test<T> index(Test<T>& start, Test<T>& end, Test<T>& step);

    template<typename T>
    class Test {
        ... // as before

V
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