Re: What's the correct syntax for a friend with template parameters?

From:
Victor Bazarov <v.Abazarov@comAcast.net>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:14:37 -0400
Message-ID:
<g53d8e$3va$1@news.datemas.de>
Andy Champ wrote:

We have a class with something that, simplified, looks like this:

template <typename T> class foo
{
    T beyondAllReaching;

    // In VC2005, this works OK
    template <typename U> friend void method(foo<T> l, foo<U> r);

    // But VC2008 requires this
    template <typename U, class V> friend void method(U l, V r);
};

// To allow the actual function to access the private data.
template <typename T, typename U> void method(foo<T> l, foo<U> r)


This is a function template with 2 template arguments. Shouldn't the
'friend' declaration also have 2 template arguments? That's the reason
for the correct syntax (you marked it as VC2008).

{
    l.beyondAllReaching = r.beyondAllReaching;
}

It occurs to me writing this that method<int, char> is not a friend of
foo<char> - so I'm a bit surprised that either works.


Actually, that's not true, the friend declaration declares *any*
instantiation of 'method' function template to be a friend of *any*
'foo' class template instantiation.

 > But that isn't

the main point. I want to know:

- Which is the correct syntax?


To declare what, exactly?

- Is there a way to stop a method<string, string> accessing the privates
of a foo<char>?


'fraid not. Partial specialisations aren't allowed in friend
declarations. Also, there are no partial specialisations of function
templates.

template<class T> class foo;
template<class A, class B> void method(foo<A>, foo<B>);

template<typename T> class foo
{
    T beyondAllReaching;
    template<class S, class U> friend void method(foo<S> l, foo<U> r);
};

template<class A, class B> void method(foo<A> fa, foo<B> fb)
{
    fa.beyondAllReaching = 0;
    fb.beyondAllReaching = 0;

    foo<double> fd;
    fd.beyondAllReaching = 3.14159; // oops. Didn't want that...
}

int main()
{
    foo<int> fi;
    foo<char> fc;

    method(fi, fc);
}

V
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