Re: template within templates problem

From:
"Igor Tandetnik" <itandetnik@mvps.org>
Newsgroups:
microsoft.public.vc.language
Date:
Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:04:03 -0500
Message-ID:
<eUBJvHGKIHA.2176@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl>
"Nick Draper" <NickDraper@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9815CFE1-4D53-4CAA-B829-A90F8D1C755E@microsoft.com

I have a problem with getting some C++ code to compile with VC++.
The code compiles fine with GCC, but we also need it to work with
Visual Studio.

This is a cut down sample of the code that generates the same error.

In the .h
class ClassA
{
public:
template<template<typename T> class V,typename T> int
convertToContainer(V<T>&) const;
};

In the .cpp
#include "ClassA.h"
#include <vector>

template<template<typename T> class V,typename T>
int ClassA::convertToContainer(V<T>& CT) const
{
 return CT.size();
}

template int ClassA::convertToContainer(std::vector<int>&) const;


This code is invalid. std::vector has two template parameters - element
type, and allocator. The second parameter has a default value. But that
doesn't matter when matching a template to a template template
parameter - the class must have exactly the number of parameters
specified. For more details, see DR150:

http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/cwg_closed.html#150

Some compilers allow such a match as an extension, but it's
non-standard.

Personally, I don't quite see the point of using a template template
parameter in this case. Why not just

template <typename V>
int ClassA::convertToContainer(const V& v) const {
  typedef typename V::value_type T; // in case you need element type
  return v.size();
}

--
With best wishes,
    Igor Tandetnik

With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not
necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are going to
land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly
overhead. -- RFC 1925

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