Limited namespace

[robert.ferguson]

Hi,

I am trying to improve the readability of my code. Currently, there
are many 'std::vector<>' statements of various types. I would like to
reduce this to 'vector<>'. Although I could use 'using namespace
std;', the vector type is the only time I use the standard library and
there are several other namespaces being used (mostly abstracted away
with typedef).

I think it would help the readability of my code if I could generalize
std::vector<> with something like:

'using std::vector as vector;'

Under my very basic test bed this chokes. I'm assuming this is because
vector requires a template. Is there an alternative to using 'using
namespace std;' if using typedef for the many possible template choices
is not preferrable?


Regards,
Rob

Test bed:
GNU C++ Version 3.32 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 1635)
Apple OS 10.3, PowerPC G5

Code example:

#include <vector>

int main()
{
using std::vector as vector; // chokes

vector<int> hi;
hi.push_back(1);

return 0;
}

Errors:

test.cpp:5: error: use of class template `template<class _Tp, class
_Alloc>
class std::vector' as expression
test.cpp:5: error: parse error before `;' token

 

[Pete Becker]

I think it would help the readability of my code if I could generalize
std::vector<> with something like:

'using std::vector as vector;'

Under my very basic test bed this chokes.

Indeed. Made-up syntax rarely works. But this does just what you want:

using std::vector;

 

[Victor Bazarov]

Indeed. Made-up syntax rarely works. But this does just what you want:

using std::vector;

We could almost make it work with

#define as(a)
...
using std::vector as(vector);

 

[Dietmar Kuehl]

We could almost make it work with

#define as(a)
...
using std::vector as(vector);

Why not go the whole way?

#define as ; using std::
using std::vector as vector;