problem with template friend partial specialization

A

Andrey Dj

Hello!

I found some interesting case of non-compiling C++ code.
Look at first example:

--------------------------------
template<class T> void Foo(T*);
class Bar;
template<> void Foo(Bar*);

class Bar
{
friend void ::Foo<>(Bar*);
};
--------------------------------

Compiling... All fine.

Now add to Foo return type of Baz:

--------------------------------
class Baz {};

template<class T> Baz Foo(T*);
class Bar;
template<> Baz Foo(Bar*);

class Bar
{
friend Baz ::Foo<>(Bar*);
};
--------------------------------

Trying to compile:
MSVC: error C2039: 'Foo' : is not a member of 'Baz'
GCC: error: 'Foo' in class 'Baz' does not name a type

Is there any way to declare such friend partial specialization?
 
V

Victor Bazarov

Hello!

I found some interesting case of non-compiling C++ code.
Look at first example:

--------------------------------
template<class T> void Foo(T*);
class Bar;
template<> void Foo(Bar*);

class Bar
{
friend void ::Foo<>(Bar*);
};
--------------------------------

Compiling... All fine.

Now add to Foo return type of Baz:

--------------------------------
class Baz {};

template<class T> Baz Foo(T*);
class Bar;
template<> Baz Foo(Bar*);

class Bar
{
friend Baz ::Foo<>(Bar*);
};
--------------------------------

Trying to compile:
MSVC: error C2039: 'Foo' : is not a member of 'Baz'
GCC: error: 'Foo' in class 'Baz' does not name a type

Is there any way to declare such friend partial specialization?

It's a tokenization problem, obviously. Your compiler treats the colons
before 'Foo' in the friend declaration as part of an elaborate name
specifier that starts with 'Baz'. It knows that 'Baz' is a class name...

You could try adding a 'using' declaration before the 'friend':

class Bar
{
using ::Foo;
friend Baz Foo<>(Bar*);
};

(I've not tried it). Or you could put 'Baz' in parentheses:

class Bar
{
friend (Baz) ::Foo<>(Bar*);
};

(I've not tried it either). What you essentially need is tell the
compiler that the token "Baz" should stand on its own and not be treated
as the beginning of an elaborate name specifier even though there is a
name resolution operator after it.

V
 
K

Kalle Olavi Niemitalo

Victor Bazarov said:
You could try adding a 'using' declaration before the 'friend':

class Bar
{
using ::Foo;
friend Baz Foo<>(Bar*);
};

(I've not tried it).

GCC 4.6.3 doesn't like that.

friend.cc:9:16: error: using-declaration for non-member at class scope
Or you could put 'Baz' in parentheses:

class Bar
{
friend (Baz) ::Foo<>(Bar*);
};

(I've not tried it either).

That doesn't work either.

friend.cc:9:16: error: ISO C++ forbids declaration of 'Baz' with no type [-fpermissive]
friend.cc:9:16: error: 'Baz' is neither function nor member function; cannot be declared friend
friend.cc:9:16: error: expected ';' at end of member declaration
friend.cc:9:30: error: ISO C++ forbids declaration of 'Foo' with no type [-fpermissive]
friend.cc:9:30: error: invalid use of '::'

In general, you cannot put parentheses around types in
declarations. For example, (int) x; does not declare a variable.
Instead, put the parentheses around the name being declared, or
around the whole declarator:

class Baz {};

template<class T> Baz Foo(T*);
class Bar;
template<> Baz Foo(Bar*);

class Bar
{
friend Baz :):Foo<>)(Bar*);
friend Baz :):Foo<>(Bar*)); /* same thing */
};

It seems one could also use a typedef, at least with GCC:

class Bar
{
typedef Baz foofun(Bar*);
friend foofun ::Foo<>;
};

However, I'm not sure how well that kind of friend declaration
conforms to the standards, especially with the template argument
deduction.
 

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