Use of template keyword in callsite

[Dilip]

Warning: Newbie clueless question.

I ran into something at work today that I solved by random hackery
without really understanding it. Can someone explain to me why the
template keyword is required at the callsite of this static template
function?

class foo
{
public:
template<typename T>
static void dosomethingtoT(T& value)
{
value = 44;
}
};

int main()
{
long l;
foo::template dosomethingtoT(l); // why the template keyword??
return 0;
}

 

[Alf P. Steinbach]

* Dilip:

Warning: Newbie clueless question.

I ran into something at work today that I solved by random hackery
without really understanding it. Can someone explain to me why the
template keyword is required at the callsite of this static template
function?

class foo
{
public:
template<typename T>
static void dosomethingtoT(T& value)
{
value = 44;
}
};

int main()
{
long l;
foo::template dosomethingtoT(l); // why the template keyword??
return 0;
}

This is due to using a very old compiler, alternatively perhaps AIX
compiler.

The above compiles fine sans 'template' keyword with MSVC 7.1, g++ 3.4.4
and Comeau Online 4.3.3.

 

[Frederick Gotham]

Dilip posted:

Can someone explain to me why the
template keyword is required at the callsite of this static template
function?

The following compiles without error or warning for me with g++:

struct Arb {

template<class T>
void static Func(T &value)
{
value = 44;
}

};

int main()
{
int i;

Arb::Func(i);
}

 

[Dilip]

* Dilip:

This is due to using a very old compiler, alternatively perhaps AIX
compiler.

Strange.. I could've sworn I ran into linker errors before putting the
template keyword in front of the call. Now I removed it and everything
compiles and links fine. sigh...
FWIW I was using VC++ 8.0