templates and g++

For the following code template_eg.cc:

Code:

template<typename T>
class MyArray
{
public:
  MyArray();
  MyArray(MyArray& copy);
  MyArray& operator=(MyArray& copy);
};

class MyData
{
public:
  MyData(MyArray<int>& x, MyArray<int>& y);
  const MyArray<int>& x();
  const MyArray<int>& y();
};

MyArray<int> read_data(int*, char**);
void make_changes(MyData* edit);

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
  const MyArray<int> read_x = read_data(&argc, argv);
  const MyArray<int> read_y = read_data(&argc, argv);

  MyData user_data(read_x, read_y);
  MyData edit_buffer(user_data);
  make_changes(&edit_buffer);
}

Why when I complie I get the following errors:

Code:

coletek@spamisgood:~/sandbox/cc> g++ template_eg.cc -o template_eg
template_eg.cc: In function ‘int main(int, char**)’:
template_eg.cc:23: error: no matching function for call to ‘MyArray<int>::MyArray(MyArray<int>)’
template_eg.cc:6: note: candidates are: MyArray<T>::MyArray(MyArray<T>&) [with T = int]
template_eg.cc:24: error: no matching function for call to ‘MyArray<int>::MyArray(MyArray<int>)’
template_eg.cc:6: note: candidates are: MyArray<T>::MyArray(MyArray<T>&) [with T = int]
template_eg.cc:26: error: no matching function for call to ‘MyData::MyData(const MyArray<int>&, const MyArray<int>&)’
template_eg.cc:13: note: candidates are: MyData::MyData(MyArray<int>&, MyArray<int>&)
template_eg.cc:11: note:                 MyData::MyData(const MyData&)

I new to using templates. Thx.

So the line

Code:

const MyArray<int> read_x = read_data(&argc, argv);

calls the copy constructor -- you have a temporary MyArray<int> over there on the right. So you should make a copy constructor that works with a temporary object. Hint: that would like

Code:

MyArray(const MyArray &array_to_be_copied);

Ok, some fix is:

Code:

MyData(MyArray<int>& x, MyArray<int>& y);

should be

Code:

MyData(const MyArray<int>& x, const MyArray<int>& y);

for const-correctness, however still can't fix the "no matching function for call to ..." errors. Any ideas people?

Ok, so after fixing the code to:

Code:

template<typename T>
class MyArray
{
public:
  MyArray();
  //MyArray(MyArray& copy);                                               
  MyArray(const MyArray& copy);
  MyArray& operator=(MyArray& copy);
};

class MyData
{
public:
  //MyData(MyArray<int>& x, MyArray<int>& y);                                   
  MyData(const MyArray<int>& x, const MyArray<int>& y);
  const MyArray<int>& x();
  const MyArray<int>& y();
};

MyArray<int> read_data(int*, char**);
void make_changes(MyData* edit);

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
  const MyArray<int> read_x = read_data(&argc, argv);
  const MyArray<int> read_y = read_data(&argc, argv);

  MyData user_data(read_x, read_y);
  MyData edit_buffer(user_data);
  make_changes(&edit_buffer);
}

I'm now getting:

Code:

coletek@spamisgood:~/sandbox/cc> g++ template_eg.cc -o template_eg
/tmp/ccwMgmQo.o: In function `main':
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x30): undefined reference to `read_data(int*, char**)'
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x48): undefined reference to `read_data(int*, char**)'
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x64): undefined reference to `MyData::MyData(MyArray<int> const&, MyArray<int> const&)'
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x70): undefined reference to `make_changes(MyData*)'
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status

Arrr... where I'm I going wrong?

Originally Posted by coletek

Ok, some fix is:

Code:

MyData(MyArray<int>& x, MyArray<int>& y);

should be

Code:

MyData(const MyArray<int>& x, const MyArray<int>& y);

for const-correctness, however still can't fix the "no matching function for call to ..." errors. Any ideas people?

That bears no resemblance to my hint, so it doesn't surprise me that it doesn't do anything to help. I see that you got it down below, though.

Originally Posted by coletek

Ok, so after fixing the code to:

Code:

template<typename T>
class MyArray
{
public:
  MyArray();
  //MyArray(MyArray& copy);                                               
  MyArray(const MyArray& copy);
  MyArray& operator=(MyArray& copy);
};

class MyData
{
public:
  //MyData(MyArray<int>& x, MyArray<int>& y);                                   
  MyData(const MyArray<int>& x, const MyArray<int>& y);
  const MyArray<int>& x();
  const MyArray<int>& y();
};

MyArray<int> read_data(int*, char**);
void make_changes(MyData* edit);

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
  const MyArray<int> read_x = read_data(&argc, argv);
  const MyArray<int> read_y = read_data(&argc, argv);

  MyData user_data(read_x, read_y);
  MyData edit_buffer(user_data);
  make_changes(&edit_buffer);
}

I'm now getting:

Code:

coletek@spamisgood:~/sandbox/cc> g++ template_eg.cc -o template_eg
/tmp/ccwMgmQo.o: In function `main':
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x30): undefined reference to `read_data(int*, char**)'
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x48): undefined reference to `read_data(int*, char**)'
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x64): undefined reference to `MyData::MyData(MyArray<int> const&, MyArray<int> const&)'
template_eg.cc:(.text+0x70): undefined reference to `make_changes(MyData*)'
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status

Arrr... where I'm I going wrong?

I agree with your compiler: you do not, after all, have a function called read_data or make_changes. Just declaring the function name is not enough, but you need to actually write the functions themselves.

Of course, now complies with:

Code:

template<typename T>
class MyArray
{
public:
  MyArray();
  //MyArray(MyArray& copy);                                               
  MyArray(const MyArray& copy);
  MyArray& operator=(MyArray& copy);
};

class MyData
{
public:
  //MyData(MyArray<int>& x, MyArray<int>& y);                                   
  MyData(const MyArray<int>& x, const MyArray<int>& y) {};
  const MyArray<int>& x();
  const MyArray<int>& y();
};

//MyArray<int> read_data(int*, char**);
//void make_changes(MyData* edit);
MyArray<int> read_data(int*, char**) {};
void make_changes(MyData* edit) {};

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
  const MyArray<int> read_x = read_data(&argc, argv);
  const MyArray<int> read_y = read_data(&argc, argv);

  MyData user_data(read_x, read_y);
  MyData edit_buffer(user_data);
  make_changes(&edit_buffer);
}

But only because G++ is so lenient regarding return values. After all, read_data claims to return a MyArray<int> but returns nothing! This is most definitely undefined.

Tip: if you just want to make certain that code is semantically correct, but don't want to provide all implementations, you can use the -fsyntax-only switch to G++. In this mode, the compiler checks that your code is valid and that all templates can be instantiated, but it doesn't produce any output or try to link the file.

Originally Posted by CornedBee

But only because G++ is so lenient regarding return values.

I've notice g++ is lenient on a few things, any idea why that is?

Because it has to cope with endless amounts of legacy code.