Thread: Template Partial Specialization

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Template Partial Specialization

    Hello everyone,


    About Template Partial Specialization,

    http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial...alization.html

    sometimes in real case like below,

    http://www.sgi.com/tech/stl/iterator_traits.html

    there will be two definitions at the same time,

    Code:
    template <typename T>
    class Foo {
    }
    
    template <typename T>
    class Foo <T *>
    {
    }
    In theory, compiler will match the latter one with first priority compared with the 1st one.

    My question is, I tihnk for basic data types it is easy to match,

    example,

    when we pass Foo <int*>, the latter one is matched and T is int. But for arbitrary data types, like used data types, how could compiler judge whether a type is pointer (when the latter template class should be matched) or not a pointer (when the first template class should be matched).


    thanks in advance,
    George

  2. #2
    Cat without Hat CornedBee's Avatar
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    For arbitrary data types, it's still a pointer if it's a pointer, and not a pointer if it's not. Smart pointers don't count.
    All the buzzt!
    CornedBee

    "There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
    - Flon's Law

  3. #3
    Officially An Architect brewbuck's Avatar
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    The compiler obviously knows if a type is a pointer type. There is no confusion here. The most specialized template wins.

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