Operator overload crisis

I want two forms of every overload I do:

for the + operator:

template <typename UnknownType>
any operator +(const any & lhs, const UnknownType & rhs)

and

template <typename UnknownType>
UnknownType operator +(const UnknownType & lhs, const any & rhs)

The problem is that apparently it is converting ALL types to an any, irrelevant what the data is...

I want to make it so that if it isn't an any already, it will NOT try to use the constructor to make it one.

How?

otherwise I get this:
error C2666: '!=' : 3 overloads have similar conversions

If I'm NOT using an any.

I believe that is the problem (that it is running the constructor) because if I comment out the one with the any parameter first, it runs.

How can I fix this?

Try making the constructor explicit if it isn't.

If I make it explicit, then the times that that would be what I want wouldn't work.

Is there a way to add different functions to a STL class?

I.e. rewrite the push_back function with an overload?

its the difference between doing this with a std::vector/list:

Code:

---

std::vector<any> x;
x.push_back(10);
x.push_back('a');

---

and

Code:

---

std::vector<any> x;
x.push_back(any(10));
x.push_back(any('a'));

---

also, the most important part:

Code:

---

any x;
x = 5;

---

That no longer would work because that calls the constructor.

Otherwise, your method is perfect! So can I change a STL class?

Or best of all, can you make it explicit only in certain functions?

bool operator !=(explicit any & lhs, const UnknownType & rhs)

why can't I do that?

also... if I remove the const from the function (any & lhs)... it works. Thats not good though, because now it could be modified.

Why does it work though?