Where to put local auxiliary functions?

Hi everyone,

I've taken a C++ class this semester and now I'm writing the seminal program, which is my first large-ish C++ project.

Usually it's a good idea to split code into smaller auxiliary functions when something grows too large. The question I want to ask is where is a good place to put those.

Say I have a .cpp and .hpp files with some class, and I'd like to make a function to perform some task that will not be needed anywhere else but some method or whatever. The obvious thing to do would be simply to define the function in the .cpp file and use it as needed. However, I've been told that this is not a good idea because the function will be global and may clash with other functions like this etc.

So what do I do with them, how do I make them more local? Are namespaces the answer? If so, do I make a namespace just for the aux. functions? Or should I wrap each class in its own namespace and put the aux. functions inside it? Or make a namespace for the whole program?

Thanks for any tips.

Search for "unnamed namespaces".

If the helper function is helping a member function of some object, then chances are this function needs access to other members of that object. In this case, just make it a private member function of the class.

If the helper function does not need to access private details of the object, then declare and define it as a static function in the .cpp where it will be used. (Or put it in the anonymous namespace, as anon suggested)

If the helper is used across multiple .cpp files, then it must be globally visible. To discourage outside users from using such an "internal" function, give it a name which indicates this, and do not document it in the user documentation (but certainly document it internally).

In my own projects, I name cross-module helpers to end with a double underscore. Don't do what a lot of people do and BEGIN the name with an underscore, since all such names are reserved.

For instance, "LP_BufferInit__", with both the beginning "LP_" and the ending "__" indicating "privateness."

EDIT: For production libraries, the names can be deliberately stripped from the library or somehow marked as library-level-linkage. But this is overkill for a pet project.

Thanks!

If it's just for one particular class, make it a static free function in the .cpp file. If it has to access members, pass them by reference. If you make it a private member function, client classes that include the header will have to recompile if the signature changes. Not a huge deal, but in large projects it can save time.

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Originally Posted by medievalelks

If it's just for that particular class, make it a static free function in the .cpp file. If it has to access members, pass them by reference. If you make it a private member function, client classes that include the header will have to recompile if the signature changes. Not a huge deal, but in large projects it can save time.

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Good recommendation.

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Originally Posted by brewbuck

Good recommendation.

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Compliments of Mr. Lakos.

:)

>> If it's just for one particular class, make it a static free function in the .cpp file.

FYI, static has been deprecated in favor of the unnamed namespace for this type of use.

Deprecated as in not supported or not preferred?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brewbuck

In my own projects, I name cross-module helpers to end with a double underscore. Don't do what a lot of people do and BEGIN the name with an underscore, since all such names are reserved.

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Names that contain double underscores are reserved similiarly to those that begin with an underscore followed by an uppercase letter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by medievalelks

Deprecated as in not supported or not preferred?

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Not preferred.

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Originally Posted by laserlight

Names that contain double underscores are reserved similiarly to those that begin with an underscore followed by an uppercase letter.

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I thought it was only names that began with 2 underscores?