forward declarations

what ide are you using? (vc++ until 6 has problems with templates...)

Enjoy:

[EDIT] I did indeed forget to mention that, Erzengeldeslichtes. I was assuming he was declaring his structs like classes, as is done in C++, not in the ugly C way, which is, by the way, fairly obsolete. [smile]



[Edited by - SirLuthor on August 10, 2005 3:29:42 PM]

Sir Luthor has pretty much told you what you want to know but there's a bit of a problem:
struct DataEx;
this refers to a structure DataEx.
typedef struct {} DataEx;
this refers to a structure that gets its name from the compiler and is usually named something like __unnamed1234, and then that unnamed structure is typedef'd to also be called DataEx. The structure is not DataEx, though.

If you use these two, you will get compile error C2371: redefinition; different basic types. (Using VisualC++ 2005 beta 2)

For example:

gives 3 errors stemming from the fact that DataEx is defined as an alias but declared as a structure.

Instead, you should do this:

which will then work fine in C++ (which, since you're using forward declarations, I assume you are using. The assumption is supported by your usage of templates).

you can use forward declaration in C also. can't you?

thanks!, it's now clear for me, but just one more small question :)
If I have typedef like this:
typedef Vector VectorInt;
and then want to use it in header without including Vector template file, like this:
class {
...
VextorInt* pVI;
...
};

then how should forward declaration looks like?

Quote:

Original post by ju what ide are you using? (vc++ until 6 has problems with templates...)

I'm using VC2003, the problem is that I've just started using templates recently and trying to learn about them

I could be wrong, but I believe you have to both forward declare the std::vector class itself, as well as typedef'ing it. Although I don't see much point in not just doing #include , because it's a standard header, and guarenteed not to cause harm.

Unfortunately you shouldn't forward declare things from within the standard library. You'll have to #include . I find it best to put all library headers such as the standard library, boost, etc, into a precompiled header. It makes things much faster to compile.

In related news, iostream is quite a heavy-weight header and the standard committee decided to include a forwarding header, iosfwd which is relatively lightweight.

I didn't have STL's vector container in mind, just coincidence :) In fact this vector template class is part of my little math lib.
This method of forward declaring and typedefing works but it's too ugly for me (and redundant) so I think that I will just move all typedefs like this to precompiled header like petewood said.
Once again thx