Template linking problem...

Remember, templates are not code - they are instructions to the compiler for how to generate code.

You have two options: conceal the templates from the library interface so that external code does not see them, which should eliminate the need to distribute the template code; or distribute the template code with the static library.

Thank you Apoch. I cannot conceal it, I think I´ll have to give the template code.
It this case is there any sense to provide .a? I don´t think so...

Visual C++ 8.0's version of the SC++L, as far as I can tell, is entirely source code (at least when dealing with templates). I've never personally seen export used in any way at all. I'd speculate that the .tcc stuff is compiler-specific, and thus your library wouldn't be too portable if that's the method you used.

I'd personally either just give up on the closed-source requirement, or if possible forward declare template instantiations on types that you know will be used. What are the templates used for anyway? Sometimes, you can provide template instantiations for float and double, for example, and that's all you need. Very few people would need to use anything else (custom number class or something). You'll have to be careful to avoid bloating the size of the library, however. But the only way to make the library fully useable is to actually provide the compiled code necessary to perform the work.

Speaking of that problem, I know that sometimes you can get your templates to use almost all the same code, regardless of type. For example, I've heard of std::vector<void> being used to implement all of the real functionally (using a char buffer for storage, and no constructor/destructor calls on elements), and then inheriting all the other std::vector<???> types from std::vector<void>, implementing most of the functions using little more than a reinterpret_cast<???> call or two. This means that only one instantiation of the code is needed for most functionality, and all those reinterpret_cast<???> calls for each new templated type don't really take up too much code space. It's possible you could use this method in your own library.

Yep, you´re right. I´ll really need to give the code anyway.
I can´t provide some template instantiation because I only receives user defined types in it, not int, double, char, that primitive defined types.

Quote:

regardless of type. For example, I've heard of std::vector<void> being used to implement all of the real functionally (using a char buffer for storage, and no constructor/destructor calls on elements), and then inheriting all the other std::vector<???> types from std::vector<void>, implementing most of the functions using little more than a reinterpret_cast<???> call or two. This means that only one instantiation of the code is needed for most functionality, and all those reinterpret_cast<???> calls for each new templated type don't really take up too much code space. It's possible you could use this method in your own library.

It seems to be the C++ to void* C. I dind´t know that. Pretty trick but it won´t work for me anyway...

Thank you. I´ll stick with .tcc that suits me best for now.