Re: PATCH for friend/template/inline link-failure

[Mark Mitchell <mark at markmitchell dot com>]

>>>>> "Alexandre" == Alexandre Oliva <oliva@dcc.unicamp.br> writes:

    Alexandre> Mark Mitchell <mark@markmitchell.com> writes:

    >> template <class P1> struct S1 { struct SS1 { }; friend void Foo
    >> (const SS1& ss1) { } };

    Alexandre> In this case, I think Foo is a non-template function,
    Alexandre> so it must be explicitly defined for each type
    Alexandre> S1<P1>::SS1.  A template definition won't do.

You're right, and, then again, you're not. :-)

Given:

  template <class T> struct S { friend void f(T) {} };

There is presently no global `f'.  After:

  template struct S<int>;

There is now a global function `void f(int)'.  It is not a template
instance, but it does have a definition.  In many ways it is *like* a
template instantiation, so far as the compiler is concerned, but it's
just a non-template function so far as the language is concerned.  If
you did:

  S<double> s2;

you'd now have `void f(double)' as well.

-- 
Mark Mitchell 			mark@markmitchell.com
Mark Mitchell Consulting	http://www.markmitchell.com