Default template parameter with class












10















I've just found out about a strange syntax for default template parameters



template<class T = class Z>
struct X
{};


What does the second "class" keyword mean in this context?










share|improve this question



























    10















    I've just found out about a strange syntax for default template parameters



    template<class T = class Z>
    struct X
    {};


    What does the second "class" keyword mean in this context?










    share|improve this question

























      10












      10








      10


      2






      I've just found out about a strange syntax for default template parameters



      template<class T = class Z>
      struct X
      {};


      What does the second "class" keyword mean in this context?










      share|improve this question














      I've just found out about a strange syntax for default template parameters



      template<class T = class Z>
      struct X
      {};


      What does the second "class" keyword mean in this context?







      c++ templates default-value






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked yesterday









      DunsDuns

      855




      855
























          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          12














          It's nothing special really. C++ allows you to refer to a class via an elaborated type specifier. E.g.



          void foo(class bar*);


          This declares a function foo that accepts an argument of the type bar*. If bar was not declared previously, this elaborate type specifier constitutes a declaration of bar in the namespace containing foo. I.e. as if you had written:



          class bar;
          void foo(bar*);


          Back to your example, X is a class template that expects a single type parameter, denoted by class T, but could have been denoted just the same as typename T. Said type parameter has a default argument, named by the elaborated class specifier class Z. That declaration can be rewritten just like the function above:



          class Z;
          template<class T = Z>
          struct X
          {};





          share|improve this answer
























          • great explanation, thank you very much

            – Duns
            yesterday











          Your Answer






          StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
          StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function () {
          StackExchange.using("snippets", function () {
          StackExchange.snippets.init();
          });
          });
          }, "code-snippets");

          StackExchange.ready(function() {
          var channelOptions = {
          tags: "".split(" "),
          id: "1"
          };
          initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

          StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
          // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
          if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
          StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
          createEditor();
          });
          }
          else {
          createEditor();
          }
          });

          function createEditor() {
          StackExchange.prepareEditor({
          heartbeatType: 'answer',
          autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
          convertImagesToLinks: true,
          noModals: true,
          showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
          reputationToPostImages: 10,
          bindNavPrevention: true,
          postfix: "",
          imageUploader: {
          brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
          contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
          allowUrls: true
          },
          onDemand: true,
          discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
          ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
          });


          }
          });














          draft saved

          draft discarded


















          StackExchange.ready(
          function () {
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fstackoverflow.com%2fquestions%2f54388402%2fdefault-template-parameter-with-class%23new-answer', 'question_page');
          }
          );

          Post as a guest















          Required, but never shown

























          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes








          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          12














          It's nothing special really. C++ allows you to refer to a class via an elaborated type specifier. E.g.



          void foo(class bar*);


          This declares a function foo that accepts an argument of the type bar*. If bar was not declared previously, this elaborate type specifier constitutes a declaration of bar in the namespace containing foo. I.e. as if you had written:



          class bar;
          void foo(bar*);


          Back to your example, X is a class template that expects a single type parameter, denoted by class T, but could have been denoted just the same as typename T. Said type parameter has a default argument, named by the elaborated class specifier class Z. That declaration can be rewritten just like the function above:



          class Z;
          template<class T = Z>
          struct X
          {};





          share|improve this answer
























          • great explanation, thank you very much

            – Duns
            yesterday
















          12














          It's nothing special really. C++ allows you to refer to a class via an elaborated type specifier. E.g.



          void foo(class bar*);


          This declares a function foo that accepts an argument of the type bar*. If bar was not declared previously, this elaborate type specifier constitutes a declaration of bar in the namespace containing foo. I.e. as if you had written:



          class bar;
          void foo(bar*);


          Back to your example, X is a class template that expects a single type parameter, denoted by class T, but could have been denoted just the same as typename T. Said type parameter has a default argument, named by the elaborated class specifier class Z. That declaration can be rewritten just like the function above:



          class Z;
          template<class T = Z>
          struct X
          {};





          share|improve this answer
























          • great explanation, thank you very much

            – Duns
            yesterday














          12












          12








          12







          It's nothing special really. C++ allows you to refer to a class via an elaborated type specifier. E.g.



          void foo(class bar*);


          This declares a function foo that accepts an argument of the type bar*. If bar was not declared previously, this elaborate type specifier constitutes a declaration of bar in the namespace containing foo. I.e. as if you had written:



          class bar;
          void foo(bar*);


          Back to your example, X is a class template that expects a single type parameter, denoted by class T, but could have been denoted just the same as typename T. Said type parameter has a default argument, named by the elaborated class specifier class Z. That declaration can be rewritten just like the function above:



          class Z;
          template<class T = Z>
          struct X
          {};





          share|improve this answer













          It's nothing special really. C++ allows you to refer to a class via an elaborated type specifier. E.g.



          void foo(class bar*);


          This declares a function foo that accepts an argument of the type bar*. If bar was not declared previously, this elaborate type specifier constitutes a declaration of bar in the namespace containing foo. I.e. as if you had written:



          class bar;
          void foo(bar*);


          Back to your example, X is a class template that expects a single type parameter, denoted by class T, but could have been denoted just the same as typename T. Said type parameter has a default argument, named by the elaborated class specifier class Z. That declaration can be rewritten just like the function above:



          class Z;
          template<class T = Z>
          struct X
          {};






          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered yesterday









          StoryTellerStoryTeller

          96.9k12197263




          96.9k12197263













          • great explanation, thank you very much

            – Duns
            yesterday



















          • great explanation, thank you very much

            – Duns
            yesterday

















          great explanation, thank you very much

          – Duns
          yesterday





          great explanation, thank you very much

          – Duns
          yesterday


















          draft saved

          draft discarded




















































          Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow!


          • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

          But avoid



          • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

          • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


          To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




          draft saved


          draft discarded














          StackExchange.ready(
          function () {
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fstackoverflow.com%2fquestions%2f54388402%2fdefault-template-parameter-with-class%23new-answer', 'question_page');
          }
          );

          Post as a guest















          Required, but never shown





















































          Required, but never shown














          Required, but never shown












          Required, but never shown







          Required, but never shown

































          Required, but never shown














          Required, but never shown












          Required, but never shown







          Required, but never shown







          Popular posts from this blog

          "Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'ON'. (on update cascade, on delete cascade,)

          Alcedinidae

          RAC Tourist Trophy