Problem with function template

[Eisenbart]

Hi!

I got a problem related to templates, something is not quite working the way it should:

template <int SIZE> void Func( void )
{
cout << SIZE << endl;
}

int main( void )
{
Func<2>();

Func<8>();
}

The output I get is

8
8

and I don't understand why. Shouldn't it be
2
8

as a separate function should be created for each call ???

[Mikey]

try this...

template <class TYPE> void Func(const TYPE& t)
{
	cout << t << endl;
}

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
	Func<int>(2);
	Func<int>(8);

	return 0;
}

Mikey

[Eisenbart]

Well thanks, but this does not solve my original problem. Consider the following code:

class CAllocator
{
public:
    CAllocator( size_t size ) : m_size( size ) {}
    ~CAllocator() {};

private:
    size_t m_size;
};

template <size_t SIZE> CAllocator& GetAllocator( void )
{
    static CAllocator   inst( SIZE );

    return inst;
}

int main( void )
{
    GetAllocator<2>();

    GetAllocator<8>();

    return 0;
}

I need a SEPARATE function to be created for each call to GetAllocator() with a certain size. The idea is to have one CAllocator object for each size, the above code always uses the same function, hence there is only one static CAllocator object, but I need several!

[PaulWendt]

Hello,

What compiler do you have? On Visual Studio .NET, the result is
what you originally expected [I've since uninstalled Visual Studio
6 so I cannot test this code there]. My guess is that it's your
compiler's support for function templates [something Visual
Studio 6.0 wasn't all that great with, which is why I assumed
that]. Anyway, if you DO have Visual Studio 6, make sure that
you have the latest service pack [Service Pack 5].

Edit: Oops, I still have Visual Studio 6.0 installed on another
computer here and I tested the code; it doesn't work even with
Service Pack 5 so you're just plain out of luck unless you upgrade
the compiler. It's time for workarounds :P

--Paul

[jfaust]

This does work, and might be a good workaround:

#include <iostream>

template<int SIZE>
class Test
{
public:
	operator()()
	{
		std::cout << SIZE << std::endl;
	}
};

int main()
{
	Test<5>()();
	Test<8>()();
	std::cin.get();
	return 0;
}

Jeff

[Eisenbart]

@Paul: Yes, you're right, I use Visual C++ 6.0 and whenever I had a problem it was with templates... I hope there is a cheap upgrade to .net... Anyway, I am glad to hear that it's the compilers fault, not that I'm stoopid or so...

@ jfaust: The workaround looks like it could work, great idea anyway, thanks!

[Mikey]

Eisenbart

...
static CAllocator inst( SIZE );
...

but your static CAllocator will not get more instances eventhough it's in a template-class...

Mikey

[PaulWendt]

Originally posted by Mikey
Eisenbart

but your static CAllocator will not get more instances eventhough it's in a template-class...

Mikey

Actually it will:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class CAllocator
{
public:
    CAllocator( size_t size ) : m_size( size ) 
    {
       cout << "CAllocator::CAllocator(" << size << ")" << endl;
    }
    ~CAllocator() {};

private:
    size_t m_size;
};

template <size_t SIZE> CAllocator& GetAllocator( void )
{
    static CAllocator   inst( SIZE );

    return inst;
}

int main( void )
{
    GetAllocator<2>();
    GetAllocator<8>();

    return 0;
}

Output:

CAllocator::CAllocator(2)
CAllocator::CAllocator(8)

Remember, templates actually generate code. Because his
function is templatized, it'll get generated for each template
parameter that's passed into it. It's similar to having a function
overloaded for an int and a char; the compiler also "overloads"
with template parameters.

--Paul

[Mikey]

Originally posted by PaulWendt
Actually it will (...) Because his function is templatized, it'll get generated for each template parameter that's passed into it.

Paul, I copied Your code 1:1 to VC6.
The constructor of CAllocator is only called once and the returned ref.-addresses by GetAllocator<2>() and GetAllocator<8>() are the same.

Though, in VC.NET it's called twice - so it depence on the compiler You use, resp. could be a bug in VC6.

Mikey

[jfaust]

GetAllocator<2>() and GetAllocator<8>() are distinct functions, and the static members should also be distinct. This is a bug in VC6. It's nice to hear they've corrected this in .net.

Jeff

[Mikey]

seems to be a heavy bug in VC6!

replacing PAUL's main()-function with this:

int main( void )
{
	CAllocator* pAlloc_1=NULL, *pAlloc_2=NULL;

	pAlloc_1 = &GetAllocator<2>();
	pAlloc_2 = &GetAllocator<8>();

	cout << endl << "Addresses:" << endl;
	cout << pAlloc_1 << endl;
	cout << pAlloc_2 << endl;

	getch();
	return 0;
} 
Output:

CAllocator::CAllocator(8)

Addresses:
0047DB2C
0047DB2C

If You comment out

pAlloc_2 = &GetAllocator<8>();

the output is

CAllocator::CAllocator(2)!

[Eisenbart]

Yes, it is a bug in VC++ 6.0. I have just downloaded a trial version of the Intel C++ compiler V7.0, and the same code behaves very different there - to be more precise, it works the way it should!

Looks like I should get a new compiler. Intel's compiler seems nice, it also appears to produce faster code, though I haven't really tested it yet...

On the other hand, it does not support all the features I want, at least it does not support the 'export' keyword that can be used with templates...

Some of you seem to possess VC.net - can you tell me wether it supports the 'export' keyword, thus providing for more ansi compliance?

Both VC++ 6.0 and Intel C++ 7.0 reject the following code

export template<class T>
class CSomething
{

};

because of the 'export' keyword.

[Mikey]

export template<class T>

Your code doesn't work in vc.net, also.

[jfaust]

The only compiler I know of that supports 'export' is the Comeau compiler. A recent article by Herb Sutter describes that this doesn't really gain you that much anyway. In other words, you still need to inline your templates.

Jeff

[Eisenbart]

Well, I didn't expect to gain performance or whatsoever, but it better fits my programming style - it sounds childish, but I want .cpp and .h files to come in pairs...

You do not necessarily have to inline the templates, you just have to put everything into the header files.