Testing templated classes with functions defined in CPP file - c++

For a project that I am working on, I need to mock certain classes for testing to test different behaviours of functions. For testing I use gtest. Because I am working on a game, the speed and efficiency of the code is of the essence. Because of this requirement I do not want to mock my classes by using virtual functions, but I want to mock my classes with templates, so the implementation of the classes will be defined at compile time and I do not lose performance at run time. Furthermore, because I want to have the least amount of code bloat in my other header/source files I want to split my files into headers and source files, so that some of the includes can be set in the source file. This approach however comes with a couple of problems.
Because the templated functions are defined in a source file, there will need to be an explicit definition of the classes in the source file. Otherwise these templated functions will throw an 'undefined external symbol' error at compile time. This would not be a problem if I did not have two different projects, one for the game and one for testing, as I can't make an explicit definition of a mock in the test project.
I have tried a couple of solutions, but all of them have drawbacks. I will try to demonstrate what I have done with the following piece of code: (I know and use GMock, but this is an easier example)
//Game project
//Foo.h
<template class Bar>
class Foo
{
public:
Bar bar;
bool ExampleFunction();
}
//Foo.cpp
#include "Foo.h"
<template class Bar>
bool Foo::ExampleFunction()
{
return bar.Func() > 10;
}
//Testing project
//BarMock.h
class BarMock
{
public:
int Func();
int value;
}
//BarMock.cpp
#include "BarMock.h"
Bar::Func()
{
return value;
}
//TestFoo.cpp
#include "Foo.h"
TEST(Tests, TestExample)
{
Foo<BarMock> mocked;
mocked.bar.value = 100;
ASSERT_TRUE(mocked.ExampleFunction());
}
Solution 1: Include cpp file in testing project
This is already error prone, as including a cpp file is usually a no go. But if I only include the cpp file ONCE somewhere in the testing project it will not give me the 'c function already defined' error. This in my opinion is not a solid solution (although it is the solution I am currently using), because if I do need a templated class in 2 locations of my testing project this will (almost) always give an error.
//TestFoo.cpp
#include "Foo.h"
#include "Foo.cpp" // error prone, but does compile
TEST(Tests, TestExample)
{
Foo<BarMock> mocked;
mocked.bar.value = 100;
ASSERT_TRUE(mocked.ExampleFunction());
}
Solution 2: Create definitions in header file
This is less error prone, but comes with some other drawbacks. Like I have stated before I want to keep the bloat to a minimum, but with this solution I will also include all of the headers of the Foo header (say I need in Foo and include foo somewhere, then in somewhere I will also have ).
//Game project
//Foo.h
<template class Bar>
class Foo
{
public:
Bar bar;
bool ExampleFunction()
{
return bar.Func() > 10;
}
}
//Foo.cpp removed
Solution 3: Create virtual functions for mocks
This is my least favourite option, but it should be mentioned. Like I have stated before, this comes with a runtime performance hit and I do not want to change most of my functions to virtual functions. But in this way you will not get errors.
//BarMock.h
class BarMock
{
public:
int Func() override;
int value;
}
//BarMock.cpp
#include "BarMock.h"
Bar::Func() override
{
return value;
}
Which one of these options is the best? Is there any method that I have missed? I would love to hear someone's opinion about this as I could not find a 'good' solution online.

A variation of solution #1 by renaming the files:
Foo.h
#pragma once // or/and header guards
<template class Bar>
class Foo
{
public:
Bar bar;
bool ExampleFunction();
};
Foo.inl (or other extension .inc, .ixx, ...)
#pragma once // or/and header guards
#include "Foo.h"
template <class Bar>
bool Foo<Bar>::ExampleFunction()
{
return bar.Func() > 10;
}
Foo.cpp
#include "Foo.h"
#include "Foo.inc"
#include "Bar.h"
// explicit instantiation
template <> struct Foo<Bar>;
FooTest.cpp
#include "Foo.h"
#include "Foo.inc"
#include "BarMock.h"
// Testing code...

Related

C++ Multiple Libraries Define Same Class Name

I am developing a project in which I have a vendor library, say vendor.h, for the specific Arduino-compatible board I'm using which defines class HTTPClient that conflicts with an Arduino system library, HTTPClient.h, which also defines class HTTPClient.
These two classes are unrelated other than having the same name, and the vendor implementation of an HTTP client is far less capable than the Arduino system library's implementation, so I'd prefer to use the latter. But I can't omit including the former, because I need quite a bit from the vendor.h. Essentially, I have the problem posed here, but with classes rather than functions. I have the full code of both, but given that one is a system library and the other is a vendor library, I'm reluctant to fork and edit either, as that adds lots of merging work down the road if either of them are updated, so my preference would be to find a tidy solution that doesn't edit either header.
I've tried a variety of solutions posted in other SO questions:
I do not want to leave out either header, as I need vendor.h for quite a few things and need the capabilities of HTTPClient.h's client implementation
Proper namespaces in the headers would solve the problem, I would prefer to avoid editing either header
I tried wrapping the #include <HTTPClient.h> in a namespace in my main.cpp, but that caused linking errors, as it's not a header-only library, so the header & cpp weren't in the same namespace
I tried a simple wrapper as proposed for the function in the above linked SO question in which the header contained just a forward declaration of my wrapper class & the associated cpp contained the actual class definition. This gave a compiler error of error: aggregate 'HTTP::Client client' has incomplete type and cannot be defined (Code sample of this attempt below)
main.cpp:
#include <vendor.h>
#include "httpclientwrapper.h"
HTTP::Client client;
httpclientwrapper.h:
#ifndef INC_HTTPCLIENTWRAPPER_H
#define INC_HTTPCLIENTWRAPPER_H
namespace HTTP {
class Client;
}
#endif
httpclientwrapper.cpp:
#include "httpclientwrapper.h"
#include <HTTPClient.h>
namespace HTTP {
class Client : public ::HTTPClient {};
}
In that example, I can't inherit from HTTPClient in a class definition in my header, as that will reintroduce the duplicate class name to the global namespace in my main program (hence the perhaps misguided attempt to see if a forward declaration would do the trick). I suspect that I can resolve the issue by completely duplicating the class definition of HTTPClient in my wrapper class above rather than trying to use inheritance. I would then add member definitions to my wrapper cpp which pass the call to HTTPClient's members. Before I go through the trouble of rewriting (or more likely, copy/pasting) the entire HTTPClient definition from HTTPClient.h into my own wrapper, I was wondering if there was a better or more proper way to resolve the conflict?
Thanks for you help!
As a solution was never proposed, I'm posting an answer that summarizes my research and my ultimate resolution. Mostly, I encourage the use of namespaces, because proper uses of namespaces would have eliminated the conflict. However, Arduino environments try to keep things simple to lower the barrier of entry, eschewing "complicated" features of C++, so more advanced use cases will likely continue to run into issues like this. From other SO answers and forum posts (cited where I could), here are some methods for avoiding name conflicts like this:
If you can edit the source
Edit the source code to remove the conflict or add a namespace to one of both libraries. If this is an open source library, submit a pull request. This is the cleanest solution. However, if you can't push your changes back upstream (such as when one is a system library for some hardware), you may end up with merge issues down the road when the maintainer/developer updates the libraries.
If you can't edit the source
Credit for part of this: How to avoid variable/function conflicts from two libraries in C++
For libraries that are header only libraries (or all functions are inline)
(ie, they have only a .h file without a .o or .cpp)
Include the library inside a namespace. In most code, this is frowned upon as poor form, but if you're already in a situation where you are trying to cope with a library that doesn't contain itself nicely, it's a clean and simple way to contain the code in a namespace and avoid name conflicts.
main.cpp
namespace foo {
#include library.h
}
int main() {
foo::bar(1);
}
For libraries with functions
The above method will fail to link at compile time, because the declarations in the header will be inside the namespace, but the definitions of those functions are not.
Instead, create a wrapper header and implementation file. In the header, declare your namespace and functions you wish to use, but do not import the original library. In the implementation file, import your library, and use the functions inside your new namespaced functions. That way, the one conflicting library is not imported into the same place as the other.
wrapper.h
namespace foo {
int bar(int a);
}
wrapper.cpp
#include "wrapper.h"
#include "library.h"
namespace foo {
int bar(int a) {
return ::bar(a);
}
}
main.cpp
#include "wrapper.h"
int main() {
foo::bar(1);
}
You could also, for the sake of consistency, wrap both libraries so they're each in their own namespace. This method does mean that you will have to put in the effort to write a wrapper for every function you plan to use. This gets more complicated, however, when you need to use classes from the library (see below).
For libraries with classes
This is an extension of the wrapper function model from above, but you will need to put in more work, and there are a few more drawbacks. You can't write a class that inherits from the library's class, as that would require importing the original library in your wrapper header prior to defining your class, so you must write a complete wrapper class. You also cannot have a private member of your class of the type from the original class that you can delegate calls to for the same reason. The attempt at using a forward declaration I described in my question also did not work, as the header file needs a complete declaration of the class to compile. This left me the below implementation, which only works in the cases of a singleton (which was my use case anyway).
The wrapper header file should almost completely duplicate the public interface of the class you want to use.
wrapper.h
namespace foo {
Class Bar() {
public:
void f(int a);
bool g(char* b, int c, bool d);
char* h();
};
}
The wrapper implementation file then creates an instance and passes the calls along.
wrapper.cpp
#include "wrapper.h"
#include "library.h"
namespace foo {
::Bar obj;
void Bar::f(int a) {
return obj.f(a);
}
bool Bar::g(char* b, int c, bool d) {
return obj.g(b, c, d);
}
char* Bar::h() {
return obj.h();
}
}
The main file will interact with only a single instance of the original class, no matter how many times your wrapper class in instantiated.
main.cpp
#include "wrapper.h"
int main() {
foo::Bar obj;
obj.f(1);
obj.g("hello",5,true);
obj.h();
}
Overall, this strikes me as a flawed solution. To fully wrap this class, I think the this could be modified to add a factory class that would be fully contained inside the wrapper implementation file. This class would instantiate the original library class every time your wrapper class is instantiated, and then track these instances. In this way, your wrapper class could keep an index to its associated instance in the factory and bypass the need to have that instance as its own private member. This seemed like a significant amount of work, and I did not attempt to do so, but would look something like the code below. (This probably needs some polish and a real look at its memory usage!)
The wrapper header file adds a constructor & private member to store an instance id
wrapper.h
namespace foo {
Class Bar() {
public:
Bar();
void f(int a);
bool g(char* b, int c, bool d);
char* h();
private:
unsigned int instance;
};
}
The wrapper implementation file then adds a factory class to manage instances of the original library's class
wrapper.cpp
#include "wrapper.h"
#include "library.h"
namespace foo {
class BarFactory {
public:
static unsigned int new() {
instances[count] = new ::Bar();
return count++;
}
static ::Bar* get(unsigned int i) {
return instances[i];
}
private:
BarFactory();
::Bar* instances[MAX_COUNT]
int count;
};
void Bar::Bar() {
instance = BarFactory.new();
}
void Bar::f(int a) {
return BarFactory.get(i)->f(a);
}
bool Bar::g(char* b, int c, bool d) {
return BarFactory.get(i)->g(b, c, d);
}
char* Bar::h() {
return BarFactory.get(i)->h();
}
}
The main file remains unchanged
main.cpp
#include "wrapper.h"
int main() {
foo::bar obj;
obj.f(1);
obj.g("hello",5,true);
obj.h();
}
If all of this seems like a lot of work, then you're thinking the same thing I did. I implemented the basic class wrapper, and realized it wasn't going to work for my use case. And given the hardware limitations of the Arduino, I ultimately decided that rather than add more code to be able to use the HTTPClient implementation in either library, I wrote my own HTTP implementation library in the end, and so used none of the above and saved several hundred kilobytes of memory. But I wanted to share here in case somebody else was looking to answer the same question!

Can I provide an incomplete header for a C++ class to hide the implementation details?

I would like to split a class implementation into three parts, to avoid that users need to deal with the implementation details, e.g., the libaries that I use to implement the functionality:
impl.cpp
#include <api.h>
#include <impl.h>
Class::Class() {
init();
}
Class::init() {
myData = SomeLibrary::Type(42);
}
Class::doSomething() {
myData.doSomething();
}
impl.h
#include <somelibrary.h>
class Class {
public:
Class();
init();
doSomething();
private:
SomeLibary::Type myData;
}
api.h
class Class {
Class();
doSomething();
}
The problem is, that I am not allowed to redefine headers for the class definition. This does not work when I define Class() and doSomething() only in api.h, either.
A possible option is to define api.h and do not use it in the project at all, but install it (and do not install impl.h).
The obvious drawback is, that I need to make sure, that the common methods in api.h and impl.h always have the same signature, otherwise programs using the library will get linker errors, that I cannot predict when compiling the library.
But would this approach work at all, or will I get other problems (e.g. wrong pointers to class members or similar issues), because the obj file does not match the header?
The short answer is "No!"
The reason: any/all 'client' projects that need to use your Class class have to have the full declaration of that class, in order that the compiler can properly determine such things as offsets for member variables.
The use of private members is fine - client programs won't be able to change them - as is your current implementation, where only the briefest outlines of member functions are provided in the header, with all actual definitions in your (private) source file.
A possible way around this is to declare a pointer to a nested class in Class, where this nested class is simply declared in the shared header: class NestedClass and then you can do what you like with that nested class pointer in your implementation. You would generally make the nested class pointer a private member; also, as its definition is not given in the shared header, any attempt by a 'client' project to access that class (other than as a pointer) will be a compiler error.
Here's a possible code breakdown (maybe not error-free, yet, as it's a quick type-up):
// impl.h
struct MyInternal; // An 'opaque' structure - the definition is For Your Eyes Only
class Class {
public:
Class();
init();
doSomething();
private:
MyInternal* hidden; // CLient never needs to access this! Compiler error if attempted.
}
// impl.cpp
#include <api.h>
#include <impl.h>
struct MyInternal {
SomeLibrary::Type myData;
};
Class::Class() {
init();
}
Class::init() {
hidden = new MyInternal; // MUCH BETTER TO USE unique_ptr, or some other STL.
hidden->myData = SomeLibrary::Type(42);
}
Class::doSomething() {
hidden->myData.doSomething();
}
NOTE: As I hinted in a code comment, it would be better code to use std::unique_ptr<MyInternal> hidden. However, this would require you to give explicit definitions in your Class for the destructor, assignment operator and others (move operator? copy constructor?), as these will need access to the full definition of the MyInternal struct.
The private implementation (PIMPL) idiom can help you out here. It will probably result in 2 header and 2 source files instead of 2 and 1. Have a silly example I haven't actually tried to compile:
api.h
#pragma once
#include <memory>
struct foo_impl;
struct foo {
int do_something(int argument);
private:
std::unique_ptr<foo_impl> impl;
}
api.c
#include "api.h"
#include "impl.h"
int foo::do_something(int a) { return impl->do_something(); }
impl.h
#pragma once
#include <iostream>
struct foo_impl {
foo_impl();
~foo_impl();
int do_something(int);
int initialize_b();
private:
int b;
};
impl.c
#include <iostream>
foo_impl::foo_impl() : b(initialize_b()} { }
foo_impl::~foo_impl() = default;
int foo_impl::do_something(int a) { return a+b++; }
int foo_impl::initialize_b() { ... }
foo_impl can have whatever methods it needs, as foo's header (the API) is all the user will see. All the compiler needs to compile foo is the knowledge that there is a pointer as a data member so it can size foo correctly.

Class redefinition: How to wrap methods within class [duplicate]

Is there a way to avoid the Graph:: repetition in the implementation file, yet still split the class into header + implementation? Such as in:
Header File:
#ifndef Graph_H
#define Graph_H
class Graph {
public:
Graph(int n);
void printGraph();
void addEdge();
void removeEdge();
};
#endif
Implementation File:
Graph::Graph(int n){}
void Graph::printGraph(){}
void Graph::addEdge(){}
void Graph::removeEdge(){}
I'm guessing this is to avoid lots of "unnecessary typing". Sadly there's no way to get rid of the scope (as many other answers have told you) however what I do personally is get the class defined with all my function prototypes in nice rows, then copy/paste into the implementation file then ctrl-c your ClassName:: on the clip board and run up the line with ctrl-v.
If you want to avoid typing the "Graph::" in front of the printGraph, addEdge etc., then the answer is "no", unfortunately. The "partial class" feature similar to C# is not accessible in C++ and the name of any class (like "Graph") is not a namespace, it's a scope.
No there's not. Not directly at least. You could go for preprocessor tricks, but don't do it.
#define IMPL Graph::
IMPL Graph(int n){}
void IMPL printGraph(){}
void IMPL addEdge(){}
void IMPL removeEdge(){}
Also, you shouldn't even want to do it. What's the point. Besides it being a C++ rule, it lets you know you're actually implementing a member function.
One option is using. If you have method definitions which are in a cpp file that never gets #included, then using is safe (doesn't affect other files):
foo.h:
class FooLongNameSpecialisationsParamaters
{
int x_;
public:
int Get () const;
void Set (int);
};
foo.cpp:
#include "foo.h"
using Foo = FooLongNameSpecialisationsParamaters;
int Foo::Get () const
{
return x_;
}
void Foo::Set (int x)
{
x_ = x;
}
main.cpp:
#include "foo.h"
int main ()
{
//Foo foo; <-- error
FooLongNameSpecialisationsParamaters foo;
return 0;
}
No, there is no way to avoid it. Otherwise, how would you know if a given function definition is for a class function or for a static function?
If you are asking if you can define a member function such as Graph::printGraph without specifying the class name qualification, then the answer is no, not the way that you want. This is not possible in C++:
implementation file:
void printEdge(){};
The above will compile just fine, but it won't do what you want. It won't define the member function by the same name within the Graph class. Rather, it will declare and define a new free function called printEdge.
This is good and proper, if by your point of view a bit of a pain, because you just might want two functions with the same name but in different scopes. Consider:
// Header File
class A
{
void foo();
};
class B
{
void foo();
};
void foo();
// Implementation File
void foo()
{
}
Which scope should the definition apply to? C++ does not restrict you from having different functions with the same names in different scopes, so you have to tell the compiler what function you're defining.
//yes it is possible using preprocessor like this:
#define $ ClassName //in .cpp
void $::Method1()
{
}
//or like this: in the header .h:
#undef $
#define $ ClassName'
// but you have to include the class header in last #include in your .cpp:
#include "truc.h"
#include "bidule.h" ...
#include "classname.h"
void $::Method() { }
//i was using also
#define $$ BaseClass
//with single inheritance than i can do this:
void $::Method()
{
$$::Method(); //call base class method
}
//but with a typedef defined into class like this it's better to do this:
class Derived : Base
{
typedef Base $$;
}
EDIT: I misread your question. This would be an answer to the question whether you can split header-files. It doesn't help you to avoid using LongClassName::-syntaxes, sorry.
The simple answer: You can split up c++-file, but you can not split up header-files.
The reason is quite simple. Whenever your compiler needs to compile a constructor, it needs to know exactly how many memory it needs to allocate for such an object.
For example:
class Foo {
double bar; //8 bytes
int goo; //4 bytes
}
new Foo() would require the allocation of 12 bytes memory. But if you were allowed to extend your class definitions over multiple files, and hence split header files, you could easily make a mess of this. Your compiler would never know if you already told it everything about the class, or whether you did not. Different places in your code could have different definitions of your class, leading to either segmentation faults or cryptic compiler errors.
For example:
h1.h:
class Foo {
double bar; // 8 bytes
int goo; // 4 bytes
}
h2.h:
#include "h1.h"
class Foo {
double goo; // 8 bytes
} // we extend foo with a double.
foo1.cpp:
#include "foo1.h"
Foo *makeFoo() {
return new Foo();
}
foo2.cpp:
#include "foo2.h"
void cleanupFoo(Foo *foo) {
delete foo;
}
foo1.h:
#include "h1.h"
Foo *makeFoo();
foo2.h:
#include "h1.h"
#include "h2.h"
void cleanupFoo(Foo *foo)
main.cpp:
#include foo1.h
#include foo2.h
void main() {
Foo *foo = makeFoo();
cleanupFoo(foo);
}
Carefully check what happens if you first compile main.cpp to main.o, then foo1.cpp to foo1.o and foo2.cpp to foo2.o, and finally link all of them together. This should compile, but the makeFoo() allocates something else then the cleanupFoo() deallocated.
So there you have it, feel free to split .cpp-files, but don't split up classes over header files.

Issue with extern templates c++

I'm using C++ and I'm having struggle with extern templates. In opposite to C# the whole template implementation is really nasty in C++ :(
template_test.hpp
template<class T>
class CFoo {
public:
T Foo_Func(const T& test);
};
template_test.cpp
#include "Template_Test.hpp"
template<class T>
T CFoo<T>::Foo_Func(const T& test)
{
return test;
}
template_test2.hpp
#include "Template_Test.hpp"
extern template class CFoo<int>;
int Template_Tests();
template_test2.cpp
#include "Template_Test2.hpp"
int Template_Tests()
{
CFoo<int> foo_instance;
//this causes an undefined reference
int res = foo_instance.Foo_Func(1);
return res;
}
why does the linker not find my function. I thought extern templates worked the same why as extern variables.
(Put extern int test; in the header file and int test = 0 in the source file.)
thanks for your support:)
Solution 1
One way to solve this issue is to implements the template class's function without function's definitions. in this case:
template<class T>
class CFoo {
public:
T Foo_Func(const T& test) {
return test;
}
};
And then, you don't even need the extern part. I aware that your programmer sense keep telling you to avoid from this, and always to separate between your class functions' definitions, and their implementation- but in template case in c++, it's the easiest solution for this language's huge problem.
An important thing that you need to know- there is a big different between the solutions for this issue between differnt IDEs, but this easy solution works in most of them (if not always).
Solution 2
Another option, if you still want to separate the implementations from the definitions you can include the .cpp file, as well as the .hpp/.h file:
template_test2.hpp
#include "Template_Test.hpp"
#include "Template_Test.cpp"
/*extern template class CFoo<int>;*/ // Again, you don't need this extern
int Template_Tests();
Solution 3
It is the closest way to the way that you tried. in the end of template_test.cpp file, add the following line:
template class CFoo<int>;
and remove the line extern template class CFoo<int>; from the template_test2.hpp file.
I hope that you will find it helping, Korel.

Is it possible to avoid repeating the class name in the implementation file?

Is there a way to avoid the Graph:: repetition in the implementation file, yet still split the class into header + implementation? Such as in:
Header File:
#ifndef Graph_H
#define Graph_H
class Graph {
public:
Graph(int n);
void printGraph();
void addEdge();
void removeEdge();
};
#endif
Implementation File:
Graph::Graph(int n){}
void Graph::printGraph(){}
void Graph::addEdge(){}
void Graph::removeEdge(){}
I'm guessing this is to avoid lots of "unnecessary typing". Sadly there's no way to get rid of the scope (as many other answers have told you) however what I do personally is get the class defined with all my function prototypes in nice rows, then copy/paste into the implementation file then ctrl-c your ClassName:: on the clip board and run up the line with ctrl-v.
If you want to avoid typing the "Graph::" in front of the printGraph, addEdge etc., then the answer is "no", unfortunately. The "partial class" feature similar to C# is not accessible in C++ and the name of any class (like "Graph") is not a namespace, it's a scope.
No there's not. Not directly at least. You could go for preprocessor tricks, but don't do it.
#define IMPL Graph::
IMPL Graph(int n){}
void IMPL printGraph(){}
void IMPL addEdge(){}
void IMPL removeEdge(){}
Also, you shouldn't even want to do it. What's the point. Besides it being a C++ rule, it lets you know you're actually implementing a member function.
One option is using. If you have method definitions which are in a cpp file that never gets #included, then using is safe (doesn't affect other files):
foo.h:
class FooLongNameSpecialisationsParamaters
{
int x_;
public:
int Get () const;
void Set (int);
};
foo.cpp:
#include "foo.h"
using Foo = FooLongNameSpecialisationsParamaters;
int Foo::Get () const
{
return x_;
}
void Foo::Set (int x)
{
x_ = x;
}
main.cpp:
#include "foo.h"
int main ()
{
//Foo foo; <-- error
FooLongNameSpecialisationsParamaters foo;
return 0;
}
No, there is no way to avoid it. Otherwise, how would you know if a given function definition is for a class function or for a static function?
If you are asking if you can define a member function such as Graph::printGraph without specifying the class name qualification, then the answer is no, not the way that you want. This is not possible in C++:
implementation file:
void printEdge(){};
The above will compile just fine, but it won't do what you want. It won't define the member function by the same name within the Graph class. Rather, it will declare and define a new free function called printEdge.
This is good and proper, if by your point of view a bit of a pain, because you just might want two functions with the same name but in different scopes. Consider:
// Header File
class A
{
void foo();
};
class B
{
void foo();
};
void foo();
// Implementation File
void foo()
{
}
Which scope should the definition apply to? C++ does not restrict you from having different functions with the same names in different scopes, so you have to tell the compiler what function you're defining.
//yes it is possible using preprocessor like this:
#define $ ClassName //in .cpp
void $::Method1()
{
}
//or like this: in the header .h:
#undef $
#define $ ClassName'
// but you have to include the class header in last #include in your .cpp:
#include "truc.h"
#include "bidule.h" ...
#include "classname.h"
void $::Method() { }
//i was using also
#define $$ BaseClass
//with single inheritance than i can do this:
void $::Method()
{
$$::Method(); //call base class method
}
//but with a typedef defined into class like this it's better to do this:
class Derived : Base
{
typedef Base $$;
}
EDIT: I misread your question. This would be an answer to the question whether you can split header-files. It doesn't help you to avoid using LongClassName::-syntaxes, sorry.
The simple answer: You can split up c++-file, but you can not split up header-files.
The reason is quite simple. Whenever your compiler needs to compile a constructor, it needs to know exactly how many memory it needs to allocate for such an object.
For example:
class Foo {
double bar; //8 bytes
int goo; //4 bytes
}
new Foo() would require the allocation of 12 bytes memory. But if you were allowed to extend your class definitions over multiple files, and hence split header files, you could easily make a mess of this. Your compiler would never know if you already told it everything about the class, or whether you did not. Different places in your code could have different definitions of your class, leading to either segmentation faults or cryptic compiler errors.
For example:
h1.h:
class Foo {
double bar; // 8 bytes
int goo; // 4 bytes
}
h2.h:
#include "h1.h"
class Foo {
double goo; // 8 bytes
} // we extend foo with a double.
foo1.cpp:
#include "foo1.h"
Foo *makeFoo() {
return new Foo();
}
foo2.cpp:
#include "foo2.h"
void cleanupFoo(Foo *foo) {
delete foo;
}
foo1.h:
#include "h1.h"
Foo *makeFoo();
foo2.h:
#include "h1.h"
#include "h2.h"
void cleanupFoo(Foo *foo)
main.cpp:
#include foo1.h
#include foo2.h
void main() {
Foo *foo = makeFoo();
cleanupFoo(foo);
}
Carefully check what happens if you first compile main.cpp to main.o, then foo1.cpp to foo1.o and foo2.cpp to foo2.o, and finally link all of them together. This should compile, but the makeFoo() allocates something else then the cleanupFoo() deallocated.
So there you have it, feel free to split .cpp-files, but don't split up classes over header files.