How to write an insertion operator function template? - c++

Question

I'm trying to write a single function template instead of a bunch of similar overloads for the insertion operator. The redundant overloaded versions work, but when I try to unite them in a single function template, the compiler complains of ambiguity. For example:
#include <iostream>
#include <list>
class fooBar
{
public:
fooBar(int iVal): iValue(iVal) {}
int getValue() {return iValue;}
private:
int iValue;
};
class foo
{
public:
foo()
{
for(int i = 0; i < 64; i++)
lstFooBars.push_back(fooBar(i));
}
std::list<fooBar>& getList()
{
return lstFooBars;
}
private:
std::list<fooBar> lstFooBars;
};
class bar
{
public:
bar()
{
for(int i = 0; i < 64; i++)
lstFooBars.push_back(fooBar(i));
}
std::list<fooBar>& getList()
{
return lstFooBars;
}
private:
std::list<fooBar> lstFooBars;
};
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& osOut, fooBar& fbrFooBar)
{
osOut << fbrFooBar.getValue();
return osOut;
}
template <typename T> std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& osOut, T& tContainer)
{
for(fooBar fbrFooBar: tContainer.getList())
osOut << "[" << fbrFooBar << "] ";
return osOut;
}
int main()
{
foo fooFoo;
bar barBar;
std::cout << std::endl << fooFoo << std::endl << std::endl;
std::cout << std::endl << barBar << std::endl << std::endl;
return 0;
}
...and the compiler tells me that:
test.cpp: In function ‘std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream&, T&)’:
test.cpp:63:9: error: ambiguous overload for ‘operator<<’ (operand types are ‘std::ostream’ {aka ‘std::basic_ostream<char>’} and ‘const char [2]’)
63 | osOut << "[" << fbrFooBar << "] ";
| ~~~~~ ^~ ~~~
| | |
| | const char [2]
| std::ostream {aka std::basic_ostream<char>}
Why does it work when you overload the same function over and over for each case and it doesn't compile like this? What am I missing here?

Answer 1

You've inadvertedly added a possible overload for const char* by making this:
template<typename T>
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& osOut, T& tContainer)
If you narrow it down a bit with SFINAE, it should work.
This overload will only work for types with a getList() member function for example:
template<typename T, typename U = decltype(std::declval<T>().getList())>
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& osOut, T& tContainer)

Answer 2

operator<< by default takes chars as argument, not string literals (inside "s) https://www.cplusplus.com/reference/ostream/ostream/operator-free/.
So, in order to make the call in the code you provide not ambiguous, you should try either to use single chars, or std::string:
#include <iostream>
#include <list>
#include <string>
class fooBar
{
public:
fooBar(int iVal): iValue(iVal) {}
int getValue() {return iValue;}
private:
int iValue;
};
class foo
{
public:
foo()
{
for(int i = 0; i < 64; i++)
lstFooBars.push_back(fooBar(i));
}
std::list<fooBar>& getList()
{
return lstFooBars;
}
private:
std::list<fooBar> lstFooBars;
};
class bar
{
public:
bar()
{
for(int i = 0; i < 64; i++)
lstFooBars.push_back(fooBar(i));
}
std::list<fooBar>& getList()
{
return lstFooBars;
}
private:
std::list<fooBar> lstFooBars;
};
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& osOut, fooBar& fbrFooBar)
{
osOut << fbrFooBar.getValue();
return osOut;
}
template <typename T> std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& osOut, T& tContainer)
{
for(fooBar fbrFooBar: tContainer.getList())
//osOut << std::string("[") << fbrFooBar << std::string("] "); // solution 1: use std::string
osOut << '[' << fbrFooBar << ']' << ' '; // solution 2: use single chars
return osOut;
}
int main()
{
foo fooFoo;
bar barBar;
std::cout << std::endl << fooFoo << std::endl << std::endl;
std::cout << std::endl << barBar << std::endl << std::endl;
return 0;
}