Full class template specialization with forward declarations - c++

Question

It appears a forward declaration is causing an issue when specializing some template functions within a template class. I am specializing the class also as it's necessary in order to specialize the function, and this seems to be causing the issue.
Edit: Second question about pre-creating functions for process function:
processor.H
namespace OM{
template<typename MatchT> //fwd decl. ERROR 2. see below.
class Manager;
template<typename MatchT>
class Processor
{
public:
Processor(Manager<MatchT>& mgr_):_manager(mgr_) {}
template<int P>
void process();
void doProcess();
private:
Manager<MatchT>& _manager;
template<int P, int... Ps>
struct table : table<P-1,P-1, Ps... > {};
template<int... Ps>
struct table<0, Ps...>
{
static constexpr void(*tns[])() = {process<Ps>...};
};
static table<5> _table;
};
}
#include "processor.C"
processor.C
namespace OM{
#include "MyManager.H" (includes MyManager/MyConfig)
template<typename MatchT>
template<int P>
inline void Processor<MatchT>::process()
{
...
_manager.send(); //this works..
}
template <> template <>
inline void Processor<MyManager<MyConfig> >::process<1>()
{
_manager.send(); //ERROR 1 - see below.
}
//ERROR here:
template<typename MatchT>
void doProcess()
{
Processor<MatchT>::_table::tns[2](); ERROR 3 below.
}
}
compile errors:
1. error: invalid use of incomplete type 'class Manager <MyManager<MyConfig> >'
2. error: declaration of 'class Manager<MyManager<MyConfig> >'
class Manager;
3. error: no type name '_table' in "class Processor<MyManager<MyConfig> >'
I'm not calling this from a specialized function, so I'm not sure
why I'm getting this.
I can move things around a bit to ensure the _manager calls are not within the specialized functions, but I'd rather not if I don't have to.

Answer 1

I played around with this, I think now I get a similar result.
The problem is the template specialisation and forward declaration together. This should be eqvivalent:
template<typename T> struct A;
template<typename T> class B
{
template<int N>
T f();
};
template<typename T> class B<A<T>>
{
A<T> *a;
template<int N>
T f();
};
template<typename T> struct A{ T i=1; };//works
template<>
template<>
int B<A<int>>::f<1>()
{
return a->i + 1;
}
//template<typename T> struct A { T i = 1; };//error
int main()
{
B<A<int>> b;
}
The compilation for templates comes in two stages:
First, it checks syntax and (some) dependence. So, for example if a in B<A<T>> was not a pointer/reference, but the object itself, it could compile, if that B<A<T>> is constructed after A is defined. (worked for me)
So the second is when the compiler inserts the arguments, here, the compiler must know all objects to generate code.
When fully specialising, as above, the compiler is forced to know all types. It already knows, that f function depends on the implementation of A, so it cannot generate the code.
Therefore you have to define A or Manager before the function specialisation.