Hi all,

the following code does not compile in gcc 4.0.2:


3 class Outer
4 {
5 class B;
6
7 template<typename T>
8 class A
9 {
10 friend class Outer::B;
11
12 public:
13 A(T t): a(t) { };
14 A() { };
15 protected:
16 T a;
17 };
18
19 class B : public A<int>
20 {
21 public:
22 B(A<int> & a)
23 {
24 b = a.a;
25 }
26
27 int b;
28 };
29 };

The error I get is:

friend.cpp: In constructor 'Outer::B::B(Outer::A<int>&)':
friend.cpp:16: error: 'int Outer::A<int>::a' is protected
friend.cpp:24: error: within this context

Note that when the Outer class is stripped, everything compiles just
fine. What is the problem here?

tonvandenheuvel@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> the following code does not compile in gcc 4.0.2:
>
>
> 3 class Outer
> 4 {
> 5 class B;
> 6
> 7 template<typename T>
> 8 class A
> 9 {
> 10 friend class Outer::B;
> 11
> 12 public:
> 13 A(T t): a(t) { };
> 14 A() { };
> 15 protected:
> 16 T a;
> 17 };
> 18
> 19 class B : public A<int>
> 20 {
> 21 public:
> 22 B(A<int> & a)
> 23 {
> 24 b = a.a;
> 25 }
> 26
> 27 int b;
> 28 };
> 29 };

Please don't post line numbers like you have here. It makes it
quite difficult to quickly copy-and-paste your code and compile it.
You can always use *comments* to identify the lines to which the
compiler is referring in its error messages.

Thanks.

>
> The error I get is:
>
> friend.cpp: In constructor 'Outer::B::B(Outer::A<int>&)':
> friend.cpp:16: error: 'int Outer::A<int>::a' is protected
> friend.cpp:24: error: within this context
>
> Note that when the Outer class is stripped, everything compiles just
> fine. What is the problem here?

A buggy compiler?

Your code compiles OK in Comeau online (4.3.9) or VC++ 2005 SP1.

V
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On Dec 7, 10:40 pm, tonvandenheu...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> the following code does not compile in gcc 4.0.2:
>
> 3 class Outer
> 4 {
> 5 class B;
> 6
> 7 template<typename T>
> 8 class A
> 9 {
> 10 friend class Outer::B;
> 11
> 12 public:
> 13 A(T t): a(t) { };
> 14 A() { };
> 15 protected:
> 16 T a;
> 17 };
> 18
> 19 class B : public A<int>
> 20 {
> 21 public:
> 22 B(A<int> & a)
> 23 {
> 24 b = a.a;
> 25 }
> 26
> 27 int b;
> 28 };
> 29 };
>
> The error I get is:
>
> friend.cpp: In constructor 'Outer::B::B(Outer::A<int>&)':
> friend.cpp:16: error: 'int Outer::A<int>::a' is protected
> friend.cpp:24: error: within this context
>
> Note that when the Outer class is stripped, everything compiles just
> fine. What is the problem here?

Note the error message:'int Outer::A<int>::a' is protected.

B is inherited form A as public inheritance,
So B can only call A's public and private members.

want.to.be.professer wrote:
> On Dec 7, 10:40 pm, tonvandenheu...@gmail.com wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> the following code does not compile in gcc 4.0.2:
>>
>> 3 class Outer
>> 4 {
>> 5 class B;
>> 6
>> 7 template<typename T>
>> 8 class A
>> 9 {
>> 10 friend class Outer::B;
>> 11
>> 12 public:
>> 13 A(T t): a(t) { };
>> 14 A() { };
>> 15 protected:
>> 16 T a;
>> 17 };
>> 18
>> 19 class B : public A<int>
>> 20 {
>> 21 public:
>> 22 B(A<int> & a)
>> 23 {
>> 24 b = a.a;
>> 25 }
>> 26
>> 27 int b;
>> 28 };
>> 29 };
>>
>> The error I get is:
>>
>> friend.cpp: In constructor 'Outer::B::B(Outer::A<int>&)':
>> friend.cpp:16: error: 'int Outer::A<int>::a' is protected
>> friend.cpp:24: error: within this context
>>
>> Note that when the Outer class is stripped, everything compiles just
>> fine. What is the problem here?
>
> Note the error message:'int Outer::A<int>::a' is protected.
>
> B is inherited form A as public inheritance,
> So B can only call A's public and private members.

Actually your post made me think a bit more about this, and perhaps
I was too fast to judge GCC as buggy...

Usually the rule is, the derived class is not alloed to access
*another instance's protected members*, but only its own or of
another instace of _its own type_. IOW, you should get an error
in 'foo', but not in 'bar':

class A {
protected:
int a;
};

class B : A {
void foo(A& a) {
a.a; /// error!
}

void bar() {
this->a; // OK
}
};

However, in this particular case, since A<T> makes 'B' its
friend, all the rules about protected access are overridden by
the rules of friendship, which allows access to _all_ members
regardless of their declared access specifiers.

V
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