I've written a pretty simple array class in C++ and use it in my application:
/* A simple array class template that performs dynamic */
/* memory management and casting to (T*), which allows */
/* to use it as a usual array. */
template <typename T>
class Array
{
public:
//Constructor
Array(unsigned long size)
{
try
{
data = new T[size];
m_size = size;
}
catch(...)
{
cout << "Could not allocate " << size << " bytes." << endl;
data = NULL; m_size = 0;
}
}
//Typecast operator
operator T*() { assert(data!=NULL); return data; }
//Subscript operator
T& operator[] (unsigned long Index);
//Destructor
~Array() { if(data!=NULL) delete[] data; }
private:
T * data;
unsigned long m_size;
};
template<typename T>
T& Array<T>::operator[] (unsigned long Index)
{
assert(Index<m_size);
assert(data!=NULL);
return data[Index];
}
However, when I use it like this:
Array<char> filename(5);
filename[0] = SomeVar;
GCC ouputs the following warning:
warning: ISO C++ says that these are ambiguous, even though the worst conversion for the first is better than the worst conversion for the second: [enabled by default]
note: candidate 1: T& Array<T>::operator[](long unsigned int) [with T = char]
note: candidate 2: operator[](char*, int) <built-in>
What is the reason? How can I solve it?
The reason is quite simple: for your filename[0]
the compiler can use your operator[]
, or it can convert filename
to char*
using your type conversion operator, and then apply operator[]
to a char
pointer.
More explicitly, what happening is
filename.Array<char>::operator[](0)
vs
filename.Array<char>::operator char*().operator[](0)
(don't know whether the latter is correct c++, but it gives an idea of what happening)
P.S. Almost sure this should have been asked before, but was not able to find a duplicate.