C++ created multiple struct with class template

Question

I want to create typesafe structures that are basically identical but have different types so that they require different function signatures.

struct A {
    Time t;
    void doStuff(const A&);
    A getStuff();
};

struct B {
    Time t;
    void doStuff(const B&);
    B getStuff();
};

If I sue a template for the class

template<class T>
struct X {
    Time t;
    void doStuff(const X&);
    X getStuff();
};

how can I make functions typesafe and define function signatures differently for a struct X of type A and a struct X of type B?

Answer 1

Try adding some unused template parameters.

template <int>
struct X{
    Time t;
    void doStuff(const X&); // You missed return type
    X getStuff();
}; // You missed a semicolon

// Great thanks to "aschepler"

And now you can (C++11 syntax)

using A = X<1>;
using B = X<2>;
// typedef X<1> A;
// typedef X<2> B;

The following code will fail, which is what you want:

A a; B b;
a.doStuff(b); // Fail
a = b.getStuff(); // Fail