Consider this class example. Simplified version.
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <iomanip>
using std::setw;
using std::ostream;
using std::istream;
template<class T=int, int size=10>
class Array
{
friend istream& operator>>(istream&, Array<T,size>&);
public:
private:
T arr[size];
};
template<class T, int size>
istream& operator>>(istream& input, Array<T,size> &a)
{
for(int i=0; i<size;++i)
{
input>>a.arr[i];
}
return input;
}
int main()
{
Array<int> x;
std::cin>>x;
}
I am getting:
1>main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "class std::basic_istream<char,struct std::char_traits<char> > & __cdecl operator>>(class std::basic_istream<char,struct std::char_traits<char> > &,class Array<int,10> &)" (??5@YAAAV?$basic_istream@DU?$char_traits@D@std@@@std@@AAV01@AAV?$Array@H$09@@@Z) referenced in function _main
Can anyone explain why? I think I have implemented the function.
The friend declaration inside class definition declares a non-template function, then you define a template function later, they don't match. The non-template function is perferred in overload resolution, but it's not defined so you got the link error.
You could define it inside the class definition,
template<class T=int, int size=10>
class Array
{
friend istream& operator>>(istream&, Array<T,size>&)
{
for(int i=0; i<size;++i)
{
input>>a.arr[i];
}
return input;
}
public:
private:
T arr[size];
};
Or make the friend declaration refering to the template function.
template<class T=int, int size=10>
class Array;
template<class T, int size>
istream& operator>>(istream& input, Array<T,size> &a);
template<class T, int size>
class Array
{
friend istream& operator>> <>(istream&, Array<T,size>&);
public:
private:
T arr[size];
};
template<class T, int size>
istream& operator>>(istream& input, Array<T,size> &a)
{
for(int i=0; i<size;++i)
{
input>>a.arr[i];
}
return input;
}