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In Section 1.4 of Alexandrescu's Modern C++ Design, he states the
following:

<quote>
1. You cannot specialize structure. Using templates alone you cannot
specialize the structure of a class (its data members). You can only
specialize only functions.
</quote>

What does the author mean by that? Wouldn't the following constitute
"specializing structure"?

template<typename T>
class A {
T t;
};

template<>
class A<int> {
float t;
std::string s;
};


Thanks in advance for your time.

Terribly confused,
LRS

LRS Kumar wrote:

> In Section 1.4 of Alexandrescu's Modern C++ Design, he states the
> following:
>
> <quote>
> 1. You cannot specialize structure. Using templates alone you cannot
> specialize the structure of a class (its data members). You can only
> specialize only functions.
> </quote>
>
> What does the author mean by that? Wouldn't the following constitute
> "specializing structure"?
> [...]

Yes, it does. But the point is that you have to repeat the whole class
definition while for member _functions_ you can specialize just one
function.
See:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e....de%26rnum%3D5

Here Alexandrescu answers exactly this questions.

Wolfgang

Wolfgang Meyer <> wrote in message news:<40dca689$0$12451$>.. .
>
> Yes, it does. But the point is that you have to repeat the whole class
> definition while for member _functions_ you can specialize just one
> function.
> See:
> http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e....de%26rnum%3D5
>
> Here Alexandrescu answers exactly this questions.
>
> Wolfgang

Thanks a lot. That link helped.

LRS