Modern CPP Design related

[LRS Kumar]

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

[Wolfgang Meyer]

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

[LRS Kumar]

Wolfgang Meyer <Wo************@gmx.net> wrote in message news:<40***********************@news.freenet.de>.. .

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