Q190966: BUG: IntelliSense Limitations with Templates

Article: Q190966
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbVC600bug
Last Modified: 05-MAR-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++.NET (2002) 
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SYMPTOMS
========

This article focuses on the limitations of IntelliSense when working with
templates.

- IntelliSense does not recognize template member functions defined outside of
  the template class.

  When a template member function is defined outside of the template class, it
  does not appear in an instantiated template object's Member list, and does
  not provide Parameter and Type Info. It also does not appear in the ClassView
  pane. With Visual C++ 6.0, the only way to have IntelliSense work correctly
  with template member functions is to define all member functions inside of
  the template class declaration.


- Coding inside of nonclass template functions does not fully utilize
  IntelliSense.

  IntelliSense does not parse the bodies of template functions that are not
  member functions of a class. As a result, most IntelliSense features do not
  work inside of a template function definition.


- Template class specializations are not properly interpreted by IntelliSense.


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article. We are researching this bug and will post new
information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Consider the following code sample. Comments that are examples are marked with
\\EXAMPLE. The code directly below needs to be uncommented in order to reproduce
the problem. The comments following the code explain the problem:

Sample Code
-----------

     //Test.cpp
     #include <stdio.h>

     // A Template Class
     // 
     template <class T, int i>
     class TempClass
     {
     public:
         TempClass(void){}
         ~TempClass(void){}
         int MemberSet(T a, int b);
         int GetSize()
         {
     return arraysize;
         }
     private:
         T Tarray[i];
         int arraysize;
     };

     // A Simple Class
     // 
     class TestClass
     {
     public:
        TestClass(void){}
        ~TestClass(void){}
        int m;
        int n;
     };

     // Template Member Function Defined outside of the template class
     // 
     template <class T, int i>
     int TempClass<T, i>::MemberSet(T a, int b)
     {
        if( ( b >= 0 ) && (b < i) )
        {
          Tarray[b++] = a;
          return sizeof( a );
        }
        else
          return -1;
     };

     // Template Class
     // 
     template <class T>
     class Print
     {
     public:
        // Declare an instance of TestClass
        TestClass te;

        // EXAMPLE
        //te.
        // #2 No members displayed
        // all types but char

        void f(int, double)
        {
           printf("Print<T>\n");
        }
     };

     // Specialization of Print<class T>
     // 
     template <>
     class Print<char>
     {
     public:
        // just for chars
        void f(char*)
        {
           printf("Print<char>\n");
        }
     };

     void main()
     {
     TempClass<char,10> t;

     // EXAMPLE
     //t.
     // #1 MemberSet is absent from the member list
     // MemberSet does not appear in the ClassView pane
     // Define MemberSet in the TempClass declaration
     // to correct this problem

     Print<char> pc;

     // EXAMPLE
     //pc.f(
     // #3
     // pc.f  Tool tip shows all types but char
     // pc.f( Parameter list is int, double
     }

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q153284 Limitations of IntelliSense in Visual C++ 6.0

"Template Topics"; Visual C++ Documentation, Using Visual C++, Visual C++
Programmers Guide, Adding Program Functionality, Details, Template Topics.

"About Automatic Statement Completion;" Visual C++ Documentation, Using Visual
C++, Visual C++ Users Guide, Text Editor, Overview: Text Editor, About Automatic
Statement Completion.

"Automatically Completing Statements;" Visual C++ Documentation, Using Visual
C++, Visual C++ Users Guide, Text Editor, How do I ... Topics: Text Editor,
Automatically completing Statements.

Additional query words: kbvc600bug

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbVC600bug 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVC600 kbVC32bitSearch kbVCNET
Version           : :6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

=============================================================================

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