CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++functionnamespaces
IzonFreak
IzonFreak

Reputation: 409

Why do i need NOT use the namespace?

So i have the following functions:

GraSys::CRectangle GraSys::CPlane::boundingBox(std::string type, std::string color)
{
   CRectangle myObject = CRectangle(color);
   return myObject;
}

Since boundingBox is part of the namespace GraSys and i have to use it in order to declare this function , why i don't need to do this inside the function?, why can i just use? why does it let me compile with out a problem ? 

CRectangle myObject = CRectangle(color);

insted of :

GraSys::CRectangle myObject = GraSys::CRectangle(color);

Hope my question is not confusing.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 104

Answers (3)

SHR
SHR

Reputation: 8333

using namespace is like add the name space to the global name space (i.e the :: name space). if you do it, from now on the compiler will look for each symbol in all the used name spaces.

Only in case there is ambiguity (mean a symbol with the same name declared in 2 used name spaces, you will be have to use the namespace for it.

namespace A{
   void f();
   void g();
}    

namespace B{
    void g();
}

using namespace A;
using namespace B;

A::f(); //always work
f(); //work since it is the only symbol named f

A::g();//always work
B::g();//always work
g();// error since g is ambiguous.

Upvotes: 0

Anton Savin
Anton Savin

Reputation: 41341

This is called unqualified name lookup. You can read the complete lookup rules in the C++ standard section 3.4.1 or in more human-readable form here.

Here is an example from the standard, which may be better than verbose explanations:

namespace A {
    namespace N {
        void f();
    }
}

void A::N::f() {
    i = 5;
    // The following scopes are searched for a declaration of i:
    // 1) outermost block scope of A::N::f, before the use of i
    // 2) scope of namespace N
    // 3) scope of namespace A
    // 4) global scope, before the definition of A::N::f
}

Upvotes: 1

Rahul Manne
Rahul Manne

Reputation: 1249

You're implementing a function that is declared in the namespace of GrasSys. When you're in that function, you use the declaring name space.

For clarity, consider:

namespace GraSys {
    class CRectangle { ... };
    class CPlane {
        ... boundingBox(...); ...
    }
    void example(...) { ... };
}

When you implement boundingBox, you will be in the namespace declared during the declaration of the function, which is GraSys. CRectangle is declared within GraSys, so you can use it directly. Similarly, note that you can directly call functions as well, so in the above code, you can directly call example in your boundingBox implementation.

Upvotes: 2

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