Why are typedef names in the same name space as variable names?

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3 total messages Started by Donald L. Nash Mon, 27 Oct 1986 18:52

#9660

Author: Donald L. Nash
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1986 18:52

24 lines
1363 bytes

Why are typedef names in the same name space as variable names?  In C
this presents very few problems, but in C++ it causes problems.  Since
class names are implicitly made into typedef names, they are also in the
same name space as variable names.  This means that you cannot have
something like:

	struct foo { /* ... */ };

	int foo;

in C++.

I know it is really too late to change anything, but I'm still curious why C
was made this way.  Speak up, BWK and DMR!!! :-)  Flames to /dev/null, please.

				Don Nash

UUCP:    ...!{ihnp4, allegra, seismo!ut-sally}!ut-ngp!dlnash
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    Two wonderful facts to lighten your day:
        1.  The world is basically non-linear.
        2.  The entropy of the universe is increasing.

Re: Why are typedef names in the same name space as variable names?

#9696

Author: Brian Russ
Date: Sun, 02 Nov 1986 02:26

25 lines
1123 bytes

In article <4220@ut-ngp.UUCP> dlnash@ut-ngp.UUCP (Donald L. Nash) writes:
>Why are typedef names in the same name space as variable names? ... 
> ...  This means that you cannot have
>something like:
>
>	struct foo { /* ... */ };
>
>	int foo;
>
>in C++.
>

	If they weren't in the same name space, you could, in addition
to the above, write:

	struct foo { /* ... */ };

	foo foo;

	Yuch!  Do you really want/need this flexibility?  In my opinion,
it's better the way it is now.

Re: Why are typedef names in the same name space as variable names?

#9751

Author: BEATTIE
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 1986 14:09

16 lines
967 bytes

> Why are typedef names in the same name space as variable names?  In C
> this presents very few problems, but in C++ it causes problems.  Since
> class names are implicitly made into typedef names, they are also in the
> same name space as variable names.  This means that you cannot have
> something like:
> 
> 	struct foo { /* ... */ };
> 
> 	int foo;
> 
> in C++.
> 				Don Nash

To avoid things like:
	foo foo;
Tom.

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