Can I have the compiler ignore export keyword ?

[Timothy Madden]

Hello

I have Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack at work and I would like to write
my template code in a .cpp file, and only the template declarations in
the .h or .hpp file, as if export would be supported and as if I could
export my templates.

However without export support for such separation to actually work the
header file will include the .cpp file with a conditional compilation
directive like

#ifndef USE_EXPORT
# include "File.cpp"
#endif

and also, for things to work, the .cpp file should include only template
or inline functions definitions. Please don't bother too much with the
ugly idea that I include a .cpp file; the file is really meant to define
templates only and be included if necessary.

The advantage is that with export support I would then just define
USE_EXPORT for my project and all templates, already separated in .cpp
files, will no longer be bodily included and will get exported.

If you have read some things about templates a little you will find that
this is a quite known approach and that it works very nice.

However for that I would like to declare my templates with the export
keyword, and have the compiler ignore it (as other compilers do, to
support this separation model).

I see my cl already outputs a warning that export 'is not yet supported,
but reserved', but immediately after the warning I also get an error,
which is a problem.

Can I somehow get the compiler to ignore export with some options or
pragmas ?

I know I can use a define instead, that will expand to export only when
possible, but I would really like to keep my code clear, with the export
keyword as is, and rather set some project options to avoid my problem ...

Thank you,
Timothy Madden

[Igor Tandetnik]

Post by Timothy Madden
However for that I would like to declare my templates with the export
keyword, and have the compiler ignore it (as other compilers do, to
support this separation model).
I see my cl already outputs a warning that export 'is not yet
supported, but reserved', but immediately after the warning I also
get an error, which is a problem.
Can I somehow get the compiler to ignore export with some options or
pragmas ?

#define export

This is, technically, illegal - you are not supposed to #define macros whose names match language keywords. But it would work, in a pinch.

[Timothy Madden]

Post by Igor Tandetnik

Post by Timothy Madden
However for that I would like to declare my templates with the export
keyword, and have the compiler ignore it (as other compilers do, to
support this separation model).
I see my cl already outputs a warning that export 'is not yet
supported, but reserved', but immediately after the warning I also
get an error, which is a problem.
Can I somehow get the compiler to ignore export with some options or
pragmas ?

#define export
This is, technically, illegal - you are not supposed to #define macros whose names match language keywords. But it would work, in a pinch.

In the end that is what I did.

I was wondering if the compiler has or is going to have better support
for this, though ...

Thank you,
Timothy Madden