Subject: [boost] Library design Q : overloads v/s default args
From: Roshan (roshan_naik_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-06-20 05:11:47
Hope this is not a silly question. The C++ Standard library does not use
default arguments. Instead it provides an additional overload. Anybody
know why ?
For e.g.
It provides the following two overloads for accumulate :
template<class Itr, class T>
accumulate(Itr first, Itr last, T init);
template<class Itr, class T, class BinOp>
accumulate(Itr first, Itr last, T init, BinOp op);
instead of:
template<class Itr, class T, class BinOp>
accumulate(Itr first, Itr last, T init, BinOp op = std::plus<T>() );
I am wondering if there is any reason to avoid default arguments in
general purpose libraries ?
- Roshan