Correct way to define C++ namespace methods in .cpp file

c++ coding-style namespaces
Mr. Boy picture Mr. Boy · Dec 30, 2011 · Viewed 50.8k times · Source

Probably a duplicate, but not an easy one to search for...

Given a header like:

namespace ns1
{
 class MyClass
 {
  void method();
 };
}

I've see method() defined in several ways in the .cpp file:

Version 1:

namespace ns1
{
 void MyClass::method()
 {
  ...
 }
}

Version 2:

using namespace ns1;

void MyClass::method()
{
 ...
}

Version 3:

void ns1::MyClass::method()
{
 ...
}

Is there a 'right' way to do it? Are any of these 'wrong' in that they don't all mean the same thing?

Answer

GILGAMESH picture GILGAMESH · Dec 30, 2011

Version 2 is unclear and not easy to understand because you don't know which namespace MyClass belongs to and it's just illogical (class function not in the same namespace?)

Version 1 is right because it shows that in the namespace, you are defining the function.

Version 3 is right also because you used the :: scope resolution operator to refer to the MyClass::method () in the namespace ns1. I prefer version 3.

See Namespaces (C++). This is the best way to do this.

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