Re: problem understanding :: operator in bitset class declaration

From:

"Victor Bazarov" <v.Abazarov@comAcast.net>

Newsgroups:

comp.lang.c++

Date:

Fri, 4 Jan 2008 16:39:29 -0500

Message-ID:

<flm92i$98v$1@news.datemas.de>

swcamry@gmail.com wrote:

On Jan 4, 4:21 pm, "Victor Bazarov" <v.Abaza...@comAcast.net> wrote:

swca...@gmail.com wrote:

class bitset::reference {
friend class bitset;
reference(); // no public
constructor
public:
~reference();
operator bool () const; // convert to bool
reference& operator= ( bool x ); // assign from bool
reference& operator= ( const reference& x ); // assign from bit
reference& flip(); // flip bit value
bool operator~() const; // return inverse
value }

;

What is the purpose of resolution operator :: in the above
declaration?

To tell the compiler which 'reference' is being defined.

Why did the creator of bitset need to introduce other name
("reference")?

Not sure what your question is here, sorry. You need to look
at 'bitset' to see how 'reference' is used to understand.

V
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Thanks V.
Is the 'reference' in the declaration of a bitset class is a C++
keyword or just other name defined in the scope of bitset?

It's a name.

If it's the C++ keyword, what's the use of it?

It's not a keyword.

I am familiar with reference in the following sense, T& tref where
tref is a reference of type T, and never see the use of 'reference' as
a keyword before.

It's not a keyword.

Couldn't you just look at the definition of 'bitmap'? Don't you
have a C++ book that contains a list of keywords against which you
could verify 'reference' or any other combination of letters?

V
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