templates and self-references[resolved?]

Ok, I got a a template class. One of the parameters is again supposed to be a class that I write myself. Looks like this:

Code:

---

template<typename _C>
class standard_config_formatter;

template<typename _C, typename _Formatter = standard_config_formatter<_C> >
class basic_configfile : public _Formatter
// ...

---

Then in the actual definition of the class standard_config_formatter I have this:

Code:

---

template<typename _C>
class standard_config_formatter
{
private:
        typedef basic_configfile<_C, standard_config_formatter<_C> > my_type;

---

So I'm referencing standard_config_formatter from within standard_config_formatter. This seems to cause problems as VC++7 (6 would probably crash compiling this ;) ) gives me an error whenever I try using this typedef:

Code:

---

        int get_int_prop(const my_type::string_type &name) {

---

The error is:

Quote:

---

d:\work\daten\c++\fwrite\config.h(299) : error C2027: use of undefined type 'config_files::basic_configfile<_C,_Formatter>'
with
[
_C=char,
_Formatter=config_files::standard_config_formatter<char>
]

---

which seems strange to be because standard_config_formatter is the undefined type, not basic_configfile.

Anyone has an idea as to why this error occurs? I've got an idea to solve it, but it would take away some of the elegance of the code.

edit: The idea worked.

Here are the whole files for anyone who is interested.

What was the idea?

Your code looked a bit funky (parent class instantiating one of its own children? eek, tell me im dreaming!)

=)

Z.

The idea is to inject code into the class.
And it's not instantiating it, it only has a reference.

*looks closer*
puh, so it does...

Z.

:D

Ok, so it's not good OOP design. But it's IMO good C++ design ;)