Question abou templates

[grscot]

Dear all,
I have two functions:

a) Member* get_member(Book* book);
b)Book* get_book(Member* member);

The implementation code for the function prototypes is:

a)

template<class Book,class Member>
Member* AssociationList<Book,Member>::get_member(Book* book)
{
     Member* member=0;
     bool searching=true;
     int index=0;

     while(searching)
     {
      if (this->association_list[index])
        if (this->association_list[index]->linked_book()  ==book)
        {
          member=this->association_list[index]->linked_member();
          searching=false;
        }
        else
          index++;
      else
        index++;
     if (searching && (index == LIST_SIZE))
     {
      searching=false;
     }
   }
 return member;
}

b)

template<class Book,class Member>
Book* AssociationList<Book,Member>::get_book(Member* member)
{
   Book* book=0;
   bool searching=true;
   int index=0;

   while(searching)
   {
    if (this->association_list[index])
      if (this->association_list[index]->linked_member()==member)
      {
        book=this->association_list[index]->linked_book();
        searching=false;
      }
     else
        index++;
    else
  index++;
  if (searching && (index == LIST_SIZE))
  {
    searching = false;
  }
 }
return book;
}

All I want to do is use one generic function for the two, so that from the main.cpp:

void main()
{
   List<Member>member1;
   List<Book>book1;
   char menuChoice;
   do
   {
    cin>>menuChoice;
    switch(menuChoice)
    {
     case '1': cout<<'\n';
     book1.addElement(&quot;Books&quot;);
     break;
     case '2': cout<<'\n';
     break;
     case '3': cout<<'\n';
     book1.displayElement(&quot;Books&quot;);
     break;
     case '4': cout<<'\n';
     /*member1.addElement(&quot;Member&quot;);*/
     break;
     case '5': cout<<'\n';
     break;
     case '6': cout<<'\n';
     /*member1.displayElement(&quot;Member&quot;);*/
     break;
     case '7': cout<<'\n';
    //book1.borrowElement();
    break;
    case '8': cout<<'\n';
    //book1.returnElement();
    break;
    default: cout<<'\n';
    cout<<&quot;Invalid Selection\n&quot;;
   }
}while(menuChoice != '0' && !cin.eof());
}

...to call each one and dispaly either the books from a book array or the members from a member array.
The'display' implementation code is:

template<class Object>
void List<Object>::displayElement(char* type)
{
   if (num_elements == 0)
   cout<<&quot;No &quot;<<type<<&quot; is found in the &quot;<<type<<&quot; array.\n&quot;;
   else
     for(int element=0; element<this->num_elements; element++)
    {
       cout<<'\n';
       this->element_list[element]->display(association_list.get_member(element_list[element]));
    }
}

But I'm having some errors trying to use

template<class R,class P>
R* get_member(P* pArg); instead of using the a,b function prototypes. The 'generic' function that I use and causes the problems is:
template<class R,class P>
R* AssociationList<Book,Member>::get_member(P* pArg)
{
    R* member=0;
    bool searching=true;
    int index=0;

    while(searching)
    {
      if (this->association_list[index])
        if (this->association_list[index]->linked_book()==book)
        {
            member=this->association_list[index]->linked_member();
            searching=false;
        }
        else
            index++;
      else
         index++;
    if (searching && (index == LIST_SIZE))
    {
         searching=false;
     }
   }
return member;
}

The errors are:

 'AssociationList<class Book, class      Member>::get_member':unable to resolve function overload
 and the second one is:
 template definitions cannot nest(??)

Could someone help me?
Regards,
grscot

 

[grscot]

Please do not be bothered any more with this question.

I have posted a new one under the title:
'Can I use 1 template function instead of 2?'

grscot