Question

I have some code that has a dynamic-class system in C++ that has a member called GetClassName(), a rather harmless name one would imagine. However when included in a large project with Windows headers all hell broke loose. Apparently Windows uses a #define GetClassName (GetClassNameA or GetClassNameW) which screws up everything, and my virtual call tree became all messed up making me lose a day in stupid compiler debugging in the dark, trying to figure out what was wrong.

So besides the point that I’m cursing Microsoft for using such a horribly easy to clash name for a #define (I mean someone should honestly be shot for this!) I’m asking for 3 purposes.

1. What’s another good name for GetClassName() ?
2. Is there anyway to fix this, so in the future, other developers of my code base won’t suffer similar fate
3. And for posterity when someone else encounters this similarly inexplicable error

Answer 1

I would rename the method.

Of course one can say

#include <windows.h> #undef GetClassName 

but it is not clean, users of one’s code should remember to write ::GetClassNameW when they call win32 function.

One can provide GetClassNameA and GetClassNameW methods in his class, but it’s plain ugly.

I see two approaches : either lengthen or shorten the name:)

1) add a prefix for all functions in the subsystem, f.e TI_ (for type info):

TI_GetClassName()  TI_GetBaseClass()  TI_IsDerivedFromClass() etc   

2) or put them into some IClass interface

interface IClass { GetName(); GetBase();  IsDerivedFrom(); etc 

and return that interface from single method,
so that GetClassName() becomes

GetClass()->GetName()