Question

What is the correct syntax to use template parameters of a template class argument in another template class?

For example: How can I access X and Y of class Param in class Foo?

Program:

template < template < int, int > class X1>
struct Foo {
int foo() {
printf("ok%d %d\n", X1::X, X1::Y);
return 0;
}};

template < int X, int Y >
class Param {
int x,y;
public:
Param(){x=X; y=Y;}
void printParam(){
cout<<x<<" "<<y<<"\n";
}
};

int main() {
Param<10, 20> p;
p.printParam();
Foo< Param > tt;
tt.foo();
return 0;
}

As such for the above code, for the printf statement compiler complains:

In member function 'int Foo<X1>::foo()':
Line 4: error: 'template<int <anonymous>, int <anonymous> > class X1' used without template parameters
compilation terminated due to -Wfatal-errors.

Answer 1

You can’t. The template template parameter means that you take a template name without supplied template arguments.

Foo< Param > tt;

Here you can see that no values are supplied for Param. You’d take a template template parameter so that Foo itself could instantiate Params with any arguments it likes.

Example:

template < template < int, int > class X1>
struct Foo {

    X1<1, 2> member;

    X1<42, 100> foo();
};

template <int N, int P> struct A {};

template <int X, int Y> struct B {};

Foo<A> a_foo;  //has a member of type A<1, 2>, foo returns A<42, 100>
Foo<B> b_foo; //has a member of type B<1, 2>, foo returns B<42, 100>

---

But if you want your Foo to output those integers, it has to take real types, not templates. Secondly, the names of the template arguments (X and Y) are only meaningful where they are in scope. They are otherwise completely arbitrary identifiers. You can retrieve the values with simple metaprogramming:

#include <cstdio>

template <class T>
struct GetArguments;

//partial specialization to retrieve the int parameters of a T<int, int>
template <template <int, int> class T, int A, int B>
struct GetArguments<T<A, B> >
{
   enum {a = A, b = B};
};
//this specialization also illustrates another use of template template parameters:
//it is used to pick out types that are templates with two int arguments

template <class X1>
struct Foo {
  int foo() {
    printf("ok%d %d\n", GetArguments<X1>::a, GetArguments<X1>::b);
    return 0;
  }
};

template < int X, int Y >
class Param {
public:
   void print();
};

//this is to illustrate X and Y are not essential part of the Param template
//in this method definition I have chosen to call them something else
template <int First, int Second> 
void Param<First, Second>::print()
{
   printf("Param<%d, %d>\n", First, Second);
}

int main() {

    Foo< Param<10, 20> > tt;
    tt.foo();
    Param<10, 20> p;
    p.print();
    return 0;
}