Re: [gentoo-dev] Need some c++ help here please:

[Thomas M. Beaudry]

>> #include <iostream>
>> using namespace std;
>> int main(){
>>       cout << "Hello World" << endl;
>>       return(0);
>> }
>
>
> according to the ml posts I've read this is bad practice and one
> should use std::cout whenever/wherever there is need of it.  I'm
> good at bad practice though ;)

That's people getting carried away with a rule-of-thumb and taking
it to it's black-and-white extreme while forgetting the whole reason
for the rule in the first place.

The more namespaces you have, the more likely you are to confuse
them, thus the rule that objects should be expressed in their
namespace prefixed form.  No problem there.

But what is the point in the above example?  None and the "using
namespace" form works just fine.  In fact it could be the prefered
form on a large program with a simple namespace schema.  The reason
for this is the simple fact that working memory can only hold on
average 12 items.  By not having the objects prefixed with their
namespace you can hold more code in working memory when, for example,
debugging, making the job easier on you.

-- 
Thomas M. Beaudry
k8la / ys1ztm

If at first you don't succeed, work for Microsoft.