C++ using declaration

1

using can be used to introduce namespace members into other namespaces and block scopes, or introduce base class members into derived class definitions.

introduce namespace

#include<iostream>
#include<string>
using std::string;

int main()
{
	string str = "hello world";
	using std::cout;
	cout<<str;
}

introduce class member to derived class

#include <iostream>
struct B {
    virtual void f(int) { std::cout << "B::f\n"; }
    void g(char)        { std::cout << "B::g\n"; }
    void h(int)         { std::cout << "B::h\n"; }
 protected:
    int m; // B::m is protected
    typedef int value_type;
};
 
struct D : B {
    using B::m; // D::m is public
    using B::value_type; // D::value_type is public
 
    using B::f;
    void f(int) { std::cout << "D::f\n"; } // D::f(int) overrides B::f(int)
    using B::g;
    void g(int) { std::cout << "D::g\n"; } // both g(int) and g(char) are visible
                                           // as members of D
    using B::h;
    void h(int) { std::cout << "D::h\n"; } // D::h(int) hides B::h(int)
};
 
int main()
{
    D d;
    B& b = d;
 
//    b.m = 2; // error, B::m is protected
    d.m = 1; // protected B::m is accessible as public D::m
    b.f(1); // calls derived f()
    d.f(1); // calls derived f()
    d.g(1); // calls derived g(int)
    d.g('a'); // calls base g(char)
    b.h(1); // calls base h()
    d.h(1); // calls derived h()
}

Inheriting constructors

in the son class/struct we can use the type using base_name:base_name to use the father class/struct’s constructor function

struct B1 {  B1(int, ...) { } };
struct B2 {  B2(double)   { } };
 
int get();
 
struct D1 : B1 {
  using B1::B1;  // inherits B1(int, ...)
  int x;
  int y = get();
};
 
void test() {
  D1 d(2, 3, 4); // OK: B1 is initialized by calling B1(2, 3, 4),
                 // then d.x is default-initialized (no initialization is performed),
                 // then d.y is initialized by calling get()
  D1 e;          // Error: D1 has no default constructor
}
 
struct D2 : B2 {
  using B2::B2; // inherits B2(double)
  B1 b;
};
 
D2 f(1.0);       // error: B1 has no default constructor

can used in the chain inheriting constructor:

struct W { W(int); };
struct X : virtual W {
 using W::W;   // inherits W(int)
 X() = delete;
};
struct Y : X {
 using X::X;
};
struct Z : Y, virtual W {
  using Y::Y;
};
Z z(0); // OK: initialization of Y does not invoke default constructor of X

it also can be used in multiple base class but it is ill-formed

struct A { A(int); };
struct B : A { using A::A; };
struct C1 : B { using B::B; };
struct C2 : B { using B::B; };
 
struct D1 : C1, C2 {
  using C1::C1;
  using C2::C2;
};
D1 d1(0); // ill-formed: constructor inherited from different B base subobjects
 
struct V1 : virtual B { using B::B; };
struct V2 : virtual B { using B::B; };
 
struct D2 : V1, V2 {
  using V1::V1;
  using V2::V2;
};
D2 d2(0); // OK: there is only one B subobject.
          // This initializes the virtual B base class,
          //  which initializes the A base class
          // then initializes the V1 and V2 base classes
          //  as if by a defaulted default constructor

aliase

just like typedef,but it is more readable,suitable,can be used in templatea and so on.
The difference between using and typedef:using vs typedef
from the standard, they are equivalent:

---

A typedef-name can also be introduced by an alias-declaration. The identifier following the using keyword becomes a typedef-name and the optional attribute-specifier-seq following the identifier appertains to that typedef-name. It has the same semantics as if it were introduced by the typedef specifier. In particular, it does not define a new type and it shall not appear in the type-id.

---