Boost.Format's basic_format class template defines five public and two private member types, using a mix of four different naming conventions!
[an extract from boost/format/format_class.hpp]
// in namespace boost
template <class Ch, class Tr, class Alloc>
class basic_format
{
private:
typedef typename io::CompatTraits<Tr>::compatible_type compat_traits;
typedef io::detail::stream_format_state<Ch, Tr> stream_format_state;
public:
typedef Ch CharT;
typedef std::basic_string<Ch, Tr, Alloc> string_type;
typedef typename string_type::size_type size_type;
typedef io::detail::format_item<Ch, Tr, Alloc> format_item_t;
typedef io::basic_altstringbuf<Ch, Tr, Alloc> internal_streambuf_t;
In Extended STL, volume 1: Collections and Iterators I recommend the use of the following naming convention for member types:
- For public member types that share names with standard components that have the same logical purpose, follow the standard convention and use the standard name. An example would be iterator.
- For public member types that are not covered by clause 1, use the _type suffix. An example would be char_type.
- For private member types, use the _type_ suffix. An example would be compat_traits_type_.
- For public API (non-member) types use the _t suffix. An example would be pan_char_t.
- For non-public/implementation API (non-member) types use the _t_ suffix. An example would be b64ErrorString_t_.
I've been using this for many years without a blip. I can read my code, even some years later, and understand what's a type and what isn't and also, importantly, which types are for consumption in the outside world and which are internal to the component. Q.E.D.
