Re: [boost] Question about leading underscores

From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-06-22 18:40:27

At 06:40 PM 6/22/2001, Greg Colvin wrote:

 >The safe rule is not to use leading underscores, although I
 >think those above are technically OK, if useless.

Why?  Lots of programmers (me included) use a single leading underscore in 
private member names.  It never causes any problems, and is completely 
standard conforming.

That choice was based in an experiment some years ago trying several 
candidates (including none, trailing underscore, and some others I can't 
remember.)   Leading underscore won.

--Beman

 >17.4.3.1.2  Global names                            [lib.global.names]
 >
 >1 Certain sets of names and function signatures are always  reserved  to
 >  the implementation:
 >
 >  --Each  name  that  contains a double underscore __) or begins with an
 >    underscore followed by an uppercase letter (_lex.key_)  is  reserved
 >    to the implementation for any use.
 >
 >  --Each  name  that begins with an underscore is reserved to the imple-
 >    mentation for use as a name in the global namespace.22)
 >
 >  _________________________
 >  22)  Such  names  are  also  reserved  in  namespace  ::std  (_lib.re-
 >  served.names_).