Open In App

Cons of using the whole namespace in C++

Improve
Improve
Improve
Like Article
Like
Save Article
Save
Share
Report issue
Report

A namespace is a declarative region that provides a scope to the identifiers (the names of types, functions, variables, etc) inside it. Namespaces are used to organise code into logical groups and to prevent name collisions that can occur especially when your code base includes multiple libraries.

Please refer need of namespace in C++ for details.

Suppose we need two header files for a software project :
1: Header1.h
      -namespace one

2: Header2.h
      -namespace two

C++ Code :

Header1.h :




namespace one
{
    /*Function to print name of the namespace*/
    void print()
    {
        std :: cout << "This is one" << std :: endl;
    }
}


Header2.h




namespace two
{
    /*Function to print name of the namespace*/
    void print()
    {
        std :: cout << "This is two" << std :: endl;
    }
}


Source code file




/*Including headers*/
#include <iostream>
#include "Header1.h"
#include "Header2.h"
  
/*Using namespaces*/
using namespace std;
using namespace one;
using namespace two;
  
/*Driver code*/
int main()
{
    /*Ambiguity*/
    print();
}


Output:

Error: Call of overloaded print() is ambiguous.

To overcome this situation, we use namespace objects independently
through scope resolution operator.

Source code file




/*Including headers*/
#include <iostream>
#include "Header1.h"
#include "Header2.h"
  
/*Driver code*/
int main()
{
    /*Using function of first header*/
    one :: print();
      
    /*Using function of second function*/
    two :: print();
}


Reference :
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/beginner/25538/
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1452721/why-is-using-namespace-std-considered-bad-practice

Advance sub-domains of namespace :https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/namespace-in-c-set-2-extending-namespace-and-unnamed-namespace/https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/namespace-c-set-3-creating-header-nesting-aliasing-accessing/

GeeksforGeeks Namespace archive



Last Updated : 15 Jun, 2017
Like Article
Save Article
Previous
Next
Share your thoughts in the comments
Similar Reads