Hello everybody, I wrote 2 simple template functions for printing the content of arrays which model boost::multi_array. Template functions are necessary to be independent of the exact array type (multi_array_ref, subarrays, array_views and so on), dimension and element type. Here is the corresponding code snippet: ------------------------------------------------------- #include <cstddef> #include <iostream> #include <string> #include <boost/multi_array.hpp> template <typename T, std::size_t Dim, template <typename, std::size_t> class ArrayType> std::ostream& print(const ArrayType<T, Dim>& ma, std::ostream& os); template <typename T, template <typename, std::size_t> class ArrayType> std::ostream& print(const ArrayType<T, 1>& ma, std::ostream& os); template <typename T, template <typename, std::size_t> class ArrayType> inline std::ostream& print(const ArrayType<T, 1>& ma, std::ostream& os) { os << "| "; typename boost::multi_array<T, 1>::size_type ma_size = ma.size(); for (typename boost::multi_array<T, 1>::size_type i = 0 ; i < ma_size; i++) os << ma[i] << ' '; return os; } template <typename T, std::size_t Dim, template <typename, std::size_t> class ArrayType> inline std::ostream& print(const ArrayType<T, Dim>& ma, std::ostream& os) { os << std::string(Dim, '|') << ' '; typename boost::multi_array<T, Dim>::size_type ma_size = ma.size(); for (typename boost::multi_array<T, Dim>::size_type i = 0 ; i < ma_size; i++) { typename ArrayType<T, Dim>::const_reference row = ma[i]; print(row, os); } return os; } int main(int argc, char** argv) { boost::multi_array<unsigned int, 3> test(boost::extents[4][4][4]); for (unsigned int i = 0; i < 4; i++) for (unsigned int j = 0; j < 4; j++) for (unsigned int k = 0; k < 4; k++) test[i][j][k] = k; print(test, std::cout); std::cout << std::endl; print(test[0], std::cout); std::cout << std::endl; return 0; }; ------------------------------------------------------- The code compiles fine under Linux (Suse 9.1, gcc3.3.3) and upon execution produces the following (expected) output: ||| || | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 || | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 || | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 || | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 || | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 | 0 1 2 3 However, compiling the above code with VC7.1 produces 5 errors caused by the wrong deduction of the template parameters (the corresponding build-log is attached - unfortunately only in german language because I do not have an english VC version available, but its highly technical stuff anyway). VC7 always deduces the 'ArrayType'-type for the template function wrong. The type VC7 uses for an instantiation is the direct base class (e.g. multi_array_ref instead of multi_array) instead of the actual argument type and in the end tries to call nonexistent member-functions and constructors. A search in the microsoft compiler-documentation didn't reveal a solution for my problem. So, is this a known bug/error/problem of VC7 and does anybody know an elegant workaround???? Thanks in advance!! Regards, Thomas