273aefe0   
   From: PChapin@vtc.vsc.edu   
      
   On 2011-12-09 00:05, pjacobi wrote:   
      
   > When f is a private member of class Foo, then class Bar   
   > cannot declare Foo::f to be a function friend.   
   >   
   > Isn't this a bit strange? That function declaration would not give Bar   
   > access to Foo internals, just the other way around, as any friend   
   > declaration does.   
      
   The very existence of Foo::f is part of Foo's internals. Class Bar isn't   
   supposed to know that there is such a method as Foo::f. In particular,   
   the author of class Foo is free to change or remove Foo::f at their   
   whim. Such a change should not be a breaking change since Foo::f is   
   private. Yet if class Bar could name Foo::f that code would fail to   
   compile after Foo::f is removed.   
      
   Peter   
      
      
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