example sources in both Python and C++

[Bill McClain]

> >      * Template arguments cannot be local types. That means STL
> >        containers must use types declared at the outer scope, which
> >        is ugly.
> Wait, what?
> Explain what you mean, this is confusing.
> If you mean you can only use types in the outermost, or global scope,
> as template arguments, your compiler is severely broken.

Try this on your compiler and tell me what happens:

***********
#include <list>

class Legal {
    int a;
    };
    
int main() {
    class Illegal {
        int a;
        };
        
    list<Legal> ok;         // compiles
    list<Illegal> nogood;   // does not compile
    return 0;
    }

// g++
// temp.cpp:13: type `main()::Illegal' composed from a local type is not a valid template-argument

// VMS
// %CXX-E-LOCALTYPTMPLARG, a template argument may not reference a local type
// at line number 13 in file CTS_DEVELOPER:[WMCCLAIN]TEMP.CPP;1
***********

I'm too tired to turn on NT to try VC++.

-Bill