How to avoid #include dependency to external library

Question

If I\'m creating a static library with a header file such as this:

// Myfile.h

#include \"SomeHeaderFile.h\" // External library

Class MyClass
{

// My code

}         


        

Answer 1

Say the external header file contains the following:

external.h

class foo
{
public:
   foo();
};

And in your library you use foo:

myheader.h:

#include "external.h"

class bar
{
...
private:
   foo* _x;
};

To get your code to compile, all you have to do is to forward declare the foo class (after that you can remove the include):

class foo;

class bar
{
...
private:
   foo* _x;
};

You would then have to include external.h in your source file.