[Const-me]

> what's the practical difference between NS::foo() and NS_foo() with regards to preventing name collisions.

They both do the job. There’re 2 practical differences.

1. You can write `using namespace` inside functions or the whole .cpp files. This often makes the consuming code more readable.

2. Sometimes you want to replace implementations. With prefixes it gonna be massive changes likely to introduce new bugs. With namespaces, replace `using std::vector` with `using eastl::vector` and you’re done.

> Even more often, I want to iterate over the values of an enum.

I only need to do that rarely. When I do, I cast types like this:

    enum struct eParamKind : uint8_t
    {
        Bla, Blub, Foo, valuesCount
    };
    for( uint8_t i = 0; i < (uint8_t)eParamKind::valuesCount; i++ )
    {
        const eParamKind pk = (eParamKind)i;
        // Whatever
    }

> I won't let programming ergonomics be ruined in the name of "type safety".

I disagree on ergonomics. VS makes much easier to consume API with strongly typed enums: ePar<Ctrl+Space>::f<Enter>, to type eParamKind::Foo It’s similar with namespaces versus prefixes BTW, IDE will first auto-complete the namespace, then only list members of that namespace once you type the `::`

Update: another C++ feature relevant for game development is overloaded operators. Games often do non-trivial amount of math on small vectors, matrices and quaternions. Overloaded operators make sense for them.

[jstimpfle]

Code completion works very well with plain identifiers. No need for namespaces.

> replace `using std::vector` with `using eastl::vector` and you’re done.

The pipe dream of reusability.. If I ever happen to be in a situation where that will work, I'll happily use a text replace to change my identifiers. Or just link a different library if it has the same names.

[Const-me]

> Code completion works very well with plain identifiers.

It doesn’t on my PC.

I’ve copy-pasted C enum from your example, when I type FPG<Ctrl+Space> there’s no way to auto-complete just the FPGAPARAM_ part, to be able to then press F to get FPGAPARAM_FOO. Using VC2017 here, with latest Visual Assist.

Which C++ IDE are you using?

> The pipe dream of reusability.

Did it more than once.

Here’s one open source project where I’ve replaced most parts of the C++ standard library with EASTL: https://github.com/Const-me/vis_avs_dx

Here’s my header-only C++ library which allows users to switch between 16-bytes/32-bytes wide SIMD by using different C++ namespace, either Intrinsics::Sse or Intrinsics::Avx: https://github.com/Const-me/IntelIntrinsics/

[jstimpfle]

I use VS at work, and I'm very happy with its code completions (except that the auto-popup behaviour is so unreliable or at least unintuitive. I'm sure there is an option to turn that off). I'm not aware of a way to complete to the largest prefix that is common to all completions, although something like that would be rather easy implement, too.