Explicit direct #include vs. Non-contractual transitive #include

Question

Say we have this header file:

MyClass.hpp

#pragma once
#include 

class MyClass
{
public:
    MyClass(double);

    /* ... */

private:
            


        

Answer 1

Yes, the using file should include explicitly, as that is a dependency it needs.

However, I wouldn't fret. If someone refactors MyClass.hpp to remove the include, the compiler will point them at every single file that was lacking the explicit include, relying on the implicit include. It is usually a no-brainer to fix this type of errors, and once the code compiles again, some of the missing explicit includes will have been fixed.

In the end, the compiler is much more efficient at spotting missing includes than any human being.