Alternative to forward declarations when you don't want to #include

//-----------------------
// foo.h
//-----------------------
class foo
{
   foo();
   ~foo();
};


//-----------------------
// bar.h
//-----------------------

class foo; // forward declaration

class bar
{
   bar();
   ~bar();

   foo* foo_pointer;
};

//-----------------------
// foo.h
//-----------------------
class foo
{
   foo();
   ~foo();
};


//-----------------------
// bar.h
//-----------------------

class foo;       // Not enough given the way we declare "foo_object"..
#include "foo.h" // ..instead this is required

class bar
{
   bar();
   ~bar();

   foo foo_object;
};

//-----------------------
// bar.h
//-----------------------

#include <memory>
class foo;       // Not enough given the way we declare "foo_object"..

class bar
{
public:
   bar();
   ~bar();

   foo &foo_object() { return *foo_ptr; }
   const foo &foo_object() const { return *foo_ptr; }

private:
   auto_ptr<foo> foo_ptr;
};

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Foo;

template <typename T>
class DefaultConstuctorPtr
{
    T *ptr;
    void operator =(const DefaultConstuctorPtr &);
    DefaultConstuctorPtr(const DefaultConstuctorPtr &);

public:
    DefaultConstuctorPtr() : ptr(new T()) {}
    ~DefaultConstuctorPtr() { delete ptr; }

    T *operator *() { return ptr; }
    const T *operator *() const { return ptr; }
};

class Bar
{
    DefaultConstuctorPtr<Foo> foo_ptr;
public:
    Bar() {} // The compiler should really need Foo() to be defined here?
};

class Foo
{
public:
    Foo () { cout << "Constructing foo"; }
};

int main()
{
    Bar bar;
}

template<typename Type>
struct member {
    boost::shared_ptr<Type> ptr;
    member(): ptr(new Type) { }
};

struct foo;
struct bar {
    bar();
    ~bar();

    // automatic management for m
    member<foo> m;
};

// bar.h
class foo;

class bar {
    foo& foo_;

public:
    bar();
    ~bar();
};

// bar.cc
bar::bar() : foo_(*new foo)
{
    // ...
}

bar::~bar()
{
    // ...
    delete &foo_;
}

template<class T>
class myAuto
{
    private:
        T * obj;

    public:
        myAuto() : obj(new T) {  }
        ~myAuto() { delete obj; }
        T& object() { return *obj; }
        T* operator ->() { return obj; }
};

// foo.h:
class foo
{
    public:
        foo();
        ~foo();
        void some_foo_func();
};

//bar.h:
class foo;
class bar
{
    public:
       bar();
       ~bar();
       myAuto<foo> foo_object;
};

//main.cc:
#include "foo.h"
#include "bar.h"

int main()
{
    bar a_bar;

    a_bar.foo_object->some_foo_func();

    return 0;
}

//-----------------------
// foo.h
//-----------------------
class foo
{
    foo();
    ~foo();
};


//-----------------------
// bar.h
//-----------------------

class foo;

class bar
{
private:
    struct impl;
    boost::shared_ptr<impl> impl_;
public:
    bar();

    const foo& get_foo() const;
};

//-----------------------
// bar.cpp
//-----------------------
#include "bar.h"
#include "foo.h"

struct bar::impl
{
    foo foo_object;
    ...
}

bar::bar() :
impl_(new impl)
{
}

const foo& bar::get_foo() const
{
    return impl_->foo_object;
}