Accessing multiple instances of a class in C++ - c++

Question

I am creating a menu for a restaurant that can have 5 dishes of each category. So far I have created a class for meat dishes and I'm able to add up to 5 dishes, each with a unique identifier. What I am having trouble with is accessing the objects after they have been created.
(There will be multiple categories hence why there is a switch statement with only one case so far).
For example, how would I implement a way to change the description of the second dish?
Here is my code so far:
meat.h
class Meat{
private:
int meatNumber;
std::string meatCategory;
std::string meatDescription[MAX_ITEMS];
double meatPrice[MAX_ITEMS];
public:
Meat();
//setter functions
int setMeatNumber();
std::string setMeatDescription();
double setMeatPrice();
//getter functions
int getMeatNumber();
std::string getMeatCategory();
std::string getMeatDescription(int i);
double getMeatPrice(int i);
};
meat.cpp
#include "Meat.h"
//constructor
Meat::Meat() {
meatNumber = 0;
meatCategory = "Meat";
meatDescription[MAX_ITEMS] = "No description written.";
meatPrice[MAX_ITEMS] = 0.0;
}
//setter functions
int Meat::setMeatNumber(){
static int counter = 1;
meatNumber = counter++;
}
std::string Meat::setMeatDescription(){
int i = 0;
std::cout << "Please enter a short description: " << std::endl;
std::cin >> meatDescription[i];
return meatDescription[i];
}
double Meat::setMeatPrice(){
int i = 0;
std::cout << "Please set the price in a 00.00 format: " << std::endl;
std::cout << "£";
while(!(std::cin >> meatPrice[i])){
std::cin.ignore(std::numeric_limits<std::streamsize>::max(), '\n');
std::cout << "Error. Please enter a number: ";
}
return meatPrice[i];
}
//getter functions
int Meat::getMeatNumber() { return meatNumber; }
std::string Meat::getMeatCategory() { return meatCategory; }
std::string Meat::getMeatDescription(int i) {return meatDescription[i]; }
double Meat::getMeatPrice(int i) { return meatPrice[i]; }
main.cpp
#include <iostream>
#include "Meat.h"
int main() {
int choice;
std::cout << "Menu Creation Terminal\n\n" << std::endl;
std::cout << "\t Welcome\nto Wrapid™ Restaurants\n\n" << std::endl;
std::cout << "1. Add Meat Dish\n2. Add Fish Dish\n3. Add Vegetarian Dish\n4. Add Drink\n"
"5. Edit Current Menu\n6. Quit\n\n" << std::endl;
std::cout << "Please select an option: ";
std::cin >> choice;
switch (choice) {
case 1:
{
int option = true;
int count = 0, i;
Meat meatDish;
std::cout << "Meat Dishes" << std::endl;
while (true) {
meatDish.setMeatNumber();
meatDish.setMeatDescription();
meatDish.setMeatPrice();
//functions to add details to dish
std::cout << "You have added the following dish: " << std::endl;
std::cout << "Item number: \n" << meatDish.getMeatNumber() << std::endl;
std::cout << "Item Category: \n " << meatDish.getMeatCategory() << std::endl;
std::cout << "Item Description: \n" << meatDish.getMeatDescription(i) << std::endl;
std::cout << "Item Price: \n £" << meatDish.getMeatPrice(i) << std::endl;
std::cout << "Would you like to add another item? Press 1 for yes or 2 for no: " << std::endl;
std::cin >> option;
count += 1;
if (count == 5) {
std::cout << "Error. Exceeded maximum items.";
break;
} //breaks out of loop if more than 5 items
if (option == 2) { break; } //breaks out of loop when user is finished adding items
}//while loop to contain menu
}//brace for scope of case 1
}
return 0;
}

Answer 1

As you are using c++ class Meat you can use [] to instantiate N items
for example 5 objects
Meat meats[5];
If you want to modify 2nd object then
meats[1].setMeatDescription(<pass argument>);
You need to change that method using this keyword
this->meatDescription = <pass argument>;
No need to create meatDescription[] as an array
use this code https://pastebin.com/bCkzbFZV you can use meats[i].getMeatDescription()

Answer 2

You could create a new class called DishesContainer. This class could have :
a private std::vector => it will hold every instance
a public function to create a new dish
a public function to change any type of value inside a dish meat.
For exemple to change the description
class DishContainer{
public:
void ChangeDescription(int indexMeat, std::string newDescription){
meats_[indexMeat].setMeatDescription(newDescription);
}
private:
std::vector<Meat> meats_;
}