expression must be modified lvalue - c++

class Base
{
private:
int _b;
public:
Base();
Base(int b);
virtual void display();
//Assignment operator overload.
Base& operator=(const Base&);
};
Base::Base()
{
_b = 0;
}
Base::Base(int b)
{
_b = b;
}
void Base::display()
{
cout<<"base value := "<<_b<<endl;
}
Base& Base::operator=(const Base& ob)
{
//Check for self-assignment.
if(this != &ob)
{
this->_b = ob._b;
}
return *this;
}
class Derived : public Base
{
private:
int _d;
public:
Derived();
Derived(int d);
void display();
//Assignment operator overload.
Derived & operator=(const Derived& ob);
};
Derived::Derived() : Base()
{
_d = 0;
}
Derived::Derived(int d) : Base(d)
{
_d = d;
}
void Derived::display()
{
cout<<"Derived value := "<<_d<<endl;
}
Derived & Derived::operator=(const Derived& ob)
{
if(this != &ob)
{
this->_d = ob._d;
}
return *this;
}
int main()
{
Derived d1(10),d2(),d3;
//How d2 becomes lvalue and not d3 above.
d2 = d1;//Error :: expression must be modified lvalue.
//d2.display();
d3 = d1;
return 0;
}

Derived d2();
is treated as function declaration. Do this :-
Derived d1(10),d2,d3;
d2 = d1; /////ahaa it's working

The problem is your 'd2()'. The statement d2() does not create a derived object called d2 like you think it does. The correct options are:
Derived d2;
Derived d2 = Derived();
Derived d2(0); // or any other integer
The statement
Derived d2();
tells the compiler that you are defining a function which takes no arguments and returns the type Derived.
See here for a longer explanation:
error: request for member '..' in '..' which is of non-class type

Related

How to make this operator= overload work?

I was experimenting with making the operator= be virtual, like so:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
class Base {
public:
std::string field1;
Base(std::string str) : field1(str) {}
virtual Base& operator=(const Base& other)
{
field1 = other.field1;
return *this;
}
};
class Derived : public Base {
public:
std::string field2;
Derived(std::string str1, std::string str2) : Base(str1), field2(str2) {}
virtual Derived& operator=(const Derived& other) override
{
Base::operator=(other);
field2 = other.field2;
return *this;
}
};
However, this gives a compiler error, because the Derived function is not actually overloading anything, the signatures are different.
Is it possible to override the operator= to write code like this?
Base* ptr = new Derived("old 1", "old 2");
Derived derived("new 1", "new 2");
*ptr = derived; // <- use the derived class operator= to assign both field1 and field2
This operator
virtual Derived& operator=(const Derived& other);
does not override the copy assignment operator declared in the base class.
You have to write
Derived& operator=(const Base& other) override;
That is the type of the parameter shall be const Base &.
Here is a demonstrative program.
#include <iostream>
struct A
{
virtual A & operator =( const A & )
{
std::cout << "A::operator =\n";
return *this;
}
};
struct B : A
{
virtual B & operator =( const A &a ) override
{
A::operator =( a );
std::cout << "B::operator =\n";
return *this;
}
};
int main()
{
B b1;
A &rb1 = b1;
B b2;
b2 = rb1;
return 0;
}
Its output is
A::operator =
B::operator =

Polymorphic assignment operator from base and derived class

I would like to be able to copy either a derived or a base object to a derived object, and I would like the correct operator to be chosen polymorphically depending on the type of the copied object.
This code does not work, I would like b1 = (A&)b2; to use B & operator= (B const &other) because b2 is a B, but it uses B & operator= (A const &other):
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
class A {
public:
A & operator= (A const &other) {
// Here copy A members...
cout<<"A to A"<<endl;
return *this;
}
};
class B: public A {
public:
B & operator= (A const &other) {
A::operator=(other); // Copy A members.
cout<<"A to B"<<endl;
return *this;
}
B & operator= (B const &other) {
A::operator=(other); // Copy A members.
// Here copy B members...
cout<<"B to B"<<endl;
return *this;
}
};
int main()
{
B b1, b2;
A a2;
b1 = b2;
cout<<endl;
b1 = (A&)b2;
cout<<endl;
b1 = a2;
cout<<endl;
return 0;
}
I guess I have to make something virtual but I don't find how.
I would like to be able to copy either a derived or a base object to a derived object, That is a symptom of poor design.
It's better to strive for a design where the only the leaf-level classes in a class hierarchy are instantiable. This allows you to have clean, non-virtual, assignment operator functions deal only with objects of right type.
class A {
public:
// Make A uninstantiable.
virtual ~A() = 0;
A & operator= (A const &other) {
// Here copy A members...
cout<<"A to A"<<endl;
return *this;
}
};
class B: public A {
public:
// Not necessary.
// B & operator= (A const &other) { ... }
B & operator= (B const &other) {
A::operator=(other); // Copy A members.
// Here copy B members...
cout<<"B to B"<<endl;
return *this;
}
};

c++ abstract class copy constructor call makes error

My question is very similar like other's, but a bit different. I have a sample code:
class B1 {
private :
int * ptr;
public:
B1() : a{ 1 } { ptr = new int{ 2 }; }
B1(const B1& other) : a{ other.a } { ptr = new int{ *other.ptr }; }
~B1() { delete ptr; }
int a;
virtual void smthing() = 0;
};
class D : B1 {
public:
D(int i) : B1{} {}
D(const D& a) : B1{ a } {}
void smthing() { return; };
};
int main() {
D d { 3 };
D dd { d };
return 0;
}
I am using vs2015, and this code is works, but gives me error: object of abstract class type "B1" is not allowed...
If I remove this line D(const D& a) : B1{ a } {}, the base class copy constructor is called and there's no problem, but if I need the derived class copy constructor how can I make this work without error?
Thanks for the answer!

How should I call parent move constructor in diamond pattern?

Consider following diamond-like multiple inheritance:
class base;
class d1 : virtual public base;
class d2 : virtual public base
class d3 : public d1, public d2;
base is a move-only class (having a large move-only buffer). So are d1, d2 and d3. Move constructor of d1 and d2 call move constructor of the base.
Then what should do move constructor of d3? Calling both move-ctors of d1 and d2 results in crashs (since move constructor of base is called twice.
Here I have a minimum compilable instance of the problem:
#include <iostream>
struct moveonly {
moveonly(): data(nullptr) {}
moveonly(const moveonly &) = delete;
moveonly(moveonly &&other) {
this->data = other.data;
other.data = nullptr;
}
~moveonly() {
if(data)
delete[] data;
}
char *data;
};
class base {
public:
base() = default;
base(const base &) = delete;
base(base &&other) : d(std::move(other.d)) { }
virtual ~base() = default;
int a;
int b;
moveonly d;
};
class d1 : virtual public base {
public:
d1() = default;
d1(const base &) = delete;
d1(d1 &&other) : base(std::move(other)) { }
int x;
int y;
};
class d2 : virtual public base {
public:
d2() = default;
d2(const base &) = delete;
d2(d2 &&other) : base(std::move(other)) { }
int r;
int s;
};
class d3 : public d1, public d2 {
public:
d3() = default;
d3(const base &) = delete;
// What should I do here?
d3(d3 &&other) : d1(std::move(other)), d2(std::move(other)) { }
int p;
int q;
};
int main()
{
d3 child;
child.d.data = new char[1024];
for(size_t i = 0; i < 1024; ++i)
child.d.data[i] = i * 2;
d3 other_child = std::move(child);
for(size_t i = 0; i < 1024; ++i) {
std::cerr << other_child.d.data[i] << ' ';
}
std::cerr << std::endl;
return 0;
}
As with all virtual inheritance, the virtual bases are initialized by the most-derived object, so:
d3(d3 &&other)
: base(std::move(other)), // <== *you* initialize the base
d1(std::move(other)),
d2(std::move(other)) {}
What's wrong with asking the compiler to provide the implementation?
d3(d3 &&) = default; // I think this the best approach as it is less error pron .
You could write it out if you really wanted to:
d3(d3 &&other): base(std::move(other)), d1(std::move(other)), d2(std::move(other))
{
}

How does the abstract base class avoid the partial assignment?

As is talked about in Item 33 in "More Effective C++", the assignment problem is
//Animal is a concrete class
Lizard:public Animal{};
Chicken:public Animal{};
Animal* pa=new Lizard('a');
Animal* pb=new Lizard('b');
*pa=*pb;//partial assignment
However, if I define Animal as an abstract base class, we can also compile and run the sentence:*pa=*pb. Partial assignment problem is still there.
See my example:
#include <iostream>
class Ab{ private: int a;
double b;
public:
virtual ~Ab()=0;
};
Ab::~Ab(){}
class C:public Ab{
private:
int a;
double b;
};
class D:public Ab{
private:
int a;
double b;
};
int main()
{
Ab *pc=new C();
Ab *pd=new D();
*pc=*pd;
return 0;
}
Do I miss something? Then what's the real meaning of the abstract base class?
I got the answer by myself. I missed a code snippet in the book.
Use protected operator= in the base class to avoid *pa=*pb. Use abstract base class to avoid animal1=animal2.Then the only allowed expressions are lizard1=lizard2;chicken1=chicken2;
See the code below:
#include <iostream>
class Ab{
private:
int a;
double b;
public:
virtual ~Ab()=0;
protected: //!!!!This is the point
Ab& operator=(const Ab&){...}
};
Ab::~Ab(){}
class C:public Ab{
public:
C& operator=(const C&){...}
private:
int a;
double b;
};
class D:public Ab{
public:
D& operator=(const D&){...}
private:
int a;
double b;
};
int main()
{
Ab *pc=new C();
Ab *pd=new D();
*pc=*pd;
return 0;
}
The abstract base class cannot help in case of assignment because the base sub-object is not instantiated (what an abstract class would block) but is sliced off the derived object (i.e. the assignment is done between already existing base sub-objects).
To avoid the problem the only solution I can think to is
make the assignment virtual
check in the assignment that the source instance is of the correct type
In code
#include <iostream>
struct Base {
int bx;
Base(int bx) : bx(bx) {}
virtual Base& operator=(const Base& other) {
bx = other.bx;
return *this;
}
};
struct A : Base {
int x;
A(int bx, int x) : Base(bx), x(x) {}
A& operator=(const Base& other) {
const A& other_a = dynamic_cast<const A&>(other);
Base::operator=(other);
x = other_a.x;
return *this;
}
};
struct B : Base {
int x;
B(int bx, int x) : Base(bx), x(x) {}
B& operator=(const Base& other) {
const B& other_b = dynamic_cast<const B&>(other);
Base::operator=(other);
x = other_b.x;
return *this;
}
};
The dynamic_cast<const A&>(other) is the operation that will fail if the object passed to the assignment operator is not of the correct derived type (it can be a sub-derived object, but this should be logically ok for an assignment source).
As an example:
int main(int argc, const char *argv[]) {
Base *pa1 = new A(1, 2);
Base *pa2 = new A(3, 4);
Base *pb1 = new B(5, 6);
Base *pb2 = new B(7, 8);
*pa1 = *pa2; std::cout << pa1->bx << "/" << dynamic_cast<A*>(pa1)->x << "\n";
*pb1 = *pb2; std::cout << pb1->bx << "/" << dynamic_cast<B*>(pb1)->x << "\n";
std::cout << "Ok so far\n";
*pa1 = *pb1; // Runtime error here (bad cast)
return 0;
}
It doesn't matter that your base class has pure virtual functions because you haven't defined the operator= for any of the classes. So when the compiler sees this statement:
*pc=*pd;
where pc and pd are both of type Ab, it will call the default assignment operator for Ab, which will result in partial assignment. As in the following example, I get the output as "Abstract Base" which is from abstract base class:
class A {
public:
virtual void foo() =0;
virtual A& operator=(const A& rhs) {
std::cout << "Abstract Base";
return *this;
}
};
class B : public A {
public:
virtual void foo() {
std::cout << "b:foo";
}
};
class C : public A {
public:
virtual void foo() {
std::cout << "c:foo";
}
};
int main()
{
A* b = new B();
A* c = new C();
*b = *c;
return 0;
}
Since you have not handled the assignment operators in your classes, you land up in situation partial assignment as Scot clearly describes in his article.
You need to handle assignments in your classes. In current design default implicit assignment operator of Ab is called and thus all the properties of children class are lost.
To avoid this you should have an implementation like this:
class Ab{ private: int a;
double b;
public:
virtual ~Ab()=0;
virtual Ab& operator=(const Ab& rhs){cout<<"in Ab="<<endl;}
};
Ab::~Ab(){}
class C:public Ab{
C& operator=(const Ab& rhs){cout<<"in C="<<endl;
return operator=(dynamic_cast<const C&>(rhs)); }
C& operator=(const C& rhs){
cout<<"do somethin in C="<<endl;
}
private:
int a;
double b;
};
class D:public Ab{
D& operator=(const Ab& rhs){cout<<"in D="<<endl;
return operator=(dynamic_cast<const D&>(rhs)); }
D& operator=(const D& rhs){
cout<<"do somethin in D="<<endl;
}
private:
int a;
double b;
};