Related
Why can't I do this?
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(), a(0), b(0)
{
}
};
You can't initialize a and b in B because they are not members of B. They are members of A, therefore only A can initialize them. You can make them public, then do assignment in B, but that is not a recommended option since it would destroy encapsulation. Instead, create a constructor in A to allow B (or any subclass of A) to initialize them:
class A
{
protected:
A(int a, int b) : a(a), b(b) {} // Accessible to derived classes
// Change "protected" to "public" to allow others to instantiate A.
private:
int a, b; // Keep these variables private in A
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0, 0) // Calls A's constructor, initializing a and b in A to 0.
{
}
};
Leaving aside the fact that they are private, since a and b are members of A, they are meant to be initialized by A's constructors, not by some other class's constructors (derived or not).
Try:
class A
{
int a, b;
protected: // or public:
A(int a, int b): a(a), b(b) {}
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(0, 0) {}
};
Somehow, no one listed the simplest way:
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B()
{
a = 0;
b = 0;
}
};
You can't access base members in the initializer list, but the constructor itself, just as any other member method, may access public and protected members of the base class.
# include<stdio.h>
# include<iostream>
# include<conio.h>
using namespace std;
class Base{
public:
Base(int i, float f, double d): i(i), f(f), d(d)
{
}
virtual void Show()=0;
protected:
int i;
float f;
double d;
};
class Derived: public Base{
public:
Derived(int i, float f, double d): Base( i, f, d)
{
}
void Show()
{
cout<< "int i = "<<i<<endl<<"float f = "<<f<<endl <<"double d = "<<d<<endl;
}
};
int main(){
Base * b = new Derived(10, 1.2, 3.89);
b->Show();
return 0;
}
It's a working example in case you want to initialize the Base class data members present in the Derived class object, whereas you want to push these values interfacing via Derived class constructor call.
Why can't you do it? Because the language doesn't allow you to initializa a base class' members in the derived class' initializer list.
How can you get this done? Like this:
class A
{
public:
A(int a, int b) : a_(a), b_(b) {};
int a_, b_;
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0,0)
{
}
};
While this is usefull in rare cases (if that was not the case, the language would've allowed it directly), take a look at the Base from Member idiom. It's not a code free solution, you'd have to add an extra layer of inheritance, but it gets the job done. To avoid boilerplate code you could use boost's implementation
Aggregate classes, like A in your example(*), must have their members public, and have no user-defined constructors. They are intialized with initializer list, e.g. A a {0,0}; or in your case B() : A({0,0}){}. The members of base aggregate class cannot be individually initialized in the constructor of the derived class.
(*) To be precise, as it was correctly mentioned, original class A is not an aggregate due to private non-static members
Why can't I do this?
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(), a(0), b(0)
{
}
};
You can't initialize a and b in B because they are not members of B. They are members of A, therefore only A can initialize them. You can make them public, then do assignment in B, but that is not a recommended option since it would destroy encapsulation. Instead, create a constructor in A to allow B (or any subclass of A) to initialize them:
class A
{
protected:
A(int a, int b) : a(a), b(b) {} // Accessible to derived classes
// Change "protected" to "public" to allow others to instantiate A.
private:
int a, b; // Keep these variables private in A
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0, 0) // Calls A's constructor, initializing a and b in A to 0.
{
}
};
Leaving aside the fact that they are private, since a and b are members of A, they are meant to be initialized by A's constructors, not by some other class's constructors (derived or not).
Try:
class A
{
int a, b;
protected: // or public:
A(int a, int b): a(a), b(b) {}
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(0, 0) {}
};
Somehow, no one listed the simplest way:
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B()
{
a = 0;
b = 0;
}
};
You can't access base members in the initializer list, but the constructor itself, just as any other member method, may access public and protected members of the base class.
# include<stdio.h>
# include<iostream>
# include<conio.h>
using namespace std;
class Base{
public:
Base(int i, float f, double d): i(i), f(f), d(d)
{
}
virtual void Show()=0;
protected:
int i;
float f;
double d;
};
class Derived: public Base{
public:
Derived(int i, float f, double d): Base( i, f, d)
{
}
void Show()
{
cout<< "int i = "<<i<<endl<<"float f = "<<f<<endl <<"double d = "<<d<<endl;
}
};
int main(){
Base * b = new Derived(10, 1.2, 3.89);
b->Show();
return 0;
}
It's a working example in case you want to initialize the Base class data members present in the Derived class object, whereas you want to push these values interfacing via Derived class constructor call.
Why can't you do it? Because the language doesn't allow you to initializa a base class' members in the derived class' initializer list.
How can you get this done? Like this:
class A
{
public:
A(int a, int b) : a_(a), b_(b) {};
int a_, b_;
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0,0)
{
}
};
While this is usefull in rare cases (if that was not the case, the language would've allowed it directly), take a look at the Base from Member idiom. It's not a code free solution, you'd have to add an extra layer of inheritance, but it gets the job done. To avoid boilerplate code you could use boost's implementation
Aggregate classes, like A in your example(*), must have their members public, and have no user-defined constructors. They are intialized with initializer list, e.g. A a {0,0}; or in your case B() : A({0,0}){}. The members of base aggregate class cannot be individually initialized in the constructor of the derived class.
(*) To be precise, as it was correctly mentioned, original class A is not an aggregate due to private non-static members
Why can't I do this?
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(), a(0), b(0)
{
}
};
You can't initialize a and b in B because they are not members of B. They are members of A, therefore only A can initialize them. You can make them public, then do assignment in B, but that is not a recommended option since it would destroy encapsulation. Instead, create a constructor in A to allow B (or any subclass of A) to initialize them:
class A
{
protected:
A(int a, int b) : a(a), b(b) {} // Accessible to derived classes
// Change "protected" to "public" to allow others to instantiate A.
private:
int a, b; // Keep these variables private in A
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0, 0) // Calls A's constructor, initializing a and b in A to 0.
{
}
};
Leaving aside the fact that they are private, since a and b are members of A, they are meant to be initialized by A's constructors, not by some other class's constructors (derived or not).
Try:
class A
{
int a, b;
protected: // or public:
A(int a, int b): a(a), b(b) {}
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(0, 0) {}
};
Somehow, no one listed the simplest way:
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B()
{
a = 0;
b = 0;
}
};
You can't access base members in the initializer list, but the constructor itself, just as any other member method, may access public and protected members of the base class.
# include<stdio.h>
# include<iostream>
# include<conio.h>
using namespace std;
class Base{
public:
Base(int i, float f, double d): i(i), f(f), d(d)
{
}
virtual void Show()=0;
protected:
int i;
float f;
double d;
};
class Derived: public Base{
public:
Derived(int i, float f, double d): Base( i, f, d)
{
}
void Show()
{
cout<< "int i = "<<i<<endl<<"float f = "<<f<<endl <<"double d = "<<d<<endl;
}
};
int main(){
Base * b = new Derived(10, 1.2, 3.89);
b->Show();
return 0;
}
It's a working example in case you want to initialize the Base class data members present in the Derived class object, whereas you want to push these values interfacing via Derived class constructor call.
Why can't you do it? Because the language doesn't allow you to initializa a base class' members in the derived class' initializer list.
How can you get this done? Like this:
class A
{
public:
A(int a, int b) : a_(a), b_(b) {};
int a_, b_;
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0,0)
{
}
};
While this is usefull in rare cases (if that was not the case, the language would've allowed it directly), take a look at the Base from Member idiom. It's not a code free solution, you'd have to add an extra layer of inheritance, but it gets the job done. To avoid boilerplate code you could use boost's implementation
Aggregate classes, like A in your example(*), must have their members public, and have no user-defined constructors. They are intialized with initializer list, e.g. A a {0,0}; or in your case B() : A({0,0}){}. The members of base aggregate class cannot be individually initialized in the constructor of the derived class.
(*) To be precise, as it was correctly mentioned, original class A is not an aggregate due to private non-static members
Why can't I do this?
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(), a(0), b(0)
{
}
};
You can't initialize a and b in B because they are not members of B. They are members of A, therefore only A can initialize them. You can make them public, then do assignment in B, but that is not a recommended option since it would destroy encapsulation. Instead, create a constructor in A to allow B (or any subclass of A) to initialize them:
class A
{
protected:
A(int a, int b) : a(a), b(b) {} // Accessible to derived classes
// Change "protected" to "public" to allow others to instantiate A.
private:
int a, b; // Keep these variables private in A
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0, 0) // Calls A's constructor, initializing a and b in A to 0.
{
}
};
Leaving aside the fact that they are private, since a and b are members of A, they are meant to be initialized by A's constructors, not by some other class's constructors (derived or not).
Try:
class A
{
int a, b;
protected: // or public:
A(int a, int b): a(a), b(b) {}
};
class B : public A
{
B() : A(0, 0) {}
};
Somehow, no one listed the simplest way:
class A
{
public:
int a, b;
};
class B : public A
{
B()
{
a = 0;
b = 0;
}
};
You can't access base members in the initializer list, but the constructor itself, just as any other member method, may access public and protected members of the base class.
# include<stdio.h>
# include<iostream>
# include<conio.h>
using namespace std;
class Base{
public:
Base(int i, float f, double d): i(i), f(f), d(d)
{
}
virtual void Show()=0;
protected:
int i;
float f;
double d;
};
class Derived: public Base{
public:
Derived(int i, float f, double d): Base( i, f, d)
{
}
void Show()
{
cout<< "int i = "<<i<<endl<<"float f = "<<f<<endl <<"double d = "<<d<<endl;
}
};
int main(){
Base * b = new Derived(10, 1.2, 3.89);
b->Show();
return 0;
}
It's a working example in case you want to initialize the Base class data members present in the Derived class object, whereas you want to push these values interfacing via Derived class constructor call.
Why can't you do it? Because the language doesn't allow you to initializa a base class' members in the derived class' initializer list.
How can you get this done? Like this:
class A
{
public:
A(int a, int b) : a_(a), b_(b) {};
int a_, b_;
};
class B : public A
{
public:
B() : A(0,0)
{
}
};
While this is usefull in rare cases (if that was not the case, the language would've allowed it directly), take a look at the Base from Member idiom. It's not a code free solution, you'd have to add an extra layer of inheritance, but it gets the job done. To avoid boilerplate code you could use boost's implementation
Aggregate classes, like A in your example(*), must have their members public, and have no user-defined constructors. They are intialized with initializer list, e.g. A a {0,0}; or in your case B() : A({0,0}){}. The members of base aggregate class cannot be individually initialized in the constructor of the derived class.
(*) To be precise, as it was correctly mentioned, original class A is not an aggregate due to private non-static members
From my understanding the following code will execute in this order:
Derived constructor is called.
Base object is constructed using the default base constructor.
Body of the derived constructor executes.
If so, isn't the member z is assigned a value twice?
class base {
public:
int x, y, z;
base() {x = 0; y = 0; z = 0;};
};
class derived : public base {
public:
derived() {z = 5;};
};
Is there a more efficient way to create an object of class "derived" so it uses a different constructor, in this case, one that would only assign members x and y a value, leaving z to be assigned a value in derived()?
Yes, there is a more efficient way, but it will take more code (thus increasing the maintenance overhead).
class base {
public:
int x, y, z;
// Default constructor
base() {x = 0; y = 0; z = 0;};
// Constructor to be called if you want to override the z value
base(int zValue) { x=0; y=0; z=zValue; };
};
class derived : public base {
public:
derived() : base(5) {};
};
Yes, z is assigned twice in your example, just what it looks like.
To do what you're wanting, you could do something like this, which requires almost exactly the same amount of code (just moving some here and there):
class base {
public:
int x, y, z;
base(int z = 0) : x(), y(), z(z) { }
};
class derived : public base {
public:
derived() : base(5) { } // with this one, z is assigned 5 once
// or
derived() { } // z is assigned 0 once
};
Sure. Use what's called a ctor-initializer:
class base {
public:
int x, y, z;
base(int z = 0) : x(0), y(0), z(z) {};
};
class derived : public base {
public:
derived() : base(5) {}
};
The code after the : and before the first { in the constructor declaration is a ctor-initializer. (Some people call it an "initializer list", but ctor-initializer is what the C++ standard calls it.)
You should always use ctor-initializers whenever you can to initialize class members to some value. While it doesn't really matter for ints, initialization using ctor-initializers can be faster than default constructing class members then assignment.
Definitely, you can do that.
Use member-initialization-list as:
class base {
public:
int x, y, z;
base(int a, int b, int c) : x(a), y(b), z(c) {}
//^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ it's member-initialization-list!
};
class derived : public base {
public:
derived() : base(0,0,5) {}
// ^^^^^^^^^^^ call the specific base constructor
};
To elaborate on Andrew's answer, if you wanted to really make sure that all of base's members were set only once, and in the most efficient way possible, you could use a member-list initializer rather than setting values in the constructor.
class base {
public:
int x, y, z;
base() : x(0), y(0), z(0) {};
base( int xval, int yval, int zval ) :
x(xval), y(yval), z(zval)
{ };
};
class derived : public base {
public:
derived() : base( 0, 0, 5 ) {};
};
Most compilers will generate the same code for : x(_x), ... as just setting the values in the constructor, but I've seen a couple that did not.