Class Errors with Pointers - c++

Question

I'm currently writing a class for a program and this is what I'm attempting to accomplish...
Setup: Sets m_ptrEmployee to NULL and m_beginHour to hour.
AssignEmployee: Sets m_ptrEmployee to employee.
GetEmployeeName: Uses m_ptrEmployee and Employee.GetName to return the employees
name. Returns “UNALLOCATED”, if m_ptrEmployee is NULL.
Output: Uses m_ptrEmployee and Employee.GetName to display m_beginHour and the
employee’s name something like this, “8:00 - David Johnson” or like this, “8:00 -
UNALLOCATED”, if m_ptrEmployee is NULL.
Reset: Resets m_ptrEmployee to NULL.
GetIsSet: Returns true, if m_ptrEmployee is not NULL and false otherwise.
Here is my code...
#include <string>
using namespace std;
#include "Employee.h"
class Schedule
{
public:
void Setup( int hour )
{
m_ptrEmployee = NULL;
m_beginHour = hour;
};
void AssignEmployee( Employee* employee )
{
m_ptrEmployee = employee;
};
string GetEmployeeName()
{
if (m_ptrEmployee = NULL)
return "UNALLOCATED"
else
return Employee.GetName()
};
void Output()
{
if (m_ptrEmployee = NULL)
cout>> m_beginHour>>"--">>"UNALLOCATED">>endl;
else
cout>>m_beginHour>>"--">>GetName()>>endl;
}
void Reset()
{
m_ptrEmployee = NULL;
}
bool GetIsSet()
{
if (m_ptrEmployee != NULL)
return true;
else
return false;
}
private:
Employee* m_ptrEmployee;
int m_beginHour;
};
GetName() is included in a previous class and it is...
public:
void Setup( const string& first, const string& last, float pay );
{
m_firstName = first;
m_lastName = last;
m_payPerHour = pay;
m_activeEmployee = true;
}
string GetName()
{
return m_firstName+""+m_lastName
};
I'm receiving multiple errors and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong? This is my first time attempting to write classes with pointers, so I apologize if my code is absolutely awful.

Answer 1

Here are some corrections:
In general, be careful with comparisons in C++. You can't use the intuitive = when comparing two things. You have to use ==. If you use =, it results in an assignment and not a test. Also, do not forget your semicolon ; at the end of a statement.
Bad comparison:
if (m_ptrEmployee = NULL) //Assigns NULL to m_ptrEmployee and then tests m_ptrEmployee
//Always false because m_ptrEmployee was just assigned NULL
Good comparison:
if (m_ptrEmployee == NULL) //Better. This is false only when m_ptrEmployee equals NULL
When you want to access a member of a class through a pointer (such as m_ptrEmployee), you have to use the -> operator like so: m_ptrEmployee->GetName()
Operator cout is used with the << operator, and not the >> operator.
I have annotated the places in your code where you made mistakes.
#include <string>
using namespace std;
#include "Employee.h"
class Schedule
{
public:
void Setup( int hour )
{
m_ptrEmployee = NULL;
m_beginHour = hour;
};
void AssignEmployee( Employee* employee )
{
m_ptrEmployee = employee;
};
string GetEmployeeName()
{
if (m_ptrEmployee == NULL) //Comparison always takes double ==
return "UNALLOCATED";
else
return m_ptrEmployee->GetName(); //Use employee pointer with -> operator
};
void Output()
{
if (m_ptrEmployee == NULL) //Careful with comparisons. Always use ==, not =
cout << m_beginHour << "--" << "UNALLOCATED" << endl; //Operator << was the other way around. It's not >>, but << for cout
else
cout << m_beginHour << "--" << m_ptrEmployee->GetName() << endl;
}
void Reset()
{
m_ptrEmployee = NULL;
}
bool GetIsSet()
{
if (m_ptrEmployee != NULL)
return true;
else
return false;
}
private:
Employee* m_ptrEmployee;
int m_beginHour;
};