Array of pointers to class instance c++ - c++

Question

This is the code I have so far, it compiles and runs fine but I need help adapting it. It is a banking app that currently works for just one account.
It needs to be adapted to with two new files: bank.h and bank.cpp and, main should contain a pointer to bank and bank should contain an array of pointers to instances of account.
so the new interface would work someting like:
account> 1 12
1 is the account# and 12 is the ammount being depositted.
I really need help adapting me code to do this, I am lost on how to create the array of pointers in bank to instances of account. Any help is much appreciated.
//main.cpp file
using namespace std;
#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include "account.h"
//allocate new space for class pointer
account* c = new account;
//function for handling I/O
int accounting(){
string command;
cout << "account> ";
cin >> command;
//exits prompt
if (command == "quit"){
exit(0);
}
//overwrites account balance
else if (command == "init"){
cin >> c->value;
c->init();
accounting();
}
//prints balance
else if (command == "balance"){
cout << "" << c->account_balance() << endl;
accounting();
}
//deposits value
else if (command == "deposit"){
cin >> c->value;
c->deposit();
accounting();
}
//withdraws value
else if (command == "withdraw"){
cin >> c->value;
c->withdraw();
accounting();
}
//error handling
else{
cout << "Error! Invalid operator." << endl;
accounting();
}
//frees memory
delete c;
}
int main() {
accounting();
return 0;
}
//account.h header file containing class with shared variables and functions
class account{
private:
int balance;
public:
account();
~account();
int value;
int account_balance();
int deposit();
int withdraw();
int init();
};
//account.cpp implementation file
using namespace std;
#include <iostream>
#include "account.h"
account::account(){
}
account::~account(){
}
//balance overwrite function
int account::init(){
balance = value;
}
//balance function
int account::account_balance() {
return balance;
}
//deposit function
int account::deposit(){
balance += value;
}
//withdraw function
int account::withdraw(){
//error handling
if(value>balance){
cout << "Error! insufficient funds." << endl;
return 0;
}
balance -= value;
}

Answer 1

First of all,
//error handling
else{
cout << "Error! Invalid operator." << endl;
accounting();
}
This look ugly, you are recursively calling accounting function after every bad input. Imagine a situation where user type 1 000 000x bad inputs... you will then try to free the memory 1 000 000x times - after one successful input!
//frees memory
delete c;
The whole accounting function is designed wrong. I suppose you don't want to destroy the account after some kind of transaction, right? I think the person who withdraws 10 dollars from their 10 million dollars account which will be then destroyed, will change bank immediately :)
So a while cycle with continue could be solution
//function for handling I/O
int accounting(){
string command;
while(true) {
cout << "account> ";
cin >> command;
//exits prompt
if (command == "quit"){
break;
}
//overwrites account balance
else if (command == "init"){
cin >> c->value;
c->init();
continue;
}
//prints balance
else if (command == "balance"){
cout << "" << c->account_balance() << endl;
continue;
}
//deposits value
else if (command == "deposit"){
cin >> c->value;
c->deposit();
accounting();
}
//withdraws value
else if (command == "withdraw"){
cin >> c->value;
c->withdraw();
continue;
}
//error handling
else{
cout << "Error! Invalid operator." << endl;
continue;
}
}
Then,
int value;
is not a class member, it should be argument of methods withdraw and deposit, like this
//deposit function
void account::deposit(int value){ //int changed to void, you are not returning anything!
balance += value;
}
//withdraw function
bool account::withdraw(int value){
//error handling
if(value>balance){
cout << "Error! insufficient funds." << endl;
return false;
}
if(value<0) {
cout << "Haha, nice try!" << endl;
return false;
}
balance -= value;
return true;
}

Answer 2

For an array you can use the std::vector class.
std::vector<account *>MyAccounts;
MyAccounts.push_back(new account());
Then you can use it like an array accessing it normally.
MyAccounts[i]->accountFunction();
update
I don't know enough about your code, so I give just some general examples here.
In your bank class you have a member like shown above )MyAccounts. Now when ever you add a new account to your bank, you can do it with the push back function.
For example to add a new account and set the initial amount of 100 moneyitems.
MyAccounts.push_back(new account());
size_t i = MyAccounts.size();
MyAccounts[i]->setAmount(100);

Answer 3

You can do something like below
class Bank
{
public:
int AddAccount(Account act){ m_vecAccts.push_back(act);}
....
private:
...
std:vector<account> m_vecAccts;
}
Update:
This is just a Bank class with vector of accounts as private member variable. AddAccount is public function which can add account to vector