<< operator overloading as a class method in c++ - c++

I want to overload the << operator for my class Complex.
The prototype is the following:
void Complex::operator << (ostream &out)
{
out << "The number is: (" << re <<", " << im <<")."<<endl;
}
It works, but I have to call it like this: object << cout for the standart output.
What can I do to make it work backwards, like cout << object?
I know that the 'this' pointer is by default the first parameter sent to the method so that's why the binary operator can work only obj << ostream. I overloaded it as a global function and there were no problems.
Is there a way to overload the << operator as a method and to call it ostream << obj?

I would just use the usual C++ pattern of free function. You can make it friend to your Complex class if you want to make Complex class's private data members visible to it, but usually a complex number class would expose public getters for real part and imaginary coefficient.
class Complex
{
....
friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream &out, const Complex& c);
private:
double re;
double im;
};
inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream &out, const Complex& c)
{
out << "The number is: (" << c.re << ", " << c.im << ").\n";
return out;
}

You could write a free stand operator<< function, try:
std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream &out, const Complex& cm)
{
out << "The number is: (" << cm.re <<", " << cm.im <<")." << std::endl;
return out;
}

You can define a global function:
void operator << (ostream& out, const Complex& complex)
{
complex.operator<<(out);
}

Related

overloading operator << c++, I am trying to cout the element of class

I am writing this code
ostream& operator <<(ostream& out, Box& B){
return B.l +" "+B.b +" "+B.h +endl;
};
The error I get is
Solution.cpp:40:46: error: ‘std::ostream& Box::operator<<(std::ostream&, Box&)’ must have exactly one argument ostream& operator <<(ostream& out, Box& B){ ^
can someone explain what's wrong? I dont understand.
thanks for your help :)
It seems you mean the following
std::ostream & operator <<( std::ostream& out, const Box& B) {
return out << B.l << " " << B.b << " " << B.h;
}
provided that all used in the operator data members are public data members of the class Box. The operator shall be declared and defined outside the class definition.
If one of the used data members is a private data member of the class then the function should be a friend function of the class and shall be declared (and may be defined) in the class definition. For example
class Box
{
//...
friend std::ostream & operator <<( std::ostream& out, const Box& B) {
return out << B.l << " " << B.b << " " << B.h;
}
//...
};
Pay attention to that it is better to remove in the return statement the operand std::endl. In this case 1) the operator will be more flexible because you can output additional information in the same line and 2) this statement
std::cout << box;
will not confuse readers of the code because they will not see the operand std::endl.
Without this operand in the operator definition in the caller of the operator you can write
std::cout << box << std::endl;
and this statement more clear expresses the intention of the programmer.
It should probably be:
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, Box const& B){
out << B.l << " " << B.b << " " << B.h << std::endl;
return out;
};
Full code should look like:
#include <iostream>
class Box {
int l;
int b;
int h;
friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, Box const& B);
};
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, Box const& B){
out << B.l << " " << B.b << " " << B.h << std::endl;
return out;
}
int main() {
return 0;
}
Demo
To output a type T to std::ostream, you have to declare standalone operator, which returns reference to that stream
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const T& B)
{
out << B.l << " " << B.b << " " << B.h << '\n';
return out;
}
This operation cannot be member operator because member operator use their class as first argument, therefore it might be necessary declare it as a friend of class T.
Avoid using endl in such operators if not extremely necessary, that manipulator calls out.flush(). If you want new line added, use new-line character.

Overloading ostream friend operator with shared_ptr vector

I am trying to overload the ostream operator as a friend in a class to build components of a circuit, however it keeps returning the address.
In a series-circuit class in the file "Circuit_classes.h":
friend ostream& operator<< (ostream& os, series_circuit const& myCircuit);
In the file "Circuit_classes.cpp":
ostream& operator<<(ostream& os, series_circuit const& myCircuit){
os << "Output: " << myCircuit.frequency << endl;
return os;
}
where frequency is defined in the class header file as 60.
In my main program, "AC Circuits.cpp"
vector<shared_ptr<circuit>> circuit_vector;
circuit_vector.push_back(shared_ptr<circuit>(new series_circuit));
cout << circuit_vector[0] << endl;
Output in the command line when the program is run:
0325E180
cout << circuit_vector[0] << endl;
circuit_vector[0] yields a std::shared_ptr which is what is being printed.
You must dereference it to get to the object itself.
cout << *circuit_vector[0] << endl;

C++ How do I print an object?

I have created a constructor
Location(double xIn,double yIn,string placeIn,int timeIn)
: x(xIn),y(yIn) ...so on {
Say I want to print Location home(x,y,place,time); that's in the main().
How would I do so? I've been searching around and was told to use operator<<. How would I implement this?
UPDATE: After creating some get methods and I tried doing,can't exactly compile it because of the problem
ostream &operator<<(ostream & o, const Location & rhs){
o << rhs.getX() << "," << rhs.getY() << "," << rhs.getPlace() << "," << rhs.getTime();
return o; }
Here is the stencil for overloading operator<<:
class Any
{
public:
friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& output, const Any& a);
private:
int member;
};
std::ostream&
operator<<(std::ostream& output, const Any& a)
{
output << a.member;
return output;
}
This one possible stencil, there are other possibilities. Search the internet for "c++ stream insertion operator overload example" for other implementations.

How to get THIS when overloading operator in C++

I'm a student learning c++. today, I was making a operator overload function to use it in 'cout'. following is a class that contains name, coordinates, etc.
class Custom {
public:
string name;
int x;
int y;
Custom(string _name, int x, int y):name(_name){
this->x = x;
this->y = y;
}
int getDis() const {
return static_cast<int>(sqrt(x*x+y*y));
}
friend ostream& operator << (ostream& os, const Custom& other);
};
ostream& operator << (ostream& os, const Custom& other){
cout << this->name << " : " << getDis() << endl;; // error
return os;
}
However, this code isn't working because of 'THIS' keyword that I was expecting it points to the object. I want to show the object's name and distance value. How can I solve it? I think it is similar with Java's toString method so that it will be able to get THIS.
Thanks in advance for your answer and sorry for poor english. If you don't understand my question don't hesitate to make a comment.
this is available only in member functions, but your operator<< is not a class member (declaring it as friend does not make it a member). It is a global function, as it should be. In a global function, just use the arguments you are passing in:
ostream& operator << (ostream& os, const Custom& other)
{
os << other.name << " : " << other.getDis() << endl;
return os;
}
Also note os replaced cout in the code above. Using cout was an error - the output operator should output to the provided stream, not to cout always.

Operator overloading << error

I get the compiler error
no match for 'operator<<' in 'std::cout << VertexPriority(2, 4u)'
In the main class referred to this operator overloading, but I can't undestand where the error is.
Here there is the operator overloading line, I implemented it inside the class definition.
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out) const { return out << "Vertex: " << this->vertex << ", Priority: " << this->priority; }
vertex and priority are integer and unsigner integer.
In the main class I'm trying to doing this:
std::cout << VertexPriority(2, 3) << std::endl;
Define it like this:
class VertexPriority {
...
friend std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream& out, const VertexPriority& vp);
};
std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream& out, const VertexPriority& vp) {
return out << "Vertex: " << vp.vertex << ", Priority: " << vp.priority;
}
The friend keyword is necessary if VertexPriority::vertex or VertexPriority::priority are not public.
For more help, read this tutorial: http://www.learncpp.com/cpp-tutorial/93-overloading-the-io-operators/