c++ private member variable unknown in another function - c++

Question

I have a newbie question about how to assign class member (setter). I am used to scripting and mostly there it's done via (in python)
def set_mymember(mymember):
self.mymeber = mymember
My coworker told me "self" and "this" are not needed in C++ , "this" exists and it's not wrong in this context but that would be hard to understand for me so he said I should not care. So I first tried according to his advice:
My class definition: - (it should create a sql query string)
class Query
{
public:
Query() { }
~Query() { }
void setoptions( std::string qtext_where="", bool qtext_erl=true, std::vector<std::string> kids=std::vector<std::string>() );
Query build_query( );
void set_db_table( std::string db_table );
void set_db_key( std::string db_key );
void set_m_qtext( std::string m_qtext );
void set_foo( std::string foo );
std::string sql();
std::string get_sql_update();
private:
std::string m_db_table; // Tabellenname
std::string m_db_key; // Tabellen-key
std::string m_qtext_where; // add.optionale where clause
std::string m_qtext; // fertiger SELECT
std::string m_sql_update; // fertiger UPDATE
bool m_erl; // nur erledigte waehlen?
std::vector<std::string> m_kids; // Liste von keys zu selecten
};
ANd here's one of the setter methods: I call them with filled string and vector, double check it in this code
void Query::setoptions( string qtext_where, bool erl, vector<string> kids ) {
m_qtext_where = qtext_where;
m_erl = erl;
m_kids = kids;
}
But when my app later calls query.build_query()
the variables are empty
Query Query::build_query( ) {
cout << "kids size" << m_kids.size() << endl;
cout << "m_qtext_where " << m_qtext_where << endl;
// Query zur auswahl der zu uebertragenden Datensaetze
string sql_update = "UPDATE " + m_db_table;
string qtext = "SELECT * FROM " + m_db_table;
string qtext_order = " ORDER BY " + m_db_key;
(...)
EDIT: So here's part of the app code which calls 1.setoptions, and 2.build_query
// read file line by line into vector of strings
vector<string> text_file;
ifstream ifs( input );
string temp;
while( getline( ifs, temp ) ) {
if (temp.substr(0,1) == "#" ) {
cout << "COMMENT: " << temp << endl;
continue;
}
cout << temp << endl;
text_file.push_back( temp );
}
// check: yes, vector has a size = number of lines
cout << "text_file size " << text_file.size() << endl;
// create Query object
Query query = Query();
// set the members, bool erl = true
query.setoptions( "", erl, text_file );
// call 2nd method
q2 = query.build_query();

Answer 1

Can't really tell whats going on without the full code, but I suspect that you're returning a query object from query.build_query that isn't a full copy of the query object, if that makes sense? Can you include the full text of build_query?
Also, I'd make the build_query method void, and not try to assign a fresh Query object back to a second Query object (q2) at all (unless you really need to, again, can't really tell without the full code), something like this:
void Query::build_query( ) {
std::cout << "kids size" << m_kids.size() << std::endl;
std::cout << "m_qtext_where " << m_qtext_where << std::endl;
}
main
{
...
Query query = Query();
// set the members, bool erl = true
query.setoptions( "", true, text_file );
// call 2nd method
query.build_query();
}
Also, just being pedantic here, but given that you're providing default args for all the options, I'd be inclined to initialise them in the constructor like this:
Query::Query()
: m_qtext_where("")
, qtext_erl(true)
, kids (std::vector<std::string>()
{}
And then instead of a setOptions method, have setters for each individual variable:
void setWhere(std::string qtext_where) {m_qtext_where = qtext_where ;}
void setErl(bool query_erl) { m_erl = query_erl; }
void setKids(std::vector<std::string> kids) { m_kids = kids; }
which you call only when you need to..