Chapter 14:

More About Classes

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 14.1
Instance and Static
Members

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Class Members

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Instance and Static Members
• Instance variable: a member variable in a class. Each
object has its own copy.

• Static variable: one variable shared among all objects

of a class.

• Static member function: can be used to access static

member variable; can be called before any objects are
defined
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static member variable
Contents of Tree.h
1 // Tree class Static member declared here.
2 class Tree
3 {
4 private:
5 static int objectCount; // Static member variable.
6 public:
7 // Constructor
8 Tree()
9 { objectCount++; }
10
11 // Accessor function for objectCount
12 int getObjectCount() const
13 { return objectCount; } Static member defined here.
14 };
15
16 // Definition of the static member variable, written
17 // outside the class.
18 int Tree::objectCount = 0;

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static member function

• Declared with static before return type:

static int getObjectCount() const
{ return objectCount; }
• Static member functions can only access static
member data
• Can be called independent of objects:
int num = Tree::getObjectCount();

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Modified Version of Tree.h
1 // Tree class
2 class Tree
3 {
4 private:
5 static int objectCount; // Static member variable.
6 public:
7 // Constructor
8 Tree()
9 { objectCount++; }
10
11 // Accessor function for objectCount
12 static int getObjectCount() const
13 { return objectCount; }
14 };
15
16 // Definition of the static member variable, written
17 // outside the class.
18 int Tree::objectCount = 0;

Now we can call the function like this:

cout << "There are " << Tree::getObjectCount()
<< " objects.\n";

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 Chapter 15:

OOP Characteristics

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 15.1
What Is Inheritance?

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What Is Inheritance?

• Provides a way to create a new class from an

existing class.

• The new class is a specialized version of the

existing class

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Example: Insects

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The "is a" Relationship
• Inheritance establishes an "is a"
relationship between classes.
– A poodle is a dog
– A car is a vehicle
– A flower is a plant
– A football player is an athlete

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 Inheritance – Terminology and
Notation
• Base class (or parent) – inherited from
• Derived class (or child) – inherits from the base class
• Notation:
class Student // base class
{
. . .
};
class UnderGrad : public student
{ // derived class
. . .
};

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 15.2
Protected Members
&
Class Access

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Protected Members and
Class Access
• protected member access specification:
like private, but accessible by objects of
derived class.

• Class access specification

determines how private, protected,
and public members of base class are
inherited by the derived class.

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Class Access Specifiers

1) public – object of derived class can be

treated as object of base class (not vice-
versa)
2) protected – more restrictive than public,
but allows derived classes to know details of
parents
3) private – prevents objects of derived class
from being treated as objects of base class.

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Inheritance vs. Access
How inherited base class
members
Base class members appear in derived class
private: x private x is inaccessible
protected: y base class
private: y
public: z private: z

private: x protected x is inaccessible

protected: y base class protected: y
public: z protected: z

private: x public x is inaccessible

protected: y base class protected: y
public: z public: z
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More Inheritance vs. Access
class Grade class Test : public Grade
private members: private members:
char letter; int numQuestions;
float score; float pointsEach;
void calcGrade(); int numMissed;
public members: public members:
void setScore(float); Test(int, int);
float getScore();
char getLetter();
private members:
int numQuestions:
When Test class inherits float pointsEach;
from Grade class using int numMissed;
public class access, it public members:
Test(int, int);
looks like this: void setScore(float);
float getScore();
float getLetter();

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More Inheritance vs. Access (2)
class Grade class Test : protected Grade
private members: private members:
char letter; int numQuestions;
float score; float pointsEach;
void calcGrade(); int numMissed;
public members: public members:
void setScore(float); Test(int, int);
float getScore();
char getLetter();
private members:
int numQuestions:
When Test class inherits float pointsEach;
from Grade class using int numMissed;
protected class access, it public members:
Test(int, int);
looks like this: protected members:
void setScore(float);
float getScore();
float getLetter();

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More Inheritance vs. Access (3)
class Grade class Test : private Grade
private members: private members:
char letter; int numQuestions;
float score; float pointsEach;
void calcGrade(); int numMissed;
public members: public members:
void setScore(float); Test(int, int);
float getScore();
char getLetter();
private members:
int numQuestions:
When Test class inherits float pointsEach;
from Grade class using int numMissed;
private class access, it void setScore(float);
float getScore();
looks like this: float getLetter();
public members:
Test(int, int);

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 15.3
Constructors and
Destructors in Base
&
Derived Classes

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 Constructors & Destructors in
Base and Derived Classes
• Derived classes can have their own constructors
and destructors.

• When an object of a derived class is created, the

base class’s constructor is executed first, followed
by the derived class’s constructor.

• When an object of a derived class is destroyed, its

destructor is called first, then that of the base
class.
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Constructors & Destructors in
Base and Derived Classes

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Constructors & Destructors in
Base and Derived Classes

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Constructors & Destructors in
Base and Derived Classes

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Constructors and Destructors in
Base and Derived Classes
Constructor initialization

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Constructors & Destructors in
Base and Derived Classes

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Constructors & Destructors in
Base and Derived Classes

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Passing Arguments to
Base Class Constructor
• Allows selection between multiple base
class constructors
• Specify arguments to base constructor on
derived constructor heading:
Square::Square(int side) :
Rectangle(side, side)
• Can also be done with inline constructors
• Must be done if base class has no default
constructor

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Passing Arguments to
Base Class Constructor

derived class constructor base class constructor

Square::Square(int
side):Rectangle(side,side)
derived constructor base constructor
parameter parameters

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 15.4
Class Hierarchies

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Class Hierarchies
• A base class can be derived from another
base class.

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Class Hierarchies
• Consider the GradedActivity, FinalExam,
PassFailActivity, PassFailExam hierarchy in
Chapter 15.

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 15.5
Multiple Inheritance

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Multiple Inheritance
• A derived class can have more than one base
class
• Each base class can have its own access
specification in derived class's definition:
class cube : public square,
public rectSolid;

class class
square rectSolid

class
cube

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Multiple Inheritance
• Arguments can be passed to both base
classes' constructors:
cube::cube(int side) :
square(side),
rectSolid(side, side, side);
• Base class constructors are called in order
given in class declaration, not in order
used in class constructor

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Multiple Inheritance

• Problem: what if base classes have member

variables/functions with the same name?
• Solutions:
– Derived class redefines the multiply-defined function
– Derived class invokes member function in a particular
base class using scope resolution operator ::
• Compiler errors occur if derived class uses base
class function without one of these solutions

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Encapsulation

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 Thank You

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