Constructors & Destructors

What is a constructor?
• It is a member function which initializes a
class.
• A constructor has:
(i) the same name as the class itself
(ii) no return type
class rectangle {
private:
float height;
float width;
int xpos;
int ypos;
public:
rectangle(float, float); // constructor
void draw(); // draw member function
void posn(int, int); // position member function
void move(int, int); // move member function
};
 
rectangle::rectangle(float h, float w)
{
height = h;
width = w;
xpos = 0;
ypos = 0;
}
 Comments on constructors
• A constructor is called automatically whenever a
new instance of a class is created.
• You must supply the arguments to the constructor
when a new instance is created.
• If you do not specify a constructor, the compiler
generates a default constructor for you (expects no
parameters and has an empty body).
Comments on constructors (cont.)
void main()
{
rectangle rc(3.0, 2.0);
 
rc.posn(100, 100);
rc.draw();
rc.move(50, 50);
rc.draw();
}
 
• Warning: attempting to initialize a data member of
a class explicitly in the class definition is a syntax
error.
 Overloading constructors
• You can have more than one constructor in a class, as
long as each has a different list of arguments.
 
class rectangle {
private:
float height;
float width;
int xpos;
int ypos;
public:
rectangle(float, float); // constructor
rectangle(); // another constructor
void draw(); // draw member function
void posn(int, int); // position member function
void move(int, int); // move member function
};
Overloading constructors (cont.)
rectangle::rectangle()
{
height = 10;
width = 10;
xpos = 0;
ypos = 0;
}
 
void main()
{
rectangle rc1(3.0, 2.0);
rectangle rc2();
 
rc1.draw();
rc2.draw();
}
 Composition: objects as
members of classes
• A class
 
may have objects of other classes as members.
class properties {
private:
int color;
int line;
public:
properties(int, int); // constructor
};
 
properties::properties(int c, int l)
{
color = c;
line = l;
}
 Composition: objects as
members of classes (cont.)
class rectangle {
private:
float height;
float width;
int xpos;
int ypos;
properties pr; // another object
public:
rectangle(float, float, int, int ); // constructor
void draw(); // draw member function
void posn(int, int); // position member function
void move(int, int); // move member function
};
 Overloaded Assignment Ops
• Overloading Assigment ( = ) Operators work
almost exactly like Copy Constructors, with a few
subtle differences
– They need to check for self assignment
– They return a reference to *this
– Depending on your code, they may be different
(more optimized) than your copy constructor
 Operator Overloading
• They need to avoid self assigment – Self Assigment is
stuff like

Object A;
A=A;

• Now, normally this would never happen.. but,

depending on how pointers are cast, or whatever, it can.
So you have to be careful.
 Operator Overloading =
const Employee &Employee::operator=(const Employee
&rhs)
{
if ( this == &rhs ) return *this;

    id = rhs.getId();
    name = new char[strlen(rhs.getName()) + 1];
    strcpy(name,rhs.name);

return *this;
}
 Rule of 3
• Rule of 3 – Remember if you class needs
either a destructor, overloaded assignment
operator or copy constructor, it generally
needs ALL 3.
 Composition: objects as
members of classes (cont.)
rectangle::rectangle(float h, float w, int c, int l):pr(c, l)
{
height = h;
width = w;
xpos = 0;
ypos = 0;
};
 
 
void main()
{
rectangle rc(3.0, 2.0, 1, 3);
 
C++ statements;
}
 What is a destructor?
• It is a member function which deletes an object.
• A destructor function is called automatically when
the object goes out of scope:
(1) the function ends
(2) the program ends
(3) a block containing temporary variables ends
(4) a delete operator is called 
• A destructor has:
(i) the same name as the class but is preceded by a tilde (~)
(ii) no arguments and return no values
class string {
private:
char *s;
int size;
public:
string(char *); // constructor
~string(); // destructor
};
 
string::string(char *c)
{
size = strlen(c);
s = new char[size+1];
strcpy(s,c);
}
 
string::~string()
{
delete []s;
}
 Comments on destructors
• If you do not specify a destructor, the
compiler generates a default destructor for
you.
• When a class contains a pointer to memory
you allocate, it is your responsibility to
release the memory before the class
instance is destroyed.
 What is a copy constructor?
• It is a member function which initializes an
object using another object of the same
class.
• A copy constructor has the following
general function prototype: 
class_name (const class_name&);
class rectangle {
private:
float height;
float width;
int xpos;
int ypos;
public:
rectangle(float, float); // constructor
rectangle(const rectangle&); // copy constructor
void draw(); // draw member function
void posn(int, int); // position member function
void move(int, int); // move member function
};
rectangle::rectangle(const rectangle& old_rc)
{
height = old_rc.height;
width = old_rc.width;
xpos = old_rc.xpos;
ypos = old_rc.ypos;
}
 
void main()
{
rectangle rc1(3.0, 2.0); // use constructor
rectangle rc2(rc1); // use copy constructor
rectangle rc3 = rc1; // alternative syntax for
// copy constructor
 C++ statements;
}
 Defining copy constructors is
very important
• In the absence of a copy constructor, the C+
+ compiler builds a default copy
constructor for each class which is doing a
memberwise copy between objects.
• Default copy constructors work fine unless
the class contains pointer data members ...
why???
#include <iostream.h>
#include <string.h>
 
class string {
private:
char *s;
int size;
public:
string(char *); // constructor
~string(); // destructor
void print();
void copy(char *);
};
 
void string::print()
{
cout << s << endl;
}
void string::copy(char *c)
{
strcpy(s, c);
}
 
void main()
{
string str1("George");
string str2 = str1; // default copy constructor
 
str1.print(); // what is printed ?
str2.print();
 
str2.copy("Mary");
 
str1.print(); // what is printed now ?
str2.print();
}
Defining a copy constructor for the
above example:
class string {
private:
char *s;
int size;
public:
string(char *); // constructor
~string(); // destructor
string(const string&); // copy constructor
void print();
void copy(char *);
};
 8.2 Fundamentals of Operator
Overloading
• Types
– Built in (int, char) or user-defined
– Can use existing operators with user-defined types
• Cannot create new operators

• Overloading operators
– Create a function for the class
– Name function operator followed by symbol
• Operator+ for the addition operator +
 8.2 Fundamentals of Operator
Overloading
• Using operators on a class object
– It must be overloaded for that class
• Exceptions:
• Assignment operator, =
– Memberwise assignment between objects
• Address operator, &
– Returns address of object
• Both can be overloaded

• Overloading provides concise notation

– object2 = object1.add(object2);
– object2 = object2 + object1;
 8.3 Restrictions on Operator
Overloading
• Cannot change
– How operators act on built-in data types
• I.e., cannot change integer addition
– Precedence of operator (order of evaluation)
• Use parentheses to force order-of-operations
– Associativity (left-to-right or right-to-left)
– Number of operands
• & is unitary, only acts on one operand

• Cannot create new operators

• Operators must be overloaded explicitly
– Overloading + does not overload +=
 8.3 Restrictions on Operator
Overloading
Operators that can be overloaded
+ - * / % ^ & |
~ ! = < > += -= *=
/= %= ^= &= |= << >> >>=
<<= == != <= >= && || ++
-- ->* , -> [] () new delete
new[] delete[]

Operators that cannot be overloaded

. .* :: ?: sizeof
 Overloaded Assignment Ops
• Overloading Assigment ( = ) Operators work
almost exactly like Copy Constructors, with a few
subtle differences
– They need to check for self assignment
– They return a reference to *this
– Depending on your code, they may be different
(more optimized) than your copy constructor
 Operator Overloading
• They need to avoid self assigment – Self Assigment is
stuff like

Object A;
A=A;

• Now, normally this would never happen.. but,

depending on how pointers are cast, or whatever, it can.
So you have to be careful.
 Operator Overloading =
const Employee &Employee::operator=(const Employee
&rhs)
{
if ( this == &rhs ) return *this;

    id = rhs.getId();
    name = new char[strlen(rhs.getName()) + 1];
    strcpy(name,rhs.name);

return *this;
}
 Rule of 3
• Rule of 3 – Remember if you class needs
either a destructor, overloaded assignment
operator or copy constructor, it generally
needs ALL 3.
 8.4 Operator Functions As Class
Members Vs. As Friend
• Operator functions
Functions
– Member functions
• Use this keyword to implicitly get argument
• Gets left operand for binary operators (like +)
• Leftmost object must be of same class as operator
– Non member functions
• Need parameters for both operands
• Can have object of different class than operator
• Must be a friend to access private or protected data
– Called when
• Left operand of binary operator of same class
• Single operand of unitary operator of same class
8.4 Operator Functions As Class
Members Vs. As Friend
Functions
• Overloaded << operator
– Left operand of type ostream &
• Such as cout object in cout <<
classObject
– Similarly, overloaded >> needs istream &
– Thus, both must be non-member functions
8.4 Operator Functions As Class
Members Vs. As Friend
Functions
• Commutative operators
– May want + to be commutative
• So both “a + b” and “b + a” work
– Suppose we have two different classes
– Overloaded operator can only be member function when
its class is on left
• HugeIntClass + Long int
• Can be member function
– When other way, need a non-member overload function
• Long int + HugeIntClass
 8.5 Overloading Stream-
Insertion and Stream-Extraction
Operators
•<< and >>
– Already overloaded to process each built-in type
– Can also process a user-defined class
• Example program
– Class PhoneNumber
• Holds a telephone number
– Print out formatted number automatically
• (123) 456-7890
1 // Fig. 8.3: fig08_03.cpp
2 // Overloading the stream-insertion and
3 // stream-extraction operators.
4 #include <iostream>
5 using std::cout;
7 using std::cin;
8
9
using std::endl;
using std::ostream;
fig08_03.cpp
10
11
using std::istream;
(1 of 3)
Notice function prototypes for
12 #include <iomanip>
overloaded operators >> and <<
13
14 using std::setw; They must be non-member friend
functions, since the object of class
15 Phonenumber appears on the right of
16 // PhoneNumber class definition the operator.
17 class PhoneNumber {
cin << object
18 friend ostream &operator<<( ostream&,
cout >> const PhoneNumber & );
object
19 friend istream &operator>>( istream&, PhoneNumber & );
20
21 private:
22 char areaCode[ 4 ]; // 3-digit area code and null
23 char exchange[ 4 ]; // 3-digit exchange and null
24 char line[ 5 ]; // 4-digit line and null
27
28 // overloaded stream-insertion operator; cannot be
29 // a member function if we would like to invoke it with
30 // cout << somePhoneNumber;
31 ostream &operator<<( ostream &output, const PhoneNumber &num )
32 { The expression:

fig08_03.cpp
33 output << "(" << num.areaCode << ") " cout << phone;
34 << num.exchange << "-" << num.line; is interpreted as the function call:
35 operator<<(cout, phone);
36
37
return output;
(2 of 3)
// enables cout << a << b << c;
output is an alias for cout.

38 } // end function operator<<

39
This allows objects to be cascaded.
ignore() cout << phone1 << phone2;
40 // overloaded stream-extraction operator; cannot beskips specified
41 number
// a member function if we would like of itcharacters
to invoke with fromfirst calls
input (1 by default). operator<<(cout, phone1), and
42 // cin >> somePhoneNumber;
returns cout.
43 istream &operator>>( istream &input, PhoneNumber &num )
44 { Next, cout << phone2 executes.
45 input.ignore(); // skip ( Stream manipulator setw
46 input >> setw( 4 ) >> num.areaCode; // input area code number of characters
restricts
47 input.ignore( 2 ); // skip ) and space read. setw(4) allows 3
48 input >> setw( 4 ) >> num.exchange; // input exchange
characters to be read, leaving
49 input.ignore(); // skip dash (-) room for the null character.
50 input >> setw( 5 ) >> num.line; // input line
51
52 return input; // enables cin >> a >> b >> c;
 8.6 Overloading Unary
Operators
• Overloading unary operators
– Non-static member function, no arguments
– Non-member function, one argument
• Argument must be class object or reference to class
object
– Remember, static functions only access
static data
 8.6 Overloading Unary Operators
• Upcoming example (8.10)
– Overload ! to test for empty string
– If non-static member function, needs no arguments
• !s becomes s.operator!()
class String {
public:
bool operator!() const;
...
};

– If non-member function, needs one argument

• s! becomes operator!(s)
class String {
friend bool operator!( const String & )
...
}
 8.7 Overloading Binary Operators
• Overloading binary operators
– Non-static member function, one argument
– Non-member function, two arguments
• One argument must be class object or reference

• Upcoming example
– If non-static member function, needs one argument
class String {
public:
const String &operator+=( const String & );
...
};
– y += z equivalent to y.operator+=( z )
 8.7 Overloading Binary
Operators
• Upcoming example
– If non-member function, needs two arguments
– Example:
class String {
friend const String &operator+=(
String &, const String & );
...
};
– y += z equivalent to
operator+=( y, z )
 8.9 Converting between Types
• Casting
– Traditionally, cast integers to floats, etc.
– May need to convert between user-defined types
• Cast operator (conversion operator)
– Convert from
• One class to another
• Class to built-in type (int, char, etc.)
– Must be non-static member function
• Cannot be friend
– Do not specify return type
• Implicitly returns type to which you are converting
 8.9 Converting between Types
• Example
– Prototype
A::operator char *() const;
• Casts class A to a temporary char *
• (char *)s calls s.operator char*()
– Also
• A::operator int() const;
• A::operator OtherClass() const;
 8.9 Converting between Types
• Casting can prevent need for overloading
– Suppose class String can be cast to char *
– cout << s; // s is a String
• Compiler implicitly converts s to char *
• Do not have to overload <<
– Compiler can only do 1 cast
 8.11 Overloading ++ and --
• Increment/decrement operators can be
overloaded
– Add 1 to a Date object, d1
– Prototype (member function)
• Date &operator++();
• ++d1 same as d1.operator++()
– Prototype (non-member)
• Friend Date &operator++( Date &);
• ++d1 same as operator++( d1 )
 8.11 Overloading ++ and --
• To distinguish pre/post increment
– Post increment has a dummy parameter
• int of 0
– Prototype (member function)
• Date operator++( int );
• d1++ same as d1.operator++( 0 )
– Prototype (non-member)
• friend Date operator++( Data &, int );
• d1++ same as operator++( d1, 0 )
– Integer parameter does not have a name
• Not even in function definition
 8.11 Overloading ++ and --
• Return values
– Preincrement
• Returns by reference (Date &)
• lvalue (can be assigned)
– Postincrement
• Returns by value
• Returns temporary object with old value
• rvalue (cannot be on left side of assignment)

• Decrement operator analogous

#include <iostream.h>
class myclass
{ int a,b;
public:
myclass(){}
myclass(int x,int y){a=x;b=y;}
void show() { cout<<a<<endl<<b<<endl; }
// these are friend operator functions
// NOTE: Both the operans will be passed explicitely
// operand to the left of the operator will be passed as the first
argument and operand to the right as the second argument
friend myclass operator+(myclass,myclass);
friend myclass operator-(myclass,myclass); };
myclass operator+(myclass ob1,myclass ob2)
{ myclass temp;
temp.a = ob1.a + ob2.a;
temp.b = ob1.b + ob2.b;
return temp;
}
myclass operator-(myclass ob1,myclass ob2)
{
myclass temp;
temp.a = ob1.a - ob2.a;
temp.b = ob1.b - ob2.b;
return temp;
}
void main()
{
myclass a(10,20);
myclass b(100,200);
a=a+b;
a.show();
}