Structures Revisited

1. Structures Revisited • what is an aggregate construct? What aggregate constructs have we studied? • what is a structure? what is the keyword to define a structure? • what are structures used for? • is a structure definition an executable statement? Can it be put in a header file? • why includeing a header file with structures definition multiple times is a problem? how is this problem solved? • what are #define #ifndef #endif? • what is a structure variable? • what is the term for elements of a structure? • do elements of the same structure (different structures) have to have unique names? • how can structures be initialized? what happens when one structure variable is assigned the value of another? • can structure variables be directly compared? passed as parameters? by value? by reference? can a function return a structure? • can one structure be included in another structure? What is a substructure? • can a structure include an array? how can an array of structures be declared?

2. Classes aggregating code and data

3. What’s Wrong with Structures? • modular program – easily separatable into independent parts • consider implementing date: • as structure: struct Date{ int month; int day; int year; }; • and a set of functions manipulating dates: void setDate(Date &d, int m, int d, int y); void addYear(Date &d, int n); bool compare(Date &d1, Date &d2); • problems: • there is no explicit connection between data type (structure) and these functions • it does not specify that the functions listed should be the only ones that access and modify date variables • if there is a bug in Date manipulation - it can be anywhere in the program • if modification of Date is needed - all program needs to be updated • the program is usually not modular

4. Class Definition • class is an aggregate construct combining related code and data • class may contain member variables (attributes) and member functions (methods) • member variables and member function prototypes are declared within class definition • member functions can manipulate member variables without accepting them as parameters class Date { // class name public: // ignore this for now void set(int, int, int); intgetDay(); int month; int day; int year; }; // don’t forget the semicolon • a variable of type class is called object (how is a variable of type structure called?) Date mybday; • the object is said to belong to the class or be an instance of the class • each object has member variables and can call member functions of its class • state of the object – values of all member variables • accessing members is done using dot-operator: mybday.set(10, 26, 68); cout << mybday.day;

5. Public and Private Members • public/private attributes control the way the class members are accessed (why do we want to do that?) • public member can be accessed within member functions (no scope resolution needed) and outside (with dot operator) • private member - can only be accessed within member functions class Date { // class name public: void set(int, int, int); int getday(); private: int month; int day; int year; }; // don’t forget semicolon • make member variables private, make functions either public or private. This restricts manipulation of variables to member function which makes debugging and changes in class easier • examples: mybday.set(10, 5, 99); // good mybday.year=99; // ERROR - private member

6. Member Function Definitions • member functions can be defined either inside or outside class definition • outside definition (or out-of-line) - class name (called type qualifier) and scope resolution operator (::) precede function name: void Date::set(int m, int d, int y){ month=m; // no dot with member variables day=d; // no declaration of member variables year=y; } • inside definition (or in-line) - replace prototype with definition, no trailing semicolon necessary class Date { public: void set(int, int, int); int getDay(){return day;} // note no semicolon private: int month; int day; int year; }; // don’t forget semicolon • for style: use for very small functions – one line is good

7. Mutators and Accessors • accessor function - member function that does not modify the state of an object (only returns the information about the object’s state) • mutator function - member function that modifies the state of an object • accessors should be marked with const type modifier so that compiler can find accidental object state modification • also remember to use const with parameters that are not modified class Date { public: // mutator void set(int, int, int); // mutator int getMonth() const; // accessor int getDay() const {return day;} // accessor in-line private: int month; int day; int year; }; • separate mutators and accessors - a function should not do both • since variables are private they all need accessor • are we missing an accessor in Date?

8. Classes with Member Objects • member variables may be basic types or objects of other classes class Meeting{ pubic: void setDate(int, int, int); private: Date d; Time t; }; • member objects may be manipulated through pubic methods only void Meeting::setDate(int m, int d, int y){ d.set(m,d,y); // invokes public member of Date d.month = m; //error, cannot access private members // of Date }

9. Constructors • function invocation: explicit – if function name is mentioned, implicit - otherwise • constructor - mutator that is invoked implicitly when object is declared • used for object initialization • constructor has the same name as class • constructor does not return a value • do not put void as a return type of constructor class Date{ public: Date(int, int, int); // constructor private: int month, day, year; }; • outside constructor definition (can also be inlined) Date::Date(int m, int d, int y){ month=m; day=d; year=y; } • invocation at declaration: Date mybday(10,26,99);

10. Multiple/Void Constructors • class can have multiple constructors • which constructor to call is determined by number and type of arguments • function overloading – same name functions distinguished by number/type of arguments • if no constructors declared - object can be defined without initialization • void (or default) constructor - a constructor that does not take arguments • caveat: if at least one constructor declared - object has to be always initialized (needs a void constructor) class Date { public: Date(int, int, int); // constructor Date(int, int); // another constructor Date(); // void or default constructor private: int month; int day; int year; }; • invoking default constructor (if constructors defined): Date mybday; • if array of objects, default constructor is invoked Datefriendsbday[20];

11. Initializer List constructors can be defined with initializer list: • syntax functionName (parameter list): memberVar(param), … {body (possibly empty)} • example class Date { public: // inline constructor definition with initializer list Date(int m, int d, int y): month(m), day(d), year(y) {} Date(int, int); Date(); private: int month; int day; int year; }; // outside constructor definition with initializer list Date::Date(int m, int d): month(m), day(d), year(2001) {} how would you define the default constructor with initializer list?

12. Constructors for Member Objects • (void) constructors for member objects are invoked before constructor for containing object • example class One{ public: One() { cout << ”One's constructor" << endl; } }; class Two{ public: Two() { cout << ”Two's constructor" << endl; } private: One o; }; int main() { Two ob2; } • prints One’s constructorTwo’s constructor • note, if containing object does not have a constructor, member object (void) constructors are still invoked

13. Initializers for Member Objects • initializer for member object invokes it’s constructor • example class One{ public: One(int p): p_(p){} private: p_; }; class Two{ public: Two(int o): o_(o) {}; // o_’s constructor invoked private: One o_; // member object }; int main() { Two ob2(5); // object declaration }

14. Friend Functions • to allow non-member function to access private class members it should be declared as friend function: class Date { public: // compares two dates friend bool equal(const Date&, const Date&); private: int month; int day; int year; }; • a friend-function is not a class member - it’s definition should not be preceded with type qualifier (Date::) • no separate prototype (outside class definition) is necessary for friend • equal is invoked as non-member function - without dot operator: if(equal(date1, date2)) { ... • friend-functions circumvent information hiding and should be used with care • use friend-function if the task requires access to private members of more than one object and the objects are used symmetrically

15. Member Constants • constant declared inside the class is only available to class members • good way to limit its scope • can be private or public • static shared between all objects of the class • example class Date { public: ... private: static const int cent21 = 2001; ... };

16. Program Layout • program with objects is laid out as follows: • header - class definition (inline function definitions), global constants and other non-executable constructs related to class • program file - member function definitions • multiple related classes may be put in one header/program file pair

17. Classes Review • What is class? Why are classes needed? • What is object? • What is the difference between object and class? What do we mean when we say object belongs to a class? • What’s member variable? Member function? Method? Attribute? • What’s an in-line/out function definition? • What are these operators used for? “.” “::” • What is the difference between public and private members of class? • What is the state of an object? • What is mutator? Accessor? How is accessor function distinguished? • What is constructor? Is constructor mutator or accessor? • What is the name of constructor? • What is implicit/explicit function invocation? • How many parameters can constructor take? Can there be more than one constructor? What is constructor overloading? What is void constructor? • What is the return value of constructor? • What is initializer list • What is friend function? Why is it needed? • Why are constants declared inside class definitions?