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Constructor

Bca constructors

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tsafridi3
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28 views

Constructor

Bca constructors

Uploaded by

tsafridi3
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

1 What is constructor?

What are the different types of constructors(15)

2 What are the characteristics of a constructor(5 or 2)

3 Define a copy constructor(2)

4 Give the format of a dynamic constructor(2)

5 What is destructor? Explain its characteristics. Can it accept


arguments(15)

6 Differentiate constructor and destructor(2)

7 How do we invoke a constructor function?(2)

8. Explain the general form of defining a constructor in a derived class.(5)

9. What is automatic initialisation of objects(2)

Constructor
Definition
• Special member function with the same name as that of the class.
• Its purpose is to allocate appropriate memory to the objects of a class and
to initialize objects.
Example: class integer
{
int a,b;
public: integer( ) //constructor
{
a =b = 0;
}
};

Characteristics of a constructor
• They should be declared in the public section
• They are invoked automatically when the objects are created
• They can have default arguments.
• They can be overloaded
• They do not have return types, not even void. So they cannot return any
values.
• They cannot be inherited, but a derived class constructor can call the base
class constructor
• They cannot be virtual.
• An object with a constructor or destructor cannot be used as a member of
a union.
• They make implicit calls to the operators new and delete, when memory
allocation is required
Different types of constructors
Three types of constructors
1. Default constructor
• A constructor that accepts no arguments or parameters
• If user does not define a default constructor, the compiler supplies
it.
• It is invoked automatically , when the object is declared.
Example
integer obj; /*will automatically invoke the default constructor*/
[Note: here integer is the class name and obj is its object.]
2. Parameterized constructor
• Constructor that receives arguments.
• Can be used to initialise different objects of a class with different
values when they are created.
• Can be called implicitly or explicitly
Example:
/* implicit call */
integer obj1(10, 20);
integer obj2(30,40);
/* explicit call */
integer obj2 = integer(30, 40);
3. Copy constructor
• It accepts a reference to its own class as a parameter.
Example
class integer
{….
……
public: integer(integer &i)
};

Multiple constructors in a class


Class integer
{
int a, b;
public:
integer( ) //default constructor
{
a=0; b = 0 ;
}

Integer (int x, int y) //paremeterized constructor


{
a = x; b = y;
}

integer( integer &i) //copy constructor


{
a = i.a;
b = i.b;
}

The declaration integer I1; would invoke the default constructor


The statement integer I2 (20, 40); would invoke parameterised
constructor.
The statement integer I3 (I2); would invoke the copy constructor which
copies the values of I2 to I3.

Format of a dynamic constructor


Allocation of memory to objects at the time of their construction is
known as dynamic construction of objects. The memory is allocated with
the help of a new
operator
Example:
class string
{
char *name;
int length;
public:
string( ) // constructor1
{
length = 0;
name = new char[length + 1];
}
string( char *s) //constructor2
{
length = strlen(s);
name = new char[ length + 1];
strcpy(name, s);
}
};

int main( )
{

string name1(“Louis”);
…
….

}
Format for defining a constructor in a derived class
The header line of constructor definition consists of two parts separated
by a colon.
The first part includes the declaration of all arguments, passed to the
derived constructor.
The second part lists the function calls to the base constructor
Derived constructor( arglist1,arglist2,…..arglistN, arglistD) :
base1(arglist1), base2(arglist2),…baseN(arglistN)
{
Body of derived constructor
}
Example
Class alpha
{
int x;
public: alpha(int i ){ x = i; }
};
Class beta
{
float y;
public: beta( int j){ y = j; }
}
class gamma: public alpha, public beta
{
int m, n;
public: gamma( int a, float b, int c, int d: alpha(a), beta(b)
{
m = c;
n = d;
}
}

Destructor
Definition
• It is a special member function with the same name as that of the
class name, preceded by a tilde ( ̴ ) eg: ̴ integer( ) { }
• It is used to destroy objects created by the constructor
• Destructor is automatically executed by the compiler when the
object goes out of scope or upon exit from a program or a block.
• It is also invoked when delete operator is used to free memory
allocated with class pointer.
• A class can have only one destructor.

Characteristics of a destructor
• Destructor does not have a return type, not even void
• Destructor does not receive any arguments
• They do not have default values nor can be overloaded
• Destructors cannot be inherited, but the derived class can call the
destructor of the base class
• Destructors can be virtual, but constructors cannot
• Compiler can define a destructor if not explicitly defined.
• Destructor can make implicit calls to operator delete, if memory
de-allocation is needed for an object
• An object with a constructor or destructor cannot be used as a
member of a union.

Automatic initialization of objects


C++ provides a special member function called the constructor
which enables an object to initialize itself when it is created

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