Enumerated constants

• Can we make “codes” for a set of items?

Intro to C++ part 4
Marge Coahran
Some material from:
Winstohn, P.H., “On to C++”
ISBN: 0-201-58043-8
const int box_code = 0;
const int tank_code = 1;
const int flat_code = 2;
• Even easier:
enum {box_code, tank_code, flat_code};
enum {ftp = 21, ssh = 23, http = 80 };

Using enumerated constants Enumerated types

int type_code; • declare an enumerated type:
… enum car_code {box_code, tank_code, flat_code};
switch (type_code) {
case box_code: train[i] = new BoxCar; break;
case tank_code: train[i] = new TankCar; break; • declare a variable of that type:
case flat_code: train[i] = new FlatCar; break; enum car_code type_code;
default: cerr << “Invalid type code ” <<
type_code << endl;
}; • now we can only assign valid types:
type_code = box_code;
• Can we avoid this error? type_code = 0; /* ERROR */

More Constructors More Constructors (II)

class TankCar { class Plant {
public: public:
//constructor with default parameters values enum color_code {green, red, white};
TankCar(int h = 10, int w = 5, int l = 10) {
height = h, width = w, length = l}; Plant(color_code c = green);
private: …
double height, width, length; };
};
class Raspberry : public Plant {
main() { public:
TankCar x; //constructor that calls its parent’s constructor
TankCar x(12, 7,12); Raspberry() : Plant(red) {…};
TankCar x(12); …
}
}
 Freeing dynamic memory Freeing dynamic memory (II)
• Recall -- allocating dynamic memory: • To delete (free) objects pointed to by an array of
Plant* p1 = new Plant; pointers:
Plant* p2 = new Plant[100];
main() {
• To delete (free) a single object pointed to by p1: Plant* forest[100];
delete p1; forest[0] = new Plant;
forest[1] = new Plant;
• To delete (free) an array pointed to by p2: …
delete [ ] p2;
for (int i=0; i<100; i++)
• “Different implementations will react differently to delete forest[i];
incorrect uses of delete and delete [].” (Stroustrup, 1997) }

Dynamic memory in class objects Destructors

• When an object goes out of scope, its local memory is • The class destructor runs when an object goes out of
reclaimed. But what about dynamic memory? scope. Free dynamically allocated memory there.

class BoxCar : public RailCar { class BoxCar :public RailCar {

Public: Public:
BoxCar(char* snum); BoxCar(char* snum);
Private: ~BoxCar(); //destructor (only one!)
char* serial_num; Private:
}; char* serial_num;
BoxCar::BoxCar(char * snum) { };
//dynamically allocate space for serial number BoxCar::~BoxCar() {
serial_num = new char[strlen(snum)+1]; // free dynamically allocated memory
strcpy(serial_num, snum); delete [ ] serial_num;
} };

Destructors (II) Virtual Destructors

• When a dynamically allocated object is deleted • If a base class has any virtual functions, it should also
(freed), its destructor automatically runs. have a virtual destructor (even if empty) to ensure the
subclass destructor runs in this case.

main() { class RailCar {

RailCar* ptr = new BoxCar(“46520”); Public:
RailCar ();
delete ptr;
virtual ~RailCar () { }; //virtual destructor
}
…
Private:
• But which destructor runs: ~BoxCar() or …
~RailCar()? };