CONSTRUCTORS
AND
DESTRUCTORS
Harinder Singh
Sukhpal Singh
Thapar University, Patiala
Batch: 2011-2013
WHAT IS A CONSTRUCTOR ?
In c++ , a constructor is a special member function whose task is to initialize the objects of its class.
It is special because its name is the same as the class name.
It is called constructor because it constructs the value of data members of the class.
The constructor is invoked whenever an object of its associated class is created.
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CLASS WITH A CONSTRUCTOR Class integer {
int m, n;
public:
integer(void); // constructor declared
};
Integer : : integer (void) // constructor defined
{
m=0; n=0;
}
Object declartion:
Integer int1; // object int1 created
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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONSTRUCTOR
They should be declared in public section.
They are invoked automatically when the objects are
created.
They don't have return types, cannot return values.
A constructor that accepts no parameters is called
default constructor. The default constructor for class
A is A:: A() . The statement A a; invokes the default
constructor of the compiler to create the object a.
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PARAMETERIZED CONSTRUCTOR The constructor that can take arguments.
Class integer {
int m, n;
public:
integer(int x, int y); //parameterized constructor
};
Integer : : integer (int x, int y)
{
m=x; n=y;
}
Object declaration statement integer int1 ; do not work
here.
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CALL IN PARAMETERIZED CONSTRUCTOR
We must pass the initial values as arguments to
the constructor function when object is created.
This can be done in two ways:
By calling the constructor explicitly.
integer int1 = integer(0, 100);
By calling the constructor implicitly.
integer int1(0, 100);
This method is also called shorthand method.
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EXPLICIT/IMPLICIT CALL
int main()
{
integer int1(0, 100); //implicit call
integer int2 = integer(25, 75); //explicit call
cout
MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTOR IN A CLASS
Class integer
{
int m, n;
public:
integer() //default constructor
{m=0; n=0;}
integer(int a, int b) //parameterized constructor
{m=a; n=b;}
integer(integer & i) //copy constructor
{m= i.m; n= i.n;}
};
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CONSTRUCTORS WITH DEFAULT ARGUMENTS
complex(float real , float imag=0)
{
}
complex c1(5.0);
complex c2(2.0,3.0);
Difference b/w A::A() and A::A(int a=0).
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DYNAMIC INITIALIZATION OF OBJECTS
Provide various initialization formats using
overloaded constructors.
Fixed_deposit() { }
Fixed_deposit(long int p, int y ,float r=0.12);
Fixed_deposit( long int p, int y, int r);
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COPY CONSTRUCTOR
It is used to declare and initialize an object from another object.
e.g code() { } code( int a) {id = a;} code( code &x){ id = x.id; } //copy constructor.
And various calls for them are:
code A(100); // object A is Created and initialized.
code B(A); // copy constructor called.
code C = A; // copy constructor called again.
code D; // object D is created , not initialized
D=A; // copy constructor is not called.
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DYNAMIC CONSTRUCTORS
It is used to allocate memory while creating
objects.
Enable the system to allocate right amount of memory for each object when objects are not of same size.
Thus resulting in saving of memory.
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DYNAMIC CONSTRUCTORS
class String
{
char *name;
int length;
public:
String ()
{ length = 0;
name = new char[length+1];
}
String (char *s)
{ length = strlen(s);
name = new char[length+1];
strcpy(name, s);
}
};
main()
{
Char *first = ME_SE_CR ;
String name1( first);
String name2( Rupinder);
.
.
.
}
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DESTRUCTORS
~ integer() { }
As new is used to allocate memory in dynamic constructors, here we use delete to free that memory.
Never take any argument nor does it return any value.
It will be invoked implicitly by compiler upon exit from program or a block or a function.
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DESTRUCTORS
Int count = 0;
class test1
{
public :
~test1()
{
count ++;
cout
OUT PUT
Enter Main
No. of object created 1
No. of object created 2
No. of object created 3
No. of object created 4
Enter block 1
No. of object created 5
No. of object destroyed 5
Enter block 2
No. of object created 5
No. of object destroyed 5
Re - Enter Main
No. of object destroyed 4
No. of object destroyed 3
No. of object destroyed 2
No. of object destroyed 1
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THANK YOU
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