Re: replicating default constructor's "non-initializing state"
On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 12:07:03 -0700 (PDT), Jason Doucette
<jdoucette@gmail.com> wrote:
Situation:
I have a simple struct that, say, holds a color (R, G, and B). I
created my own constructors to ease its creation. As a result, I lose
the default constructor. I dislike this, but it's easy to solve: I
just make my own default constructor.
Problem:
My own default constructor is considered to be *initializing the
variable* (even though it doesn't), whereas the original one does
not. Thus, when I declare and use it before initializing it, the
compiler no longer warns me.
Question:
Are there any compiler settings (even compiler specific ones; I am
using MSVC++) that state MY default constructor behaves exactly like
the regular default constructor?
No.
P.S. My default constructor could initialize the variable to all 0's,
but this has two unwanted effects: 1. It slows down code in which
this initialization needn't occur.
Almost certainly by an imperceptible degree.
2. It potentially hides bugs that
would show up if it were left uninitialized as it should be. (This is
similar to how MSVC++'s debugger initializes all variables to 0, which
is silly, since it should initialize them to randomness -- as will
happen in the release build -- to make bugs appear as quickly as
possible).
The debugger doesn't do that, and AFAIK, never has. (I've been hearing this
for many years, and I still don't know how this rumor got started.) When
certain debug options are in effect, the compiler will initialize locals to
certain non-zero patterns.
--
Doug Harrison
Visual C++ MVP
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