Re: Overloading Subscript operator

From:
Fei Liu <feiliu@aepnetworks.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Mon, 02 Apr 2007 15:58:27 -0400
Message-ID:
<eurn90$2kq$1@aioe.org>
raan wrote:

What I am trying to achieve here is depicted in the small program
below.

// Wrapit.cpp : Defines the entry point for the console application.
//

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <map>
#include <list>

using namespace std;

class A
{

 private:
   string a;
   string b;
   string c;
 public:
   A(){}

};

class B
{

  private:
  string a;
  string b;
  string c;

  public:
    B(){cout << "B constructor is being called \n";}
};

class C
{
  private:
    map<string, A *> aobj;
    map<string, B *> bobj;
  public:

  C(){cout << "Constructor of C called \n";}

  template <class T>
  T& operator [] (string key)
  {
     cout << "Operator [] called \n";
     return new A(); //if the key has a particular text in it return
new A
                     // otherwise return new B();
  }

};

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
    C c;
    c["abcd"] = new A();
    c["efgh"] = new B();

    return 0;
}

Obviously the above program will give you compiler errors.

I am trying to put a wrapper around the maps. And the insertion to the
maps is done through an
(eg . c["abcd"] = new A()) overloaded [] operator. Further I want to
use just one [] version of the function, but inside I will determine
whether I should return a new A() or a new B(). The string I recieved
as argument will have enough information for me to decide which object
to be returned. How would i do it.

My environment: VS2003 on Windows XP.

All your helps appreciated


There are a couple issues with your code:
1) assuming your [] operator works, the return type is a temporary const
T & that cannot be assignee.
2) it's awkward to really tell the compiler to pick up the template
argument, check the following code:

#include <map>
#include <list>
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

class A
{

  private:
    string a;
    string b;
    string c;
  public:
    A(){}

};

class B
{

   private:
   string a;
   string b;
   string c;

   public:
     B(){cout << "B constructor is being called \n";}
};

class C
{
   private:
     map<string, A *> aobj;
     map<string, B *> bobj;
   public:

   C(){cout << "Constructor of C called \n";}

   template <class T>
   T* at (string key)
   {
      cout << "Operator [] called \n";
      return new A(); //if the key has a particular text in it returnnew A
                      // otherwise return new B();
   }
template <class T>
   T* operator [] (string key)
   {
      cout << "Operator [] called \n";
      return new A(); //if the key has a particular text in it returnnew A
                      // otherwise return new B();
   }

};
#define _tmain main
#define _TCHAR char

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
     C c;
     A* a = c.at<A>("abcd");
     A* aa = c.operator[]<A>("abcd");
// c.get<B>["efgh"] = new B();

    return 0;
}

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