Re: Changing STL map Object Data

From:
"Alf P. Steinbach" <alfps@start.no>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Mon, 18 May 2009 03:25:16 +0200
Message-ID:
<guqdho$rbs$1@news.eternal-september.org>
* Mike Copeland:

   I have the following definition and declaration:

typedef struct ChipRecord // Chip Times record
{
    int bibNum; // Bib #
    short entAge; // Age
    char entGender; // Gender (M/F)
    char entRCode; // RCode
    char entECode; // Entrant Type code
    string entName; // Entrant Name
} tData; // entrant info records
    tData tWork;
typedef map<int, ChipRecord> BCI;
    BCI bci;
    map<int, ChipRecord>::iterator bIter;

   I'm reading a data file and storing objects of this type:
  
  tWork.entName = "Doe, John";
  tWork.entGender = 'M';
  tWork.entAge = 89;
  bci.insert(BCI::value_type(47, tWork));
[etc.]

   However, in subsequent processing I have to _change_ some of
this data (e.g. modify the entAge value). For example:

  bIter = bci.find(47);
  if(bIter != bci.end()) // DBE record exists in base file
  {
    tData &qWork = bIter->second;
    qWork.entAge = 35;
          // What do I do here to update the map object I've accessed?


You've already done that. :-)

That's why you (?) used a reference to declare 'qWork'.

  }


<code>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <map>

struct Entrant
{
     short age; // Age
     char gender; // Gender (M/F)
     char rCode; // RCode
     char eCode; // Entrant Type code
     std::string name; // Entrant Name
};

struct ChipRecord // Chip Times record
{
     int bibNum; // Bib #
     Entrant entrant;
};

int main()
{
     using namespace std;
     typedef map<int, ChipRecord> ChipRecords;

     ChipRecords records;
     ChipRecord& r = records[47];

     r.entrant.name = "Doe, John";
     r.entrant.gender = 'M';
     r.entrant.age = 89;

     ChipRecords::iterator const bIter = records.find(47);
     if(bIter != records.end()) // DBE record exists in base file
     {
         ChipRecord& rFound = bIter->second;
         rFound.entrant.age = 35;
         // You have already updated the map object that you've accessed.
     }
     cout << records[47].entrant.age << endl;
}
</code>

In addition to the C-ism and naming issues illustrated above, do consider
defining some constructors and so on. Also e.g. 'gender' should probably be an
enum type, and the 'rCode' and 'eCode' look very much like bug attractors.
Simply, with C++ you have the tools to abstract such things, and then your
application becomes so slick that the bugs find no traction and never get in.

Cheers & hth.,

- Alf

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