Re: operator < stopped working

From:
"Victor Bazarov" <v.Abazarov@comAcast.net>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Tue, 2 Oct 2007 15:02:36 -0400
Message-ID:
<fdu4ka$a57$1@news.datemas.de>
raan wrote:

All were working well until I decided to add a copy constructor.
Please see the program. I am getting

"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\Vc7\include
\functional(139) : error C2679: binary '<' : no operator found which
takes a right-hand operand of type 'const D' (or there is no
acceptable conversion)
"

Seems like I can't guarantee constant-ness anymore with the copy
constructor. How do I get around with this ?

// test-sets.cpp : Defines the entry point for the console
application.
//

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <set>
#include <map>

using namespace std;

class D
{

private:
  string a;

public:
  //Constructor
  D()
  {
  };


Please drop the semicolons after the function bodies. They are
so ugly.

  //Destructor
  ~D()
  {
  };
  //Copy constructor
  D(D& d)


The usual signature (the compiler-generated one's at least) is

   D(D const& d)

  {
  };
  std::string& getA()
  {
    return a;
  }


There is also a need to have a const version of that function:

    std::string const& getA() const
    {
        return a;
    }

Don't let it throw you off that they have the same body, they are
different!

  bool operator < (D d) const


The usual (idiomatic) way is to pass the operand by a reference
to cons:

    bool operator < (D const& d) const

  {
    if(a.compare(d.getA()) <0){
      return true;
    }else {
      return false;
    }
  }
};

int main()
{
   typedef std::set<D> dsets;


WHY?

   D *d = new D();


WHY?

   dsets s;
   s.insert(*d);


Eek!

 return 0;
}


What you should write is

    std::set<D> dsets;
    dsets.insert(D());

Or at least

    std::set<D> dsets;
    D d;
    dsets.insert(d);

Drop the habit of doing "new" all the time. Besides, you're
inconsistent. You didn't 'new' your 'dsets' object!

V
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