std:string's in structs

Once you start playing with non-trivial objects there is no way to get around initializing each member seperately.

You can ease the pain a bit by giving Node a constructor. Then at least you only have to write the init code once.

Well that was what I needed, both are good ideas. thanks

quote:

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Original post by chbfiv
Well that was what I needed, both are good ideas. thanks

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Zeroing a std::string in NOT a good idea.

In your case you can do: Node myNode = { 0, "something" };
Otherwise, write a constructor or live with initializing the one you need to initialize.

Actually, you can't CWizard.

A std::string has a constructor, and therefore a function call is made when the object is constructed. Non-trivial objects may not be used in aggregate initialization.

*EDIT* Well, F**K. There goes that... Apparently CWizard was correct. I guess the only thing you can't use in aggregate initialization are objects with a non-trivial constructor.

[edited by - daerid on October 15, 2003 7:45:42 PM]

quote:

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Original post by daerid
I guess the only thing you can't use in aggregate initialization are objects with a non-trivial constructor.

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Haven't tried lately, but I think you can initialize any object if it has an appropriate copy constructor, eg:

struct stuff_t
{
    not_a_trivial_1_t a;
    not_a_trivial_2_t b;
    not_a_trivial_3_t c;
};
 
stuff_t x = {
    not_a_trivial_1_t(foo, bar),
    not_a_trivial_2_t("lkjdslfsd"),
    not_a_trivial_3_t(1, 2, 3)
}; 

[edited by - CWizard on October 15, 2003 7:55:11 PM]

quote:

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Original post by daerid
Actually, you can''t CWizard.

A std::string has a constructor, and therefore a function call is made when the object is constructed. Non-trivial objects may not be used in aggregate initialization.

*EDIT* Well, F**K. There goes that... Apparently CWizard was correct. I guess the only thing you can''t use in aggregate initialization are objects with a non-trivial constructor.

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I would have to check to be sure, but I believe you can aggregate initialize anything with a single-argument constructor. string has one -- taking const char* -- so one can use that in the aggregate initializer.

At the expense of a copy, one could call any constructor, by creating an anonymous object in the aggregate initializer -- this will attempt to invoke the copy constructor which, of course, is a one-argument constructor.

Like I say, I would have to check to be certain of this, but I think it''s how things work.

why not just make it a class with a constructor?

Well you can jst do this, as Anon Mike pointed out

struct Node {
Node() :Label("ANameofANode"),somenumber(2) { }
string Label;
int somenumber;
};


ZeroMemory( &Node, sizeof(Node)); also works, except someone here says that is bad=) Thats also a Windows function btw.

The default constructor isn''t a bad way of doing things anyway much cleaner than ZeroMemory which you have to be REAL careful of with any objects that use virtual functions. Since there is a chance with any byte manipulation tools that you''ll also corrupt the VTABLE (stands for virtual''s table, it''s the way the c++ compiler keeps track of the virtuals inside a class)

quote:

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Original post by chbfiv
Well you can jst do this, as Anon Mike pointed out

struct Node {
Node() :Label("ANameofANode"),somenumber(2) { }
string Label;
int somenumber;
};


ZeroMemory( &Node, sizeof(Node)); also works, except someone here says that is bad=) Thats also a Windows function btw.

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