When we define a struct (or class) type, we can provide a default initialization value for each member as part of the type definition. This process is called , and the initialization value is called a . Here’s an example: struct Something { int x; // no initialization value (bad) …
In the previous lesson (), we talked about how to define structs, instantiate struct objects, and access their members. In this lesson, we’ll discuss how structs are intialized. Data members are not initialized by default Much like normal variables, data members are not initialized by default. Consider the following struct: …
In the prior lesson (), we mentioned that enumerators are symbolic constants. What we didn’t tell you then is that enumerators are integral symbolic constants. As a result, enumerated types actually hold an integral value. This is similar to the case with chars (). Consider: char ch { ‘A’ }; …
Because fundamental types are defined as part of the core C++ language, they are available for immediate use. For example, if we want to define a variable with a type of int or double, we can just do so: int x; // define variable of fundamental type ‘int’ double d; …
This lesson is a continuation of . Pass by address for “optional” arguments One of the more common uses for pass by address is to allow a function to accept an “optional” argument. This is easier to illustrate by example than to describe: #include <iostream> #include <string> void greet(std::string* name=nullptr) …
Before we talk about our first compound type (lvalue references), we’re going to take a little detour and talk about what an lvalue is. In lesson , we defined an expression as, “a combination of literals, variables, operators, and function calls that can be executed to produce a singular value”. …
In lesson , we introduced the fundamental data types, which are the basic data types that C++ provides as part of the core language. We’ve made much use of these fundamental types in our programs so far, especially the int data type. And while these fundamental types are extremely useful …
Implicit type conversion Consider the following program: #include <iostream> void print(double x) // print takes an double parameter { std::cout << x; } int main() { print(5); // what happens when we pass an int value? return 0; } In the above example, the print() function has a parameter of …
What is C++20? In February of 2020, the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) approved a new version of C++, called C++20. C++20 contains the most changes to the language since C++11. New improvements in C++20 For your interest, here’s a list of the major improvements that C++20 adds. Note that …
In the previous lesson (), we introduced function templates, and converted a normal max() function into a max<T> function template: template <typename T> T max(T x, T y) { return (x > y) ? x : y; } In this lesson, we’ll focus on how function templates are used. Function …
