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Chapter 14: Problem 10

Why must the parameter of a copy constructor be a reference?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: It is important for the parameter of a copy constructor to be a reference because it prevents infinite loops during the copying process and ensures efficient memory usage by working directly with the original data without creating new copies.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Constructors

Constructors are special member functions in a class that are executed whenever an object is created. They are used to initialize the object's attributes.
02

Understand Copy Constructors

A copy constructor is a constructor that initializes an object using another object of the same class. It creates a new, independent object by duplicating the data from an existing object.
03

Understand Reference Parameters

A reference parameter is an alias for the actual argument passed to a function. Using references allows functions to efficiently work with large amounts of data without copying the entire data, and it enables the function to modify the original data.
04

Understand the Need for a Reference in a Copy Constructor

The reason why the parameter of a copy constructor should be a reference is mainly to avoid an infinite loop and to save memory. 1. Infinite Loop: When the copy constructor takes an object by value, it will call the copy constructor again to create a temporary object. This causes an infinite loop of calls to the copy constructor. 2. Save memory: Using a reference parameter in a copy constructor is more efficient because it avoids the unnecessary copying of data, as it directly works with the original data without creating new copies. In summary, the parameter of a copy constructor must be a reference to prevent infinite loops and to ensure efficient memory usage.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

\(\mathrm{A}(\mathrm{n})\) ____________ member function cannot access any nonstatic member variables in its own class.

What is a default copy constructor?

Each of the following class declarations has errors. Locate as many as you can. class Box { private: double width; double length; double height; public: Box(double w, l, h) { width = w; length = l; height = h; } Box(Box b) // Copy constructor { width = b.width; length = b.length; height = b.height; } ... Other member functions follow ... };

A static member function may be called _____________ any instances of its class are defined.

Assume a class named Yen exists. Write the header for a member function that overloads the \(<\) operator for that class.
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