Chapter 14: Problem 51

True or False If a class has a pointer as a member, it's a good idea to also have a copy constructor.

Short Answer

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Answer: Having a copy constructor in a class with a pointer as a member ensures that each object has its own separate memory space for the pointer members, avoiding potential issues with shared memory addresses caused by the default shallow copying behavior. Implementing a deep copy in the copy constructor prevents problems like double deletion or unintended modifications of shared memory addresses.

Step by step solution

Understanding Pointers and Classes

When a class has a pointer as a member, it means that this member is pointing to an address in the memory, which in most cases, the class itself is responsible for allocating and deallocating memory for that pointer. When the default copy constructor is called, it performs a shallow copy, meaning the member-wise copy of the class members. In case of pointers, this results in the copied object having the same memory address as the original object, which may lead to issues like double deletion or modification of the same shared address between different objects.

Concept of Copy Constructor

By having a copy constructor in a class, we make sure that when an object is copied, the copy is created in a manner that suits the requirements of the class and avoids issues like sharing the same address in the case of pointer members. A copy constructor is a special constructor that takes a reference to an object of the same class as a parameter and creates a new object with the same values as the object being referenced.

Deep Copy

Implementing a copy constructor for a class with a pointer as a member involves creating a deep copy of the object. A deep copy means that not only the primitive value members of the class are copied, but also the content of memory addresses that the pointer members are referring to, allocating new memory addresses for the pointers in the copied object. This way, each object has its own memory space for the pointer members, preventing issues with shared memory addresses.

Conclusion

True. If a class has a pointer as a member, it's indeed a good idea to also have a copy constructor, to make sure each object has its own separate memory space for the pointer members. This helps avoid potential problems with shared memory addresses (like double deletion or unintended modifications) that can arise from the default shallow copying behavior of the default copy constructor.

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True or False If a class has a pointer as a member, it's a good idea to also have a copy constructor.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understanding Pointers and Classes

Concept of Copy Constructor

Deep Copy

Conclusion

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