Help with constructors!

Hi everyone, it's been a long time since I've been here. I've come along way with C++, but I'm stuck with a problem I can't come to figure out: constructor use.

NOTE: I'm not asking you to do the whole problem for me, but simply help with using the constructor correctly!

Here's the problem:
http://www.filecram.com/files/03-20-2008 11;32;08AM.JPG

This is what I have so far:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

class SavingAccount
{
   private:
   string IdNo,
          name;
   double balance,
          rate;
   public:
   //SavingAccount(string UserID, string UserName);
   string GetId();
};

string SavingAccount::GetId()
{ 
   cout <<"Please enter your I.D. number." << endl;
   cin  >> 
       
}



class ATM
{
   public:
   SavingAccount amount;
      
};

class User
{
   public:
   ATM UserAccess;
      
};
int main()
{
    User UserInfo;
    
    cout <<"AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE PROGRAM" << endl;
    cout <<"--------------------------------" << endl;
    cout <<"This program works like an ATM (automatic teller machine) - allowing the user to";
    cout <<"withdraw money from their account. We will withdraw $100.00 from the account." << endl;
    UserInfo.UserAccess.amount.GetId(); 

system("pause");
return 0;   
}

I know how to use construtors within a class and nested classes, but the problem I'm having are using the three functions - string GetId(), string GetName(), double GetBalance() - with the constructor. How am I suppose to pass the values called by each of the function when they all have a return type?

A constructor is used to instantiate an object. If you already have a SavingAccount object, it implies that the SavingAccount constructor has been used. But if you do not have a SavingAccount object, you cannot use its GetId() member function.

To resolve this paradox, do not ask for user input in GetID(). Instead GetID() would just return the IdNo. Rather, from outside the class, get the user input and use that to create a SavingAccount object.

Originally Posted by laserlight

To resolve this paradox, do not ask for user input in GetID(). Instead GetID() would just return the IdNo. Rather, from outside the class, get the user input and use that to create a SavingAccount object.

I was thinking of using that method, but I thought the "Get" functions were used to get information from the user by input, not return it; I think that's what "Accessors" were for. Could I just simply create variables in function main and pass them off in the SavingAccount constructor?

Code:

int main()
{
     ATM UserInfo;
    string UserID,
    string UserName;

    cout <<"AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE PROGRAM" << endl;
    cout <<"--------------------------------" << endl;
    cout <<"This program works like an ATM (automatic teller machine) - allowing the user to";
    cout <<"withdraw money from their account. We will withdraw $100.00 from the account." << endl;
   cout <<"Please enter your I.D. number." << endl;
   cin  >> UserID;
   cout <<"Please enter your name." << endl;
   getline(cin,UserName);
   UserInfo.UserAccess.amount.SavingAccount(UserID,UserName);

system("pause");
return 0;   
}

Will this function, UserInfo.UserAccess.amount.SavingAccount(UserID,Us erName);, work? If not, I'm simply create member functions within the SavingAccount class to aquire the user data. Thanks for your help!

I was thinking of using that method, but I thought the "Get" functions were used to get information from the user by input, not return it; I think that's what "Accessors" were for.

GetID() is an accessor.

Could I just simply create variables in function main and pass them off in the SavingAccount constructor?

Yes, you could. You could also write a free (non-member) function that asks for user input, creates and returns a SavingAccount object. Or you could create a default SavingAccount object, then assign to its member variables via mutators.

Will this function, UserInfo.UserAccess.amount.SavingAccount(UserID,Us erName);, work?

Try before you ask.

Get returns data, Set sets data. Anything else will just confuse people.

If you look back at the original question, it says,"You have to define one class for each object. Each object should contain, as a minimum, the following attributes and member functions." Am I suppose to use a nested class to access member functions from the SavingAccount class? For example, in main, I'm using an ATM object called UserData to access member functions in the SavingAccount class.

*Area of interest in bold red.

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

class SavingAccount
{
    private:
    string name,
           IdNo;
    double balance,
           rate;
    
    public:
    //Constructor; Initializes the user's name, I.D., and balance
    SavingAccount(string UserID, string UserName, double bal = 0.00);
    //Destructor
    ~SavingAccount();
  bool Withdraw(double);
    
};

SavingAccount::SavingAccount(string UserID, string UserName, double bal)
{
    name = UserName;
    IdNo = UserID;
    balance = bal;
}

SavingAccount::~SavingAccount()
{
                                 
}

bool SavingAccount::Withdraw(double amount)
{
  cout <<"Test" << endl;     
}
class ATM
{
   public:
   SavingAccount amount;
      
};
int main()
{
    string UserName,
           UserID;
           
    cout <<"AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE PROGRAM" << endl;
    cout <<"--------------------------------" << endl;
    cout <<"This program works like an ATM (automatic teller machine) - allowing the user to";
    cout <<"withdraw money from their account. For this exercise, we will withdraw $100.00." << endl;
    cout << endl;
    
    //Get User's Name and I.D. number
    cout <<"Please enter your name." << endl;
    getline(cin,UserName);
    cout << endl;
    cout <<"Please enter your I.D. number." << endl;
    cin  >> UserID;
    cout << endl;
    
    //Stores User's Name and I.D. number within constructor
    SavingAccount UserData(UserID, UserName);
    
    //Message sent to ATM object to withdraw $100.00
    ATM UserAccess.amount.Withdraw(100.00);    
system("pause");
return 0;    
}

Everytime I do this, I get errors:
- expected primary-expression before "UserAccess"
- expected `;' before "UserAccess"

What do you think the code you highlighted in main() should do?

Originally Posted by laserlight

What do you think the code you highlighted in main() should do?

It's suppose to access the SavingAccount class, from the ATM class, which then stores the 100.00 inside the member function WithDraw. Whenever I run the program it says I have two errors, which are listed below.

It's suppose to access the SavingAccount class, from the ATM class, which then stores the 100.00 inside the member function WithDraw.

However, what it looks like is an attempt to declare an ATM object named UserAccess.amount.Withdraw, but of course such a variable name is not allowed.

You need to create an ATM object first.

Originally Posted by laserlight

However, what it looks like is an attempt to declare an ATM object named UserAccess.amount.Withdraw, but of course such a variable name is not allowed.

You need to create an ATM object first.

I don't know why, but when I create an ATM object, I get an error when I try to compile the program. Here's what I have so far:

Code:

class ATM
{
   public:
   SavingAccount amount;
      
};



int main()
{
    string UserName,
           UserID;
           
    cout <<"AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE PROGRAM" << endl;
    cout <<"--------------------------------" << endl;
    cout <<"This program works like an ATM (automatic teller machine) - allowing the user to";
    cout <<"withdraw money from their account. For this exercise, we will withdraw $100.00." << endl;
    cout << endl;
    
    //Get User's Name and I.D. number
    cout <<"Please enter your name." << endl;
    getline(cin,UserName);
    cout << endl;
    cout <<"Please enter your I.D. number." << endl;
    cin  >> UserID;
    cout << endl;
    
    //Stores User's Name and I.D. number within constructor
    SavingAccount UserData(UserID, UserName);
    
    //Message sent to ATM object to withdraw $100.00
    ATM UserAccess;

The ATM object is "UserAccess." Whenever I try to do an extension - or whatever the proper name is - to call the function withdraw in the SavingAccount class, I get an error. For example, here's what I did earlier to access the data.

Code:

ATM UserAccess  // UserAccess class object
UserAccess.amount.Withdraw(100.00)

I'm seriously stumped and this one problem is messing me up. Thanks for the help laserlight. I really appreciate it!

As dubious as it may sound, an ATM needs to create it's savings account member named "amount" in order to exist. That is what needs to happen when you create an ATM object. I'm actually quite bothered that your instructor has asked you to do it this way, but the constructor prototype he gave

SavingAccount (string name, string id, double rate, double bal = 0.00);

suggests that he expects you to create all the bank's savings accounts before an ATM machine exists, and the ATM machine is supposed to use one of them through it's own member. If I may may repeat a solution:

Originally Posted by laserlight

you could create a default SavingAccount object, then assign to its member variables via mutators.

Originally Posted by citizen

I'm actually quite bothered that your instructor has asked you to do it this way, but the constructor prototype he gave

SavingAccount (string name, string id, double rate, double bal = 0.00);

I agree as well. I could simply do this with one class alone using a constructor and destructor without the hassle of using multiple classes and objects. Thanks citizen!

No, to do OOP properly, you have to understand how classes can work with each other. Your teacher is asserting that an ATM "has a" savings account; that is, if you wanted to understand what an ATM is, a savings account has to be one of it's parts. That's where I don't agree. You could express the relationship that ATMs have with bank accounts in a cleaner way.

But since I am not the teacher and you are the student, we have to follow the teacher's rules. And while I don't like it very much, laserlight came up with an idea that works fine. The idea is that you should build a member function for ATM that manages the account it's using.

For example, here's an outline of what to expect.

Code:

#include <string>
#include <iostream>

class SavingAccount
{
public:
    SavingAccount (); // implement a default constructor
    SavingAccount (string name, string id, double rate, double bal = 0.00);

    string GetName();
    string GetID();
    double GetBalance();
    double GetRate();

    // other required members here...
    // perhaps some private ones?
};

class ATM
{
public:
    void Reset (const SavingAccount & saver);
    // other members...
private:
    SavingAccount amount;
    // ...
};

// set the ATM machine to work with saver's account after you prove
// your identity.
void ATM::Reset (const SavingAccount & saver)
{
    // transfer the saver data.
    idNo = saver.GetID();
    name = saver.GetName();
    rate = saver.GetRate();
    balance = saver.GetBalance();

    return ;
}

Initially nor most of the time, the ATM isn't looking at a specific account that you should be using, so it must be reset to one before a withdraw is attempted and so forth.