Thread: Question about operator overloading

  1. #1
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    Question about operator overloading

    Hallo,

    I am doing some operator overloading and found something in a book I want to ask about:
    Code:
    Point &operator = (const Point &p);
    Why is there a & in front of the operator keyword?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Confused Magos's Avatar
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    Personally I prefer to put the & more to the left, like this:
    Code:
    Point& operator = (const Point& p);
    ...in which case it's easier to read that the operator returns a reference to a point (most likely itself, after the assignment)
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  3. #3
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    If you were not actually confused by the syntax but rather was asking why the copy assignment operator returns a reference, the answer is that it is to facilitate operator chaining, e.g., a = b = c.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  4. #4
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    Ah, ok. Think I got it.

    Working on a school assignment and dont want to use things I dont understand

    Thanks

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