Thread: operator++() automatically return (*this)?

  1. #1
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    Question operator++() automatically return (*this)?

    Hey all, this is my first post here and well just saying hi since it's my first post.


    Anyhew, i was reading in an OOP book (pre-current-standard) that the overloaded operator++ function automatically returns the this pointer, (at least if the return type is not void), so you don't need to explicitly write return (*this). The book kinda just left it at that so i was wondering if this is for all operator functions that you can leave out return (*this) statement explicitly, or maybe all functions that return an object of their class?

  2. #2
    Carnivore ('-'v) Hunter2's Avatar
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    If it works for operator++ it probably will for the rest... But that whole thing about not explicitly returning a value sounds kind of dangerous. It's a bad habit to get into, leaving out the return statements for functions that are supposed to return values. It reminds me of the whole 'void main' thing (do a board search on 'void main' and you'll see what I mean).

    **P.S. Welcome to CProg
    Last edited by Hunter2; 07-07-2004 at 02:21 PM.
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  3. #3
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    cool thanks.
    Personally i try to be fairly explicit when coding and try to provide good comments/documentation.

    It's a weird thing with programming books though, you can never have just one, cause some other book probably explains something you read in more detail, or provides more hints/tips,etc, ah well...

  4. #4
    Carnivore ('-'v) Hunter2's Avatar
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    >>and try to provide good comments/documentation.
    That's where I always fall down

    >>cause some other book probably explains something you read in more detail, or provides more hints/tips,etc
    Yup. Actually, CProg is a pretty good resource for that type of thing. If you're curious about some kind of detail, or need a hint about anything (provided you've done as much as you can already on your own), the gurus and gurus-in-training around here are always glad to help
    Just Google It. √

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