Displaying pointer's actual values in inheritance

Basically the problem goes like this...

I have a parent class called Head, and a derived class ( from Head ) called Arms.

Head *MyHead; // Pointer
Arms MyArms;

I have overloaded the operator << to handle file output, so when I do "outfile << MyArms", it is supposed to output it's variables into whatever outfile is.

MyHead = &MyArms;

Now I need to use the same overloaded operator ( << ) on MyHead, but what it outputs is the memory address of MyArms, instead of what is specified in the code of the overloaded << ( which is supposed to output its variables ).

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thank you!

How are you going about printing it out just like this

Code:

<<MyHead

The code in << overloading goes like this

Code:

ofstream &operator << (ofstream &out, Arms MyArms)
{
         out << MyArms.size << MyArms.Length;
}

try doing this on my head

Code:

out<<myHead->size<<myHead->Length;

Actually my project requires me to make use of the overloaded operator to output the variables, so I pretty much must use

Code:

outfile << MyHead

And the actual code to display the variables will have to go into the overloaded operator.

Sorry for not mentioning this, but in fact there is actually another child class ( derived from Head ) that has its own different set of variables..

So when I do

Code:

outfile << MyHead

, it should be able to identify whether it is point to an Arms object or the other ( lets call it Legs ), and use the corresponding overloaded operator ( Legs has << overloaded too, for the same purpose ).

could i possibly see your 3 classes ?

Code:

class Head
{
public:
constructors etc;

protected:
int size;
int length;
char name[21];
};

class Arms : public Head
{
friend bah bah // overloading the << operator specifically for Arms
public :
constructs etc;

private:
int number;
int somevar;
};

class Legs : public Head
{

friend bah bah // overloading the << operator specifically for Legs
public:
constructors etc;

private :
int anothervar;
int yetsomevar;
};

I have 3 arrays in fact,

Code:

Head * MyHeads[20];
Arms MyArms[20];
Legs MyLegs[20];

Data are read into MyArms and MyLegs with respective expected inputs, and then MyHeads pointer array is used to point to each and every one of the initalised cells of MyArms and MyLegs...

So what I meant was,
MyHeads[0] = & MyArms[0];
MyHeads[1] = & MyLegs[0];

The point was to combine both MyArms and MyLegs into one array, and sort them by name.

So now I have MyHeads filled with pointers to MyArms and MyLegs objects ( sorted ), and I want to output the sorted list into a file.

Thus if I were to go

Code:

for( int x = 0; x < 20; x++) // assuming all 20 slots are filled
{
outfile << MyHeads[x];
}

If i'm not wrong, what the loop does it to call the corresponding overloaded << ( Arms or Legs ), which then in the overloaded << it'll display its variables into a file..

But instead, it outputs the memory address of the pointed object.

so basically you need to out put the my head's array
try this instead

Code:

for(int i = 0,i<20;i++)
{
  out<<*MyHeads[i];
}

I get this error

binary '<<' : no operator defined which takes a right-hand operand of type 'class Head' ( or there is no acceptable conversion )

If i'm not completely mistaken, it is looking under Head for the overloaded operator, instead of the subclass Arms or Legs depending on what the current cell is pointing to. Is there anyway to get around this?

Hrm its late(probably why im not much of help) try this one more thing than im going

Code:

for(int i=0;i<20;i++)
{
   out<<myHead[i]->overLoadedOperatorFunction
}

Tried

Code:

out << MyHead[x]->operator<<; // << is not a member of Head
out << MyHead[x]-><<; // Syntax error

Your help is greatly appreciated prog-bman, even if it doesn't work out just yet, you have my most sincere gratitude = )

Can you possibly put your overloaded operator in you base class and then it could be derived from your child classes?

That, unfortunately, will be against the requirements of my project

Each class ( derived or not ) has its own specified set of member functions, variables and overloaded operators. I am not allowed to add / modify those

Btw please check your inbox Prog-Bman!

This test application works for me... you'll need to enable RTTI in your project settings for it to work:

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Head
{
public:
    virtual ~Head() {}
protected:
    int size;
    int length;
    char name[21];
};

class Arms : public Head
{
public:
    friend ostream& operator<< (ostream& os, const Arms& AnArm);
    Arms()
    {
        number = 10;
        somevar = 30;
        size = 50;
        length = 70;
    }
private:
    int number;
    int somevar;
};

ostream& operator<< (ostream& os, const Arms& AnArm)
{
    os << "Arm: number(" << AnArm.number
       << "), somevar(" << AnArm.somevar
       << "), size(" << AnArm.size
       << "), length(" << AnArm.length
       << ")" << endl;
    return os;
}

class Legs : public Head
{
public:
    friend ostream& operator<< (ostream& os, const Legs& ALeg);
    Legs()
    {
        anothervar = 20;
        yetsomevar = 40;
        size = 60;
        length = 80;
    }
private:
    int anothervar;
    int yetsomevar;
};

ostream& operator<< (ostream& os, const Legs& ALeg)
{
    os << "Leg: anothervar(" << ALeg.anothervar
       << "), yetsomevar(" << ALeg.yetsomevar
       << "), size(" << ALeg.size
       << "), length(" << ALeg.length
       << ")" << endl;
    return os;
}

int main()
{
    Head* MyHeads[10];
    Arms MyArms[5];
    Legs MyLegs[5];

    // Alternately assign Arms ptr then Legs ptr to MyHeads array

    for( int x = 0, i = 0; x < 10; ++x )
    {
        if( !(x % 2) ) MyHeads[x] = &MyArms[i]; // Even MyHeads gets an arm
        else MyHeads[x] = &MyLegs[i++];         // Odd MyHeads gets a leg
    }

    // Now print them out

    for( int y = 0; y < 10; ++y )
    {
        Arms* Arm = dynamic_cast<Arms*>(MyHeads[y]);
        Legs* Leg = dynamic_cast<Legs*>(MyHeads[y]);
        if( Arm ) cout << *Arm;
        else cout << *Leg;
    }

    return 0;
}

Barring any typos, this should output:

Code:

Arm: number(10), somevar(30), size(50), length(70)
Leg: anothervar(20), yetsomevar(40), size(60), length(80)
Arm: number(10), somevar(30), size(50), length(70)
Leg: anothervar(20), yetsomevar(40), size(60), length(80)
Arm: number(10), somevar(30), size(50), length(70)
Leg: anothervar(20), yetsomevar(40), size(60), length(80)
Arm: number(10), somevar(30), size(50), length(70)
Leg: anothervar(20), yetsomevar(40), size(60), length(80)
Arm: number(10), somevar(30), size(50), length(70)
Leg: anothervar(20), yetsomevar(40), size(60), length(80)

Oh my god... That worked like a charm!!

Thank you so much hk_mp5hkpw and prog-bman, I greatly appreciate your help!!!

*dance*