Thread: Class Concept

OK, we are being introduced to classes in my C++ class.

Here are my .h files:

Code:

// "str.h" file

class Str {													//create class 'str'
	char s[32];												//define array of 32 characters
public:
	Str (char *p="");										//ctor (default)
	int operator<(Str &str);								//operator 
	friend istream & operator>>(istream &in, Str &str);
	friend ostream & operator<<(ostream &out, Str &str);
};
#endif

//    "student.h" file

#ifndef STUDENT_H
#define STUDENT_H
#include <iostream.h>
#include "str.h"


class student{
	Str name;
	int grade;
public:
	student(char *n="", int g=0);
	friend istream &operator >> (istream &in, student &student);
	friend ostream &operator << (ostream &out, student &student);
};
#endif

Which looks ok.....

My main .cpp file returns errors, I am posting just one function for brevity:

Code:

void Sortbygrade (student s, int count)
	{
		for (int i=0; i< count-1; i++) 
			for (int j=0; j<count-1; j++)
				if (s[j+1].grade > s[j].grade)    //error here
					{					
					student n;
					n=s[j];    //error here
					s[j]=s[j+1];    //error here
					s[j+1]=n;    //error here
					};
	}

My errors are as follows:

C:\Cpp1.cpp(54) : error C2676: binary '[' : 'class student' does not define this operator or a conversion to a type acceptable to the predefined operator

Now, where am I going wrong on the operator? I am sorting a list of students that will be read from a file.

Originally Posted by CornedBee

s is a variable of type student, not an array of or pointer to it. I believe you meant to pass a pointer.

If I am not creating an array, how do I compare two values of the same type in the class?

void Sortbygrade (student * s, int count)

s can now be used as an array of students. Usually count will be the actual number of students in s, but you can use count however you want.
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return grade > rhs.grade;

I'd be concerned that even that won't work as the > operator is being called on lhs (or *this or the current object or whatever you want to call it) object which allows it to access the private members of lhs but it can't access private members of rhs. I think you'll need to use

return grade > rhs.getGrade();

where getGrade() is a public accessor function of student class.

Likewise, if a public accessor to the grade member of the student class is added, and if you didn't overload the > operator for the student class, then the Sortbygrade() function would need to use the accessor methods for both student objects.

if (s[j+1].getGrade() > s[j].getGrade())
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Straying even a little further off the initial error problem---the constructors posted are default only because there are no other constructors. In usual parlance the default constructor has no parameters.

Also, if you haven't shortened you post by leaving out the assignment operators and copy constructors, then, given the Str class has an array (actually a C style string) as a member, I would be very concerned about allowing the compiler to define a copy constructor or assignment operator for the class, as it will if you don't declare and define them explicitly. Since you have a Str obect as a member of the student class, the same concern holds for the student class. It becomes pertinent when trying to assign one student to another in the Sortbygrade() function. This function may well cause run time errors if not compile time errors with a compiler defined assignment operator.