Thread: Passing an array of classes

Hey guys not really a problem but another one of my is this right questions. I’m working on a space shooter (a lame one for now). I’m trying to clean up my code by passing an array of classes. When I do this, is there a need to pass it by reference or some other form of working with the direct memory address of the class? Because I wrote some test code but when I tried to pass it as a reference I got errors but when I just passed the array itself it seemed to have modified the data. I just want to make sure this is the right way before I implement it in my stupid game
Here the code for my test class that seems to do what I want without references.

Code:

#include <iostream>

class test
{
  public:
    void setX(int x){xPos = x;}
    int printX(){return xPos;}
  private:
    int xPos;
};

void function(test move[],int numOfElms);

int main(void)
{
  test brian[5];
  function(brian,5);
  for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
  {
    std::cout<<brian[i].printX();
  }
  std::cin.get();
  return 0;
}

void function(test move[],int numOfElms)
{
  for(int i = 0; i < numOfElms; i++)
  {
    move[i].setX(i);
  }
}

Output: 0,1,2,3,4
So it looks to me as its modifying the values in brian not just making a copy of it

You never need to pass arrays by reference or pointer. You can always modify the contents of a passed array (const issues aside). Arrays are never passed by value.

If you really want to test the theory further, make a copy constructor which outputs when it is called.

Quzah.

Thanks quzah all I needed to know Makes my life so much easier