Thread: So many errors....

Hi all,

I can't figure out why I'm getting the below errors. How is temp() in my overloaded operator+ function not of type newString()? Why are there two parameter lists()() after their comments on that error line? Why did return temp; produce an invalid init of non-const ref error? Also, I don't see any errors in my overloaded operator>> function. Can someone point out my mistakes? Thanks!!!!

-Patrick

C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp In member function `newString& newString:perator+(const newString&)':
96 C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp request for member `strPtr' in `temp', which is of non-class type `newString ()()'
97 C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp invalid initialization of non-const reference of type 'newString&' from a temporary of type 'newString (*)()'
C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp In member function `newString& newString:perator+=(const newString&)':
104 C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp invalid initialization of non-const reference of type 'newString&' from a temporary of type 'newString (*)()'
163 C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp ambiguous overload for 'operator>>' in 'std::cin >> str1'
167 C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp [Warning] the address of `newString str1()', will always evaluate as `true'

Code:

 #include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <cassert>
#include <cstring>
#include <iomanip>

using namespace std;

class newString
{
      
      friend ostream& operator<<(ostream&, const newString&);
      friend istream& operator>>(istream&, newString&);
      public:
             const newString& operator=(const newString&);
             newString(const char*);
             newString();
             newString(const newString&);
             ~newString();
             char& operator[] (int);
             const char& operator[](int) const;
             newString& operator+(const newString&);
             newString& operator+=(const newString&);
             bool operator==(const newString&) const;
             bool operator!=(const newString&) const;
             bool operator<=(const newString&) const;
             bool operator<(const newString&) const;
             bool operator>=(const newString&) const;
             bool operator>(const newString&) const;
            
             int length(const newString&);
             
      private:
              char *strPtr;
              int strLength;
};

const newString& newString::operator=(const newString& rightString)
{
      if(this != &rightString)
      {
              delete []strPtr;
              strLength = rightString.strLength+1;
              strPtr = new char[strLength+1];
              assert(strPtr != NULL);
              strcpy(strPtr, rightString.strPtr);
      }
      return *this;
}
                                           
newString::newString(const char *myChar)
{
                           strLength = strlen(myChar);
                           strPtr = new char[strLength+1];
                           
                           assert(strPtr != NULL);
                           strcpy(strPtr, myChar);
}

newString::newString()
{
                      strLength = 0; 
                      strPtr = new char[1];
                      assert(strPtr != NULL);
                      strcpy(strPtr, "");
}

newString::newString(const newString& rightString)
{
                                strLength = rightString.strLength;
                                strPtr = new char[strLength+1];
                                assert(strPtr != NULL);
                                strcpy(strPtr, rightString.strPtr);
}

newString::~newString()
{
                       delete []strPtr;
}

char& newString::operator[] (int index)
{
      assert(0 <= index && index < strLength);
      return strPtr[index];
}

const char& newString::operator[] (int index) const
{
      assert(0 <= index && index < strLength);
      return strPtr[index];
}

newString& newString::operator+(const newString& rightString)
{
           newString temp();
           temp.strPtr = strcat(strPtr, rightString.strPtr);
           return temp;
}           

newString& newString::operator+=(const newString& rightString)
{
           newString temp();
           strcat(strPtr, rightString.strPtr);
           return temp;
}           


bool newString::operator==(const newString& rightString) const
{
     return (strcmp(strPtr, rightString.strPtr) == 0);
}

bool newString::operator!=(const newString& rightString) const
{
     return (strcmp(strPtr, rightString.strPtr) != 0);
}

bool newString::operator<=(const newString& rightString) const
{
     return (strcmp(strPtr, rightString.strPtr) <= 0);
}

bool newString::operator<(const newString& rightString) const
{
     return (strcmp(strPtr, rightString.strPtr) < 0);
}

bool newString::operator>=(const newString& rightString) const
{
     return (strcmp(strPtr, rightString.strPtr) >= 0);
}

bool newString::operator>(const newString& myString) const
{
     return (strcmp(strPtr, myString.strPtr) > 0);
}

int newString::length(const newString&)
{
    return strLength;
}

ostream& operator<<(ostream& out, const newString& myString)
{
         out << myString.strPtr;
         return out;
}

istream& operator>>(istream& in, newString& myString)
{
         char temp[255];
         
         in >>setw(255) >> temp;
         myString = temp;
         return in;
}

int main()
{
    newString str1(), str2(), str3();
   
    cout << "Enter string1: ";
    cin >> str1;
    cout << "Enter string2: ";
    cin >> str2;
    
    cout << "The string in string1 is " << str1 << ", and the value in string2 is " << str2 << endl;
    cout << "string1 + string2 produces ";
    str3 = str2+str1;
    cout << str3 << endl;
    
    system("PAUSE");
    
}

Originally Posted by JaWiB

>newString str1(), str2(), str3();

Whenever you declare an instance of a class, do not add the parenthesis. It seems like this should call the default constructor, but the compiler actually sees a function declaration, so do this:

Code:

newString str1, str2, str3;

This should fix your errors, but it looks like you've got some other problems as well, so pay attention to the warnings

Thanks, that did help... so, if I have a blank constructor, I'm not to include parenthesis when I declare an object; that will call the constructor with the empty parameter list? Also, I removed the parenthesis from the declaration newString temp(); , but am still getting:
95 C:\Dev-Cpp\main.cpp [Warning] reference to local variable `temp' returned

What does that mean?

Now that it works, the following int main() code produces a garbage value, just some strange characters. Can anyone point me to my mistake?

Code:

newString str1, str2, str3;
   
    cout << "Enter string1: ";
    cin >> str1;
    cout << "Enter string2: ";
    cin >> str2;
    
    cout << "The string in string1 is " << str1 << ", and the value in string2 is " << str2 << endl;
    cout << "string1 + string2 produces ";
    str3 = str2+str1;
    cout << str3 << endl;

Thanks! Excuse the dumb questions; I'm on my second data structs book, because the first one confused me so much, but... when would I ever have newString& as a return type? Is there a case where I would return a reference to a newString object like that?

-Patrick

Sorry, one more thing... just so I'm clear on this, why is, for example, below, the newString object passed by reference, and not by value if it's not being modified directly?

Code:

 
bool operator==(const newString&) const;

Thanks for the explanations and patience, guys! My new text is much better but still skips a lot of details,