calling default instead of argument constructor, why?!

Code:

---

class String
{
 protected:
  enum {SZ = 80};
  char str[SZ];

 public:
  String() //this is being called from Pstring's else
  {str[0] = '\0';}

  String(char s[])
  {strcpy(str, s);}

  void display() const
  {cout << str;}

  operator char*()
  {return str;}
};

class Pstring: public String
{
 public:
  Pstring(char s[]);
};

Pstring::Pstring(char s[])
{
 if (strlen(s) > SZ-1)
 {
  //do something
 }

 else String(s); // this is calling String() and not String(char s[])!!
}

int main()
{
 Pstring test = "testing";
 test.display();
 return 0;
}

---

When I initialize test, it goes into Pstring's else statement which calls String(s), but instead of calling String(char s[]) it's calling the no argument constructor String() even though I'm sending it the argument (s)!! Why??

Code:

---

#include <iostream>

using std::cout;
using std::endl;

class String
{
public:
  String()
  {
      cout << "String C1" << endl;
  }

  String(char s[])
  {
      cout << "String C2" << endl;
  }
};

class Pstring: public String
{
public:
  Pstring(char s[]) : String( s ) // <-- Your problem layed here
  {
      cout << "PSting C1" << endl;
  }
};


int main()
{
  Pstring test = "testing";
  return 0;
}

---

he didnt ask for a fix he asked why. you know if i could stay on id help him, but dude stop spoon feeding and teach someone.

on second thought dont because you do everything backasswards anyway.

Thanks, that fixed it, but how come?

stfu RoD...

Because when you call any function from class PString the default constructor of the base class (class String) gets called. The default constructor is always String(), so you need to hardwire it so that when you call the PString(char s[])'s constructor, the constructor of the base class String(char s[]) gets called instead of the default String(). Does that make sense?

I see, that makes sense, thanks

Note that

else String(s); // this is calling String() and not String(char s[])!!
}

doesn't call the constructor of the PString's base String class, it creates a temporary String on the stack.