Thread: Class Arrays

I was wondering how you can define an array of the same class. Pretend we have 10 different cars and they all have the same properties. (This isn't really what I'm doing, but just a made up example).

Code:

class Car
{
public:
	unsigned int year;
	unsigned char color[256];
	unsigned short weight;
}

Now say I want to create multiple instances of Car class in an array. Would I do something like this?:

Code:

Car cars[10];

If this is correct, could I do something like this to loop through and get information from a user? Just an example:

Code:

	for( unsigned int i = 0; i < 10; i++ )
	{
		cout << "Enter a cars year: \n";
		cin >> cars[i].year;
		cout << "Enter a cars color: \n";
		cin >> cars[i].color;
		cout << "Enter a cars weight: \n";
		cin >> cars[i].weight;
	}
	
	for( unsigned int i = 0; i < 10; i++ )
	{
		cout << "Year: " << cars[i].year;
		cout << "\tColor: " << cars[i].color;
		cout << "\tWeight: \n" << cars[i].weight;
	}

Awesome! Guess I'll just have to play around with it.

Can you elaborate on POD's and how I'm destroying the purpose of the class? Not sure what you mean, I am still new to this class thing.

POD Type = Plain Old Data Type
You could write the same thing as:

Code:

struct Car
{
	unsigned int year;
	unsigned char color[256];
	unsigned short weight;
}

In C++ a struct is the same as a class, except it defaults to public, whereas class defaults to private; but a lot of people use a struct instead of a class when they need a POD.

>> wouldn't a class with a member of itself be some infinitely recursive type?
Yes, that is not allowed. But nobody is doing that here, are they?

That's not allowed either, Elysia. An Uh-Oh cannot contain an Uh_Oh.

Originally Posted by Elysia

A class is like an object. If you make a car, you don't expose the car's internals.
Instead, you expose a public interface, such as a wheel or pedestals for acceleration and retardation.

Or better yet, add a drive() method so the user doesn't have to fiddle around with wheels and pedals, which may be replaced with trackballs and levers in the future.