Thread: stl string problems with the + operator

I have created an IString class that wraps around stl string. When I test my classes + operator this is what I get:

Code:

IString sEdc= "Freddy Flinty";
sEdc = "'" + sEdc + "'";
cout<< "sEdc =" << sEdc<<endl;

output: sEdc =Freddy Flinty''

expected output: sEdc ='Freddy Flinty'

Here is my operator definition

Code:

//buffer is the stl string private data member defined in the header file

IString IString::operator + ( const IString &aString ) const
{
	IString result(buffer, aString);
	return result;
}

IString IString::operator + ( const char *pString ) const
{
	IString result(buffer, pString);
	return result;
}

IString operator + ( const char *pString, const IString &aString )
{
  	IString result(aString.buffer, pString);
	return result;
}

IString::IString(string str, const char* pString)
{
	buffer = str; //buffer is an stl string
	buffer += pString;
}

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

What happens when you step through it using the debugger?

instead of

sEdc = "'" + sEdc + "'";

try this:

sEdc = "foo" + sEdc + "bar";

if what's happening is what I think is happening you should end up with

Fred Flintyfoobar

I think the left hand + sign calls this

IString operator + ( const char *pString, const IString &aString )

which then calls this:

IString::IString(string str, const char* pString)


The problem is that the rhs side of + becomes the first half of the new word no matter what and doesn't stay the second half like you expect it to. To correct this you could try overloading the constructor such that you can assign pString to buffer first if pString is lhs of + and add pString to buffer second if pString is rhs of +.

IString::IString(const char* pString, string str)
buffer = pString;
buffer += str;

IString::IString(string str, const char* pString)
buffer = str;
buffer += pString;

elad, thanks for the response. It works now! You were correct.