Thread: quick c++ operator question

my prof gave me this stub for an operator:

MySquarMatrix operator +(const MySquareMatrix &, const MySquareMatrix &);
{
// add matrices a+b
}

MySquareMatrix is the name of the class, but this operator is not a member function

question 1) is the MySquareMatrix that is listed first in the operator the return type?

2) do i define what a+b equals in this operator, or do i
just define the '+'? (if that makes sense) i guess i just want to know what would go in the definition.

thanks

1) yes
2) no, that is just a prototype. That is the declaration, not the definition, as it ends with a semicolon, and the arguments are unnamed.

just like you would define it like this

MySquareMatrix operator +(const MySquareMatrix a&, const MySquareMatrix b&) {
MySquareMatrix result;
// do some matrix calcs that I don't know
return result
}

can i call member functions in the definition of the operator?