Thread: Recursive Data Structure

Hi.
Pardon me if this is an obvious one...
Is there a way to get around C++'s refusal to have a class member that's an instance of the class itself...?
What I'd like is:

Code:

class MyClass {
  int myClassMember01;
  struct myStruct {
    int myStructMember01;
    MyClass myStructMember02;
  } myClassMember02;
}; // End declaration of MyClass

But what is allowed is:

Code:

class MyClass {
  int myClassMember01;
  struct myStruct {
    int myStructMember01;
    MyClass & myStructMember02;
  } myClassMember02;
}; // End declaration of MyClass

I am writing a model of a hardware architecture and it'd be conceptually much more realistic if I could use the first of the two above.
Any suggestions?
Is it in fact true to say that the first example is just conceptually impossible in C++?
Cheers.

>Is it in fact true to say that the first example is just conceptually impossible in C++?

Yes.

In fact, I don't think you can use a reference to an object of class A in class A, either, since using a reference implies that a full, valid, constructed object is available somewhere that you are referencing and that isn't possible because you don't know what the full class is yet to even make the original object.

You can use a pointer to an object of class A in class A, however, but you probably already know that.

The reference would be fine, but remember, references must be initialized to an object to refer to. That is, unlike a pointer, you can't change where they point. So basically, you have to set it in the initializer list. However, some instance of your class must be created first, and this one will have an invalid reference. So, use pointers.

Cheers