Thread: overloading <<

  1. #1
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    overloading <<

    Can we chain an overloaded << operator

    cout <<a<<b

    without declaring the overloaded operator<< function friend?

    I know that if there is no access to private members then we can avoid the friend declaration but how is it linked to << operator chaining?

  2. #2
    Ethernal Noob
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    As long as it returns the output stream it can. But if you make it a member, you would not be able to use it in the way you described.

    It chains because initially it receives both the object it's associated with and an output stream. When it returns the output stream it can then be passed on to the next operator.

  3. #3
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    Can we chain an overloaded << operator

    cout <<a<<b

    without declaring the overloaded operator<< function friend?
    Yes. For example, there might be a print() member function, thus operator<< can be implemented in terms of the print() member function and so would not need to be a friend.

    how is it linked to << operator chaining?
    It is not linked to operator chaining. The operator chaining comes from returning a reference to the ostream that was passed as the first argument to overloaded operator<<.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  4. #4
    The larch
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    This operator is usually overloaded for std::ostream like that:

    Code:
    std::ostream& operator << (std::ostream& os, const UserType& sth);
    The returned reference (to cout in your case) is passed as the left argument to the next operator call in the chain.
    I might be wrong.

    Thank you, anon. You sure know how to recognize different types of trees from quite a long way away.
    Quoted more than 1000 times (I hope).

  5. #5
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    There is two questions here:
    1. How to chain a operator<< function to another operator<< function?
    That is quite easy: Just make the return type a "ofstream &".

    2. How do I make a operator<< for some particular type?
    Two obvious choices: either make it a friend function, or make it part of the class itself (in which case it takes only te ofstream parameter as input).
    There are non-obvious choices too:
    - Make an operator function to convert your class into a type that can be output using a standard operator<< function. Typically, int or string would work.
    - Make the member data public.

    --
    Mats
    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
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  6. #6
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    or make it part of the class itself (in which case it takes only te ofstream parameter as input).
    How does that work? I had the impression that this would result in the current object of that class being on the left hand side of the expression, but the overloaded operator<< for std::ostream requires a std::ostream to be passed on the left hand side of the expression.

    EDIT:
    Or... are you interpreting the question in a more general fashion despite the canonical "overload operator<< for ostream" example?
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by laserlight View Post
    How does that work? I had the impression that this would result in the current object of that class being on the left hand side of the expression, but the overloaded operator<< for std::ostream requires a std::ostream to be passed on the left hand side of the expression.

    EDIT:
    Or... are you interpreting the question in a more general fashion despite the canonical "overload operator<< for ostream" example?
    Nah, I just messed up, didn't I :-(

    --
    Mats
    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

  8. #8
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    Yes. For example, there might be a print() member function, thus operator<< can be implemented in terms of the print() member function and so would not need to be a friend.
    can you elaborate some more on this maybe with some code?

  9. #9
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    An example might be:
    Code:
    #include <iostream>
    
    class X
    {
    public:
        X() : member(0) {}
        X(int m) : member(m) {}
        void print(std::ostream& out) const
        {
            out << member;
        }
    private:
        int member;
    };
    
    std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const X& x)
    {
        x.print(out);
        return out;
    }
    
    int main()
    {
        X x1;
        std::cout << x1 << std::endl;
        X x2(123);
        std::cout << x2 << std::endl;
    }
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  10. #10
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    There's nothing wrong with making the operator<< a friend if that's necessary. Sometimes it's not necessary because public interface functions provide enough information to do the work.

  11. #11
    Cat without Hat CornedBee's Avatar
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    Nevertheless, the default position for any functionality should be that it is best to make it a non-friend, non-member function. If that isn't possible because of language rules (operator = and similar things) or because it needs access to class internals, make it a member function. If that isn't possible because it's an operator whose first argument isn't of the class type, make it a friend.
    All the buzzt!
    CornedBee

    "There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
    - Flon's Law

  12. #12
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    In one case, I made use of the fact that I had a "toString" function in the class, and just used that inside the operator<< function.

    --
    Mats
    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

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