Objects as attributes of other objects.

Hi guys,

Just having a small problem with something i'm playing around with.

Basically, I have two classes, an Orc class that creates Orc objects, and a Weapon class that creates Weapon objects. Both of these are fairly simple, i'm just trying to get comfortable with OOP in C++.

I have Orc.cpp, Weapon.cpp and the corresponding header files for both.
I also have a driver that creates Orc objects.

What i'm having trouble with is creating Weapon objects that are attributes of Orc objects.
That is, an Orc object has:

Code:

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private:

string name;
int hp;
Weapon weapon1;

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And in the Orc constructor, I try this:

Code:

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{

this->name = "";
this->hp = 100;
weapon1();

}

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I get "no match for call to (weapon)()" compiler error.

What am I doing wrong?

Also, a second question, how can I refer to the public functions within the weapon object from the orc object?

So basically, let's assume I have an Orc object called orc1, which inside it has the Weapon object weapon1 as a private attribute, how would I call a function of the weapon1? In java, it would look something like:

Code:

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orc1.weapon1.getDescription();

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Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

Basically, I have two classes, an Orc class that creates Orc objects, and a Weapon class that creates Weapon objects.

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I think that it would be simpler to say that you have an Orc class and a Weapon class. Saying "Orc class that creates Orc objects" gives me the impression that you may have say, a member function of the Orc class that returns an Orc object, whereas you probably just have constructors for the class.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

I get "no match for call to (weapon)()" compiler error.

What am I doing wrong?

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By the time control reaches the body of the constructor, the member objects have been constructed. As such, weapon1() actually invokes operator() for the weapon1 object, but since Weapon presumably has not overloaded operator(), you get the error that you did. Since you apparently want to default construct the Weapon object, the simple solution is to do nothing yourself. Likewise, you need to do nothing yourself concerning the name. You could write:

Code:

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Orc::Orc() : hp(100) {}

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thus using the constructor initialisation list to initialise hp to 100.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

So basically, let's assume I have an Orc object called orc1, which inside it has the Weapon object weapon1 as a private attribute, how would I call a function of the weapon1? In java, it would look something like:

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It would be the same in C++, provided of course that in the given context you can access the weapon1 private member variable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

Also, a second question, how can I refer to the public functions within the weapon object from the orc object?

So basically, let's assume I have an Orc object called orc1, which inside it has the Weapon object weapon1 as a private attribute, how would I call a function of the weapon1? In java, it would look something like:

Code:

---

orc1.weapon1.getDescription();

---

Thanks.

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Wait, this makes no sense.
How can you access anything private in either C++ or Java? You cannot.
Either the object must be public or you make a getter function. Basically that would be a function that would return a reference to the weapon.
However, that begs another question: how do you manipulate the Weapon object in the first place? Are you going to add functions for every piece of stuff implemented into Weapon into Orc? That wouldn't make sense. I think a better idea is basically to allow the programmer to create the weapon and then assign it to the orc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by laserlight

Since you apparently want to default construct the Weapon object, the simple solution is to do nothing yourself.

It would be the same in C++, provided of course that in the given context you can access the weapon1 private member variable.

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Yes, I do want to default construct the Weapon object. Don't I need to call the constructor? (that's what I tried to do in the code). Are you saying that a default weapon object would be created when an Orc object is called without having to call the Weapon constructor?


As for the second question, i'm calling a public method, so it's not a private variable, hence it's fine to use it in the form I wrote?

Cheers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Elysia

Wait, this makes no sense.
How can you access anything private in either C++ or Java? You cannot.
Either the object must be public or you make a getter function. Basically that would be a function that would return a reference to the weapon.
However, that begs another question: how do you manipulate the Weapon object in the first place? Are you going to add functions for every piece of stuff implemented into Weapon into Orc? That wouldn't make sense. I think a better idea is basically to allow the programmer to create the weapon and then assign it to the orc.

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Ah crap, yes I see what you mean. getDescription is a public function of Weapon object. But I listed Weapon object as a private attribute of Orc, so i would not be able to call its' public methods since the object itself is private, right?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

Yes, I do want to default construct the Weapon object. Don't I need to call the constructor? (that's what I tried to do in the code). Are you saying that a default weapon object would be created when an Orc object is called without having to call the Weapon constructor?

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Yes, for a member object of class type the default constructor is invoked automatically. It is only when you want (or have to) use a non-default constructor that you invoke it in the initialisation list, not the constructor body.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

As for the second question, i'm calling a public method, so it's not a private variable, hence it's fine to use it in the form I wrote?

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You are calling a public method (or more generally, a public member function since method means virtual member function) of a private member variable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

Yes, I do want to default construct the Weapon object. Don't I need to call the constructor? (that's what I tried to do in the code). Are you saying that a default weapon object would be created when an Orc object is called without having to call the Weapon constructor?

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The default constructor is automatically called for you.
Otherwise, use the initializer list as laserlight showed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

As for the second question, i'm calling a public method, so it's not a private variable, hence it's fine to use it in the form I wrote?

Cheers.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

Ah crap, yes I see what you mean. getDescription is a public function of Weapon object. But I listed Weapon object as a private attribute of Orc, so i would not be able to call its' public methods since the object itself is private, right?

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The problem is that the weapon object in itself is private, so you cannot access it whatsoever. Whether it's just to peek at it or call functions. It simply cannot be done because it's private to the class.

I would go with my suggestion: create a setter and getter in the Orc class to set/get the weapon and then manually create a weapon and attach it to the object.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Elysia

I would go with my suggestion: create a setter and getter in the Orc class to set/get the weapon and then manually create a weapon and attach it to the object.

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Thanks, I created a getter in Orc, called getWeaponDescription, this is what I wrote:

Code:

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string Orc::getWeaponDescription()
{

return weapon1.getDescription();

}

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^ This calls Weapon's getDescription() function to return the details. It compiles, and behaves correctly at run time.

I'm not sure what you mean by "manually create a weapon and attach it to the object" - I assume something along the lines of having some kind of Weapon array inside Orc, along with a public function that allows passing of Weapon objects to add into the array, am I on the right track?

Cheers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by laserlight

Yes, for a member object of class type the default constructor is invoked automatically. It is only when you want (or have to) use a non-default constructor that you invoke it in the initialisation list, not the constructor body.

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Ah thanks for that, did not realise the member objects are created automatically, but I tried it and as you said, it works.

I'm very new to C++ and have not yet played with an initialisation list, only created objects through constructors, but will have to read up on that. Cheers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kbro3

Thanks, I created a getter in Orc, called getWeaponDescription, this is what I wrote:

...snip...

^ This calls Weapon's getDescription() function to return the details. It compiles, and behaves correctly at run time.

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This is not a good approach. You are essentially wrapping the functions contained in Weapon. For what purpose? You will end up wrapping all the functions, taking time and cluttering the class. Bad idea.
See solution below instead.

Quote:

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I'm not sure what you mean by "manually create a weapon and attach it to the object" - I assume something along the lines of having some kind of Weapon array inside Orc, along with a public function that allows passing of Weapon objects to add into the array, am I on the right track?

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Code:

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class COrc
{
    // ...
    void SetWeapon(const CWeapon& Weapon);
    const Weapon& GetWeapon() const;
    // ...
};

COrc Orc;
CWeapon MyWeapon;
// Manipulate weapon to your choice.
Orc.AddWeapon(MyWeapon);

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Something like this.

Sometime it might preferable to wrap the weapon class, but it might be wise if you declare the main Weapon's getter and setter to be virtual and stick to them.