Please Explain This 'Constructor'

Hello and thank you for reading. To be honest I have never seen a constructor like this (with a colon)

Code:

---

#ifndef CSERVER_H
#define CSERVER_H


#include <iostream>
#include <boost/bind.hpp>
#include <boost/asio.hpp>


using boost::asio::ip::tcp;


class CServer
{
    public:
        CServer(boost::asio::io_context& io_context, short port)  // this is the line with the error
    : io_context_(io_context),
      acceptor_(io_context, tcp::endpoint(tcp::v4(), port));
        virtual ~CServer();


    protected:


    private:
        boost::asio::io_context& io_context_;
        //tcp::acceptor acceptor_;
};


#endif // CSERVER_H

---

Code:

---

#include "CServer.h"


CServer::CServer(boost::asio::io_context& io_context, short port)
    : io_context_(io_context),
      acceptor_(io_context, tcp::endpoint(tcp::v4(), port))
{


  {
    start_accept();
  }
}


CServer::~CServer()
{
    //dtor
}

---

error

Code:

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include/CServer.h|13|error: expected ‘)’ before ‘&’ token|

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My question is, what does a : do in a constructor and how can I rewrite this code so that it removes the :

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EverydayDiesel

My question is, what does a : do in a constructor and how can I rewrite this code so that it removes the :

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It marks the start of the initialiser list in the constructor. You shouldn't remove it, although for this constructor it looks incorrectly written as the constructor body was omitted, i.e., the semi-colon at the end should have been replaced by a pair of braces. However, it seems that the constructor was intended to be defined in the source file instead, which means that the initialiser list in the declaration of the constructor within the class definition should be removed, i.e., the declaration would just declare the parameters as per normal.

thank you for taking the time to reply.

I think I got it converted? But why am I getting the three errors?

// CServer.h

Code:

---

#ifndef CSERVER_H
#define CSERVER_H


#include <iostream>
#include <boost/bind.hpp>
#include <boost/asio.hpp>


using boost::asio::ip::tcp;


class CServer
{
    public:
        CServer(boost::asio::io_context& ioc, short port);
        virtual ~CServer();


    protected:


    private:
        boost::asio::io_context& m_io_context;
        tcp::acceptor m_acceptor;
};


#endif // CSERVER_H

---

// CServer.cpp

Code:

---

#include "CServer.h"


CServer::CServer(boost::asio::io_context ioc, short port)
{
    io_context_(io_context),
    acceptor_(io_context, tcp::endpoint(tcp::v4(), port))
    start_accept();
}


CServer::~CServer()
{
    //dtor
}

---

Code:

---

include/CServer.h|13|error: expected ‘)’ before ‘&’ token|
include/CServer.h|19|error: ‘io_context’ in namespace ‘boost::asio’ does not name a type|
CServer.cpp|3|error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before ‘(’ token|
||=== Build failed: 3 error(s), 0 warning(s) (0 minute(s), 0 second(s)) ===|

---

thanks for helping me, it was a boost version mis-match

have a good day!

This is wrong:

Code:

---

CServer::CServer(boost::asio::io_context ioc, short port)
{
    io_context_(io_context),
    acceptor_(io_context, tcp::endpoint(tcp::v4(), port))
    start_accept();
}

---

It should be:

Code:

---

CServer::CServer(boost::asio::io_context ioc, short port)
    : io_context_(ioc), acceptor_(ioc, tcp::endpoint(tcp::v4(), port))
{
    start_accept();
}

---

do they not do the same thing? sorry for the dumb question, I am just trying to learn.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EverydayDiesel

do they not do the same thing? sorry for the dumb question, I am just trying to learn.

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The initializers go before the constructor body, not inside.

Your example doesn't compile, does it? So why are you asking whether they do the same thing? Clearly one of them is wrong.

Please have a look at member initializer lists, and try to write a basic example (for yourself) to confirm you have understood them. There's little use in guessing one's way to a solution.