understand Class definition

Hi,
I want to understand the difference between class and object in C ++. I have read some material but it is not still clear.
Please can someone explain me the # between these terms?
Thank you

a class is a blueprint for an object, whereas an object is a concrete (in memory) instance of a class.

As Sebastiani said.

Think of a real life object. For instance a person. That person is an object. The class (think classification) of the person would have all the characteristics and abilities of that person.

Hair Color, Eye Color, Height, Age, Weight. Walk(), Talk(), Eat(), Sleep(), etc...

When you create a person, you create an object will all of those attributes.

I was taught this way, I have never forgoten it...

Code:

---

class myClass
{
private:
int m_eyeColor;  // class members
int m_hairColor;

public:
myClass ( int eyeC, int hairC );  // constructor

void walk(); // methods
void talk();
};

myClass::myClass  ( int eyeC, int hairC )
{
m_eyeColor = eyeC;
m_hairColor = hairC;
}

void myClass::walk()
{
// method code
}

void myClass::talk()
{
// method code
}

---

I know this seems like a silly example, but I was always taught to think of the
variables in private as members, and put a m_ before the name to make it a member.
And put the methods ( if they are really called that ) under the constructor in the class.
After that. I had to create the constructor then complete the method functions. It was the way I was taught and has always worked for me this way. But I guess different people have different styles of the way they lay out the classes...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by swgh

and put a m_ before the name to make it a member.

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Lets not make statements like this about identifiers in such way that they can be mistaken as facts.

Variables inside of a class are members no matter what their identifier looks like or whether they're private or public or whatever. A member is simply a member of the class.

lol ok Sly, good point it is just a point of habit i guess, I have always used this way of doing classes, as it helps me to know they are members of a class. But as you said, the m_ is not essential. I do apoligise for leading him on the wrong track, like I said, I was taught this way and have always considered it to be good practice

This is how we describe the inner workings of a typical forum thread:

Code:

---

class thread
{
    string title;
    string *posts;
    int postcount;
    int startdate;
}

---

and this is how we make one:

Code:

---

thread mythread;
mythread.title = "understand Class definition";
mythread.posts = new string[7];
mythread.postcount = 7;
mythread.startdate = 2052006;

mythread.posts[6] = "This is how we describe the inner workings of......" //etc etc

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Actually, this is C++, so string *posts; should be std::vector<string> posts. That way, I can just use:

Code:

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posts.push_back("Actually, this is C++, so string *posts; should be ...");

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And int postcount; can be removed in favor of:

Code:

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int GetPostcount() const { return posts.size(); }

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