Object-Oriented Programming

Using C++
Third Edition

Chapter 7
Using Classes
Objectives
• Create classes
• Learn about encapsulating class components
• Implement class functions
• Use private functions and public data
• Use the scope resolution operator with class fields
and functions
• Use static class members
• Learn about the this pointer
• Understand the advantages of polymorphism

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Creating Classes
• A class is a category of objects; it is a new data
type
– Classes provide a description of an object
– Classes provide a convenient way to group related
data and the functions that use the data
– When you create an object from the class, you
automatically create all the related fields
– You think about them and manipulate them as real-
life classes and objects
• Abstract data type (ADT): a type that you define

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Creating Classes (continued)

Student aSophomore;
aSophomore.idNum = 7645; Error! By default, all members of a
cout<<aSophomore.idNum; class are private

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Creating Classes (continued)

Access modifier

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Encapsulating Class Components
• To encapsulate components is to contain them
– Encapsulation is an example of a black box
• An interface intercedes between you and the inner
workings of an object

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Designing Classes
• If you need a class for students, you should ask:
– What shall we call it?
– What are its attributes?
– What methods are needed by Student?
– Any other methods?
• In most cases, you declare both fields and functions
– You declare a field using a data type and an identifier
– You declare a function by writing its prototype, which
serves as the interface to the function

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Designing Classes

• To instantiate an object is to declare or create it

Student aSophomore;
aSophomore.displayStudentData();
• A function that uses your class is a class client

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Implementing Class Functions
• When you construct a class, you create two parts:
– Declaration section: contains the class name,
variables (attributes), and function prototypes
– Implementation section: contains the functions
• Use both the class name and the scope resolution
operator (::) when you implement a class function

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Implementing Class Functions
(continued)

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Using Public Functions to Alter Private
Data

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Using Public Functions to Alter Private
Data (continued)

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Using Private Functions and Public Data

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Considering Scope when Defining
Member Functions

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Considering Scope when Defining
Member Functions (continued)

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Using Static Class Members
• When a class field is static, only one memory
location is allocated
– All members of the class share a single storage
location for a static data member of that same class
• When you create a non-static variable within a
function, a new variable is created every time you
call that function
• When you create a static variable, the variable
maintains its memory address and previous value
for the life of the program

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Defining Static Data Members

Since it is not const,

anyone can modify it

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Defining Static Data Members
(continued)

• Static variables are sometimes called class

variables, class fields, or class-wide fields
because they don’t belong to a specific object; they
belong to the class

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Using Static Functions
• A static function can be used without a
declared object
• Non-static functions can access static variables
(provided there is an object)
• Static functions cannot access non-static variables

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Using Static Functions (continued)

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Understanding the this Pointer

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Understanding the this Pointer
(continued)

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Understanding the this Pointer
(continued)
• The this pointer holds the memory address of the
current object that is using the function
• The this pointer is automatically supplied when
you call a non-static member function of a class
– For example, clerk.displayValues();
– Is actually displayValues(&clerk);
• The actual argument list used by the compiler for
displayValues() is displayValues(Employee *this)
• The this pointer is a constant pointer

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Using the this Pointer Explicitly

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Using the Pointer-to-Member Operator

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Understanding Polymorphism
• Polymorphism is the object-oriented program
feature that allows the same operation to be carried
out differently depending on the object
• For example,
– clerk.displayValues();
– shirt.displayValues();
– XYZCompany.displayValues();

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Understanding Polymorphism (continued)

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You Do It: Creating and Using a Class
class CollegeCourse
{
private:
string department;
int courseNum;
int seats;
public:
void setDepartmentAndCourse(string, int);
void setSeats(int);
void displayCourseData();
};

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Using a static Field
class Letter
{
private:
string title;
string recipient;
static int count;
public:
void setRecipient(string, string);
void displayGreeting();
static void displayCount();
};

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Understanding How static and
Non-static Fields are Stored

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Summary
• A class is a category of objects
• When you create a class, you hide, or encapsulate,
the individual components
• When you construct a class, you create the
declaration section and the implementation section
• When you create a class, usually you want to make
data items private, and to make functions public
• The scope resolution operator (::) identifies a member
function as being in scope within a class

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Summary (continued)
• Each class object gets its own block of memory for
its data members
• You can access a static, class-wide field using a
static function
• One copy of each class member function is stored
no matter how many objects exist
• Within any member function, you can explicitly use
the this pointer to access the object’s data fields
• Polymorphism allows the same operation to be
carried out differently depending on the object

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