Copy Constructor with Template Class

[Donovan Parks]

Hello,

I am rather lost about how to properly setup a copy constructors and
operator= with my template class. My class if as follows:

template<class Tclass Image
{
private:
IplImage* imgp;

public:
Image(IplImage* img = NULL) { imgp = img; }
~Image()
{
if(imgp != 0)
cvReleaseImage( &imgp);
imgp = NULL;
}

IplImage* Ptr() { return imgp; }

void operator=(IplIm age* img)
{
imgp = img;
}

// copy construction
Image(const T& rhs);

T& operator=(const T& rhs);
};
template<class T>
Image<T>::Image (const T& rhs)
{
if(rhs.imgp != NULL && rhs.m_bReleaseM emory)
cvReleaseImage( &rhs.imgp);

imgp = cvCreateImage(c vGetSize(rhs.Pt r()), rhs.Ptr().depth ,
rhs.Ptr().nChan nels);
cvCopyImage(rhs .Ptr(), imgp);
}

template<class T>
T& Image<T>::opera tor=(const T& rhs)
{
if ( &rhs == this )
return *this;

if(imgp != NULL &&m_bReleaseMem ory)
cvReleaseImage( &imgp);

imgp = cvCreateImage(c vGetSize(rhs.Pt r()), rhs.Ptr().depth ,
rhs.Ptr().nChan nels);
cvCopyImage(rhs .Ptr(), imgp);
}

I am confused about two points. First, although I can compile the
above code, I can not set a break point in either the
Image<T>::Image (const T& rhs) or T& Image<T>::opera tor=(const T& rhs)
functions. My compiler (VS 8.0) indicates the break points will never
be hit. Secondly, is I am uncertain if they is sufficient to solve the
following problem:

vector< Image<unsigned char v;

void main()
{
void Foo();
v.at(0).size; // error: memory has already been freed!
}

void Foo()
{
Image<unsigned charimage;
IplImage iplImage = new IplImage();
image = iplImage;

v.push_back(ima ge);
}

Obviously this will not work since I am allocating "Image<unsi gned
charimage" on the stack. It will thus free its memory when the
function ends. I believe that properly overloading the copy
constructor and operator= will solve this problem, but am not sure how
to do this.

Thanks you for any and all help.

Cheers!