C++ Declare main as const

[CompGeek]

our professor for fun decided to give us code to figure out

he declared in the main program a const class

now when i use my accessor functions, the compiler tells me:

Error 9 error C2662: 'CName::WriteFullName' : cannot convert 'this' pointer from 'const CName' to 'CName &' c:\Users\Nick Velasco\Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Projects\First Bust\NameFun\NameFun.cpp 67


can anyone help??
A.S.A.P please!

[RRick]

Its hard or near impossible to decipher error messages without the affected code.

We'll need a code snipet of where the problem occurs. Please enclose the code in [ code] ... [/code]. I'm also interested in how you're using the "main" routine.

[Banfa]

If you declare a const instance of the class you are effectively saying that it's data will not changed (that is what the const keyword means).

When you call a function the compiler has to initialise the this pointer which by default for a class T is T *. Now T * points to a modifiable object but your object is const and not modifiable and this causes the compiler to output the error.

If you member function does not change any of the classes data then you can declare that member function const (the keyword goes at the end of the function declaration). In this case instead of creating this as T * the compiler creates this as const T * so you would be able to access this function from your constant object.

Of course since this is const T * the function can then not change any of the classes data members (unless they are declared mutable but I will leave you to look that up).

[CompGeek]

Thank you Bafa!! for the input


everything is correct our professor told us to look at the main programs and figure out from there how to make our class and header files, the rules are simple can't touch the main program


here is the main program

// ============================================================================
// File: NameFun.cpp (Fall 2007)
// ============================================================================
// Study the code below to see what this program does. Then design the class
// CName and implement it so this program works.
//  
// Sample run:
//  
//      nameOne = Grace Slick
//      nameTwo = Grace Slick
//      nameThree =
//      Enter your first and last names separated by a space: Tom Sawyer
//      Your name is: Tom Sawyer
//  
//      Testing the assignment operator...
//      nameOne == Grace Slick
//      nameTwo == Grace Slick
//      nameThree == Grace Slick
//  
//      Here are the contents of the name file:
//      Ingmar Bergman
//      Alfred Hitchcock
//      Martin Scorsese
//      Federico Fellini
//      Michaelangelo Antonioni
//      Fritz Lang
//      John Ford
//  
// ============================================================================
 
 
#include "CName.h"
 
 
 
 
// ==== main ==================================================================
// 
// ============================================================================
 
int     main(void)
{
auto int number;
    // test the constructors
    auto    CName       nameOne("Grace", "Slick");
    const   CName       nameTwo = nameOne;
    auto    CName       nameThree;
 
    // display the contents of each newly-constructed object...
 
    cout << "nameOne = ";
    cout << nameOne;
    cout << "nameTwo = ";
    cout << nameTwo;
    cout << "nameThree = ";
    cout << nameThree;
 
 
 
    // should see "Grace Slick"
    cout << "nameOne = ";
    nameOne.WriteFullName();
    cout << endl;
 
    // should see "Grace Slick" again
    cout << "nameTwo = ";
            nameTwo.WriteFullName();
    cout << endl;
 
    // should see nothing
    cout << "nameThree = ";
            nameThree.WriteFullName();
    cout << endl;
 
    // try the "read" function
    cout << "Enter your first and last names separated by a space: ";
    nameThree.ReadFullName();
    cout << "Your name is: " << nameThree << endl << endl;
 
   // try the assignment operator
    nameOne = nameThree = nameTwo;
    cout << "Testing the assignment operator..." << endl;
    cout << "nameOne == " << nameOne << endl;
    cout << "nameTwo == " << nameTwo << endl;
    cout << "nameThree == " << nameThree << endl << endl;
cin >> number;
    // open the name data file
    auto    ifstream        nameFile("names.dat");
    if (nameFile.fail())
        {
        cerr << "Error opening the input file..." << endl;
        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
        }
 
    // use the object to display the contents of the name data file
    cout << "Here are the contents of the name file: " << endl;
    while (nameFile >> nameThree)
        {
        cout << nameThree << endl;
        }
cin >> number;
    // close the file stream and return
    nameFile.close();
    return (EXIT_SUCCESS);
 
    return 0;
}  // end of "main"

[CompGeek]

This was my Homework as you can see, i have the program running all except the fact that our professor made the class const CName; so that means further down when I try to use the nameThree.WriteFullName(); I get the error message??

This was my question??

so mutable you say hey??

thanks if anyones else has input that would be great?? Time is ticking until 6pm today,
thank you
thank you
thank you
while( !AnsweredQ)
{
cout<< "Help";
}

[Banfa]

so mutable you say hey??

I doubt making the data mutable is what your professor wants.

mutable data is really data that does not effect the "state" of the object, that is data that is used in a temporary fashion.

By the sounds of it you need to make the methods const.

[CompGeek]

Thank you for your help i found the solution

next time

i just need to make my member function a const didn't know that


thank you Bafa!