const MyClass& operator= ... ...

[nembo kid]

Was wondering why the function that overloads = operator, returns always
a const reference to the class.

Why the qualifier 'const'?

Thanks in advance

[Victor Bazarov]

nembo kid wrote:

Was wondering why the function that overloads = operator, returns always
a const reference to the class.

Why the qualifier 'const'?

First of all, the premise is untrue. The compiler-provided operator=
does not return the reference to a const object. It returns a reference
to a non-const object.

Second, if one of _your_ classes returns a reference to const, they you
need to ask yourself (or whoever gave you the class) why the normal
(idiomatic) interface was not followed.

V
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[Juha Nieminen]

Victor Bazarov wrote:

nembo kid wrote:

>Was wondering why the function that overloads = operator, returns
always a const reference to the class.

Why the qualifier 'const'?

First of all, the premise is untrue. The compiler-provided operator=
does not return the reference to a const object. It returns a reference
to a non-const object.

Second, if one of _your_ classes returns a reference to const, they you
need to ask yourself (or whoever gave you the class) why the normal
(idiomatic) interface was not followed.

In fact, the operator=() can return *anything* (including void).
However, if you return anything else than a reference to self, your
class cannot be used in the traditional way with assignments (except
with a simple "a = b;").

[nembo kid]

Juha Nieminen ha scritto:

In fact, the operator=() can return *anything* (including void).
However, if you return anything else than a reference to self, your
class cannot be used in the traditional way with assignments (except
with a simple "a = b;").

Maybe that when operator=() makes a rvalue it returns a const, while
when it makes a lvalure it returns a non const??

Example

MyClass a, b, c;

I would avoid this assignment (a = b) as rvalue:

(a = b) = c;

[James Kanze]

On Jul 9, 7:21 pm, Juha Nieminen <[e-mail]:

Victor Bazarov wrote:

nembo kid wrote:

Was wondering why the function that overloads = operator,
returns always a const reference to the class.

Why the qualifier 'const'?

First of all, the premise is untrue. The compiler-provided
operator= does not return the reference to a const object.
It returns a reference to a non-const object.

Second, if one of _your_ classes returns a reference to
const, they you need to ask yourself (or whoever gave you
the class) why the normal (idiomatic) interface was not
followed.

In fact, the operator=() can return *anything* (including
void). However, if you return anything else than a reference
to self, your class cannot be used in the traditional way with
assignments (except with a simple "a = b;").

That's not quite true. A const reference return type will
support all of the traditionan C uses of assignment. (In C,
assignment was not an lvalue.) Where it breaks are things like:

T&
someFunction( /* ... */ )
{
// ...
return a = b ;
}

Arguably, such idioms aren't good programming practice, and
should be avoided anyway. But they work with built-in types and
with the compiler generated default operator, and it seems best
that user defined operators adher as close as possible to the
way the built-in operators work.

One notable exception to this is proxy objects, where the
operator= itself is usually const.

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:ja*********@gmail.com
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