Lab 02 - classes, operators

Classes - operators, conversions

Rational class

Let’s design Rational class that will operate on decimal fractions. We can divide programming of such class into three stages:

Establishing requirements for the class

Establishing the interface

The class should contain methods allowing:

Implementation

Let’s split the code into header and source file. If the method’s implementation is located outside of the class declaration, its’ name should be preceded with ClassName:: to show the compiler that the function we are defining is a method from some class and not a free function. Additionally, methods that don’t cause any changes in the object they are called from (such as getters, display function) should be marked with const modifier placed after the arguments list. It will allow to call this method in a context to which the object of the class containing such method was passed as const. The example implementation is shown below:

Rational.h:

class Rational {
public:
    Rational(int num = 0, int den = 1); // default constructor

    void set(int num, int den); // sets numerator and denominator
    int num() const; // gets numerator
    int den() const; // gets denominator
    void set_num(int num); // sets numerator
    void set_den(int den); // sets denominator
    Rational add(const Rational &other) const; // adds second rational number, returns result
    Rational subtract(const Rational &other) const; // subtracts second rational number, returns result
    void print() const; // prints number to console

private:
    int num_, den_;
};

Rational.cpp:

Rational::Rational(int num, int den) : num_(num) { // initializes num_ field with num value
    if (den) {
        den_ = den;
    } else {
        den_ = 1;
    }
}

void Rational::set(int num, int den) {
    num_ = num;
    if (den) {
        den_ = den;
    }
}

int Rational::num() const {
    return num_;
}

int Rational::den() const {
    return den_;
}

void Rational::set_num(int num) {
    num_ = num;
}

void Rational::set_den(int den) {
    if (den) {
        den_ = den;
    }
}

Rational Rational::add(const Rational &other) const {
    return Rational(num_ * other.den_ + other.num_ * den_,
                    den_ * other.den_);
}

Rational Rational::subtract(const Rational &other) const {
    return Rational(num_ * other.den_ - other.num_ * den_,
                    den_ * other.den_);
}

void Rational::print() const {
    if (den_ == 1) {
        std::cout << num_;
    } else {
        std::cout << num_ << "/" << den_;
    }
}

🛠🔥 Assignment 🔥🛠

Check how the class is working using the code below:

Rational quarter(1, 4);
Rational one_third(1, 3);

Rational add_result, sub_result;
add_result = one_third.add(quarter);
sub_result = one_third.subtract(quarter);

one_third.print(); std::cout << " + "; quarter.print(); std::cout << " = "; add_result.print(); std::cout << std::endl;
one_third.print(); std::cout << " - "; quarter.print(); std::cout << " = "; sub_result.print(); std::cout << std::endl;

Operator overloading

The previously created class allows performing operations on fractions, but is not as convenient as built-in C++ types:

int a = 1, b = 2;
int c = a + b;

C++ language allows defining (overloading) operators in custom classes in order for them to perform operations defined by programmer. Functions that overload operators can take as many arguments as they take in case of built-in types. The precedence of the operators works the same as with built-in types. It means that the order of d = a + b * c execution always looks like this: a + (b * c). The operators are only graphic symbols and they can perform any operations; however, it is advised for the overloaded operators to perform operations similar to the original ones to keep the clarity. For example: + operator performing printing or subtraction may by very confusing.

The declaration of operator overload looks similar to a method declaration:

return_type operator#(arguments list)

where # is the overloaded operator

Example operators of addition and subtraction for the Rational class can look following (similar to add and subtract methods):

Rational operator+(const Rational &rhs) const; // rhs - Right Hand Side - right operand
Rational operator-(const Rational &rhs) const;

Please note, that the operators above always take only one argument - the right operand. Operator, just like methods add and subtract is executed on the object that is the left operand:

Rational Rational::operator+(const Rational &rhs) const {
    return Rational(num_ * rhs.den_ + rhs.num_ * den_,
                    den_ * rhs.den_);
}

Rational Rational::operator-(const Rational &rhs) const {
    return Rational(num_ * rhs.den_ - rhs.num_ * den_,
                    den_ * rhs.den_);
}

The code performing the computations can look as follows:

add_result = one_third + quarter;
sub_result = one_third - quarter;

🛠🔥 Assignment 🔥🛠

Add the operators mentioned above to the Rational class. Prepare the implementation of multiplication operator (*). Check if it works correctly.

Friend functions, stream operator

The overloaded operators purpose is not always exactly the same as the original one. For example: operators << and >> are normally used to perform binary shifts on numbers, but because of their graphical resemblance to arrows, in C++ they are used for streams.

Displaying the value of the fraction using the print() method is not very convenient. Additionally, it doesn’t allow writing to the text file. The better way could look like this:

std::cout << one_third << " - " << quarter << " = " << sub_result << std::endl;

In the case of << operator the left operand is the stream and the right operand is the element added to the stream. The example of + and - operators show that the left operand is predetermined in a way - it is the object of class that we created the overload in. We can’t simply modify the stream class, as it is the part of standard library.

In such case we can write a free function that will take the stream and our fraction object as the arguments and return modified stream:

std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &str, Rational &rhs){
    if (rhs.den_ == 1) {
        str << rhs.num_;
    } else {
        str << rhs.num_ << "/" << rhs.den_;
    }
    return str;
}

Add the code above to the Rational.cpp file.

Free functions, as we already know, cannot access private fields of a class. Because of that fact we need to declare a friendship between class and function. Add the following code inside the Rational class declaration:

friend std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &str, Rational &rhs);

🛠🔥 Assignment 🔥🛠

Add >> operator overload to Rational class. It should allow pulling the fraction from the istream type stream (for example from the console using cin). Two possible input formats are:

Type conversions

In many cases the compiler that won’t be able to find the function that exactly matches the set of passed parameters will perform implicit conversion to the matching type. Because of that it is possible to execute the code:

Rational p = quarter + 1;

Compiler will try to perform the calculation using the variable of Rational type, because this is the type of the first operand. We implemented Rational + Rational operation so only the conversion from integral number to Rational is needed. We implemented that as well as a side effect of Rational(int num, int den) constructor. The code above will implicitly perform the same calculation as written below:

Rational p = quarter + Rational(1);

The reverse operation (1 + quarter) won’t work, because the compiler will we looking for the operator that works on int type.

We can implement functions that perform conversions from different type to our class type in the form of a constructor:

Rational(double r); // the constructor converting from double
Rational::Rational(double r) {
    int den = 1;
    int it = 0;
    while ((r != (int)r)&&(it<9)){
        den *= 10;
        r *= 10;
        it++;
    }
    num_ = r;
    den_ = den;
}

and to other type in the form of operator with target type symbol:

operator double(); // operator converting to double
Rational::operator double(){
    return (double)num_ / (double)den_;
}

After adding the conversions above it is even possible to execute the following code, despite the fact that we didn’t define / operator for the Rational class.

Rational p = one_third / quarter;

Why the code above works? Is the result correct?

Final assignments 🔥🛠

1. Time class

Design and implement a class that will allow to store the time (duration) and basic operations (addition and subtraction, multiplying by scalar)

The class should allow displaying the value of time in the console, in user-readable format and reading the time from user. Additionally, it should allow conversions to and from seconds.

Example use:

Time t1(200);
cout << t1 << endl; // displays 03m:20s
Time t2;
cin >> t2; // user enters 10h:12m:01s

Time t3 = t2 - t1; // 10h:8m:41s
int t3s = t3; // 36521

2. SuperInvoice program

Write a program that will allow generation invoices in the console. Split the functionality into classes:

Invoice - class the describes the invoice, includes the following attributes:

The invoice in its’ simplest form should allow adding elements and “printing” of all information.

Item - class describing single item from the invoice, includes the following attributes:

The example invoice after “printing” can look following:

------------------VAT invoice------------------
===============================================
Seller: 7770003699      Buyer: 0123456789

                  c.j. VAT   il.    net   total
1. M3 screw     | 0.37  A | 100 | 37.00 | 45.51
2. 2 mm drill   | 2.54  B |   2 |  5.08 |  5.49

------------------------------------ TOTAL ----
                                  42.08 | 51.00

Think about what functionality and what interface should every class have. The printing should happen using stream operator both in Item and Invoice class.

The classes should allow running the code below:

Invoice inv(7770003699, 0123456789);
inv.add_item(Item("M3 screw", 0.37, 'A', 100));
inv.add_item(Item("2 mm drill", 2.54, 'B', 2));
std::cout << inv << std::endl;

Bonus:

Implement addition operator for invoices (check if the NIP numbers are the same and merge items from both invoices). Think about how to store the positions inside the invoice to find the matching elements easily.

Authors: Jakub Tomczyński, Michał Fularz, Rafał Kabaciński, Piotr Kaczmarek, Michał Nowicki, Jan Wietrzykowski, Dominik Pieczyński