Topic 12: Revision of C++

Synopsis

• Function pointers
   
• I/O
   
• Dynamic memory
   
• References^¤
   
• Classes^¤
   
• Constructors^¤ and destructors^¤
   
• Function overloading
   
• const member^¤ functions

Function pointers

• What is a function pointer useful for?
   
• How is a function pointer declared?
   
• How is a function pointer used (i.e. how can functions be called through a function pointer)?
   
• What is the relationship between function pointers and polymorphism^¤?

I/O

• What is the general syntax for doing output in a C++ program?
   
• What is the general syntax for doing input in a C++ program?
   
• What is the purpose of the cin object?
   
• What is the purpose of the cout object?
   
• What is the purpose of the cerr object?
   
• What is the purpose of endl in the following output expression?

  cout << "This sentence is false" << endl;
  

Dynamic memory

• What is the name of the operator which allocates single objects dynamically?
   
• What is the name of the corresponding deallocation operator?
   
• What is the name of the operator which allocates arrays of objects dynamically?
   
• What is the name of the corresponding deallocation operator?
   
• Apart from reserving the required memory, what else do the allocation operators do?
   
• Apart from reclaiming the specified memory, what else do the deallocation operators do?

References^¤

• What is a "reference^¤"?
   
• What is the syntax for declaring a reference^¤?
   
• Once a reference^¤ is declared, how can it be distinguished from the original object it references^¤?
   
• What is a "reference^¤ parameter"?
   
• What are the advantages of passing arguments by reference^¤?
   
• What are the disadvantages of passing arguments by reference^¤?
   
• In what ways are references^¤ and pointers similar?
   
• In what ways do references^¤ and pointers differ?

Classes^¤

• What is a "class^¤"?
   
• What is the syntax for declaring a class^¤ in C++?
   
• What kinds of members^¤ can a class^¤ have?
   
• What is "access" in the context of a C++ class^¤?
   
• What kinds of access can a class^¤ member^¤ have?
   
• How are classes^¤ related to the concept of abstraction^¤?
   
• How are classes^¤ related to the concept of encapsulation^¤?

Constructors^¤ and destructors^¤

• What is a constructor^¤?
   
• Why is a constructor^¤ useful?
   
• When is a constructor^¤ called?
   
• What is a destructor^¤?
   
• Why is a destructor^¤ useful (and sometimes essential)?
   
• When is a destructor^¤ called?
   
• Why can a class^¤ have many constructors^¤, but at most one destructor^¤?

Function overloading

• What is "function overloading"?
   
• Why is function overloading useful?
   
• What is the "signature^¤" of a function?
   
• How does the compiler work out which version of an overloaded function^¤ to call?
   
• How can a call to an overloaded function^¤ be ambiguous?

const member^¤ functions

• What is a "const member^¤ function"?
   
• Why are such member^¤ functions necessary?
   
• What constraints does the compiler put on a const member^¤ function?
   
• What is a "mutable ^¤data member^¤¤" and how does it relate to const function members^¤¤?