Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The copy constructor is used only for initializations, and does not apply to assignments where the assignment operator is used instead. The implicit copy constructor of a class calls base copy constructors and copies its members by means appropriate to their type. If it is a class type, the copy constructor is called.
The resulting object is called an object copy or simply copy of the original object. Copying is basic but has subtleties and can have significant overhead. There are several ways to copy an object, most commonly by a copy constructor or cloning. Copying is done mostly so the copy can be modified or moved, or the current value preserved.
With the advent of C++11 the rule of three can be broadened to the rule of five (also known as "the rule of the big five" [5]) as C++11 implements move semantics, [6] allowing destination objects to grab (or steal) data from temporary objects. The following example also shows the new moving members: move constructor and move assignment operator.
Copy constructor if no move constructor and move assignment operator are explicitly declared. If a destructor is declared generation of a copy constructor is deprecated (C++11, proposal N3242 [2]). Move constructor if no copy constructor, copy assignment operator, move assignment operator and destructor are explicitly declared.
The move assignment operator, like most C++ operators, can be overloaded. Like the copy assignment operator it is a special member function . If the move assignment operator is not explicitly defined, the compiler generates an implicit move assignment operator ( C++11 and newer) provided that copy / move constructors , copy assignment operator ...
Additionally, due to the lack of garbage collection in C++, programs will frequently copy an object whenever the ownership and lifetime of a single shared object would be unclear. For example, inserting an object into a standard library collection (such as a std::vector) typically involves making and inserting a copy into the collection.
A Copy constructor has one formal parameter that is the type of the class (the parameter may be a reference to an object). It is used to create a copy of an existing object of the same class. Even though both classes are the same, it counts as a conversion constructor. While copy constructors are usually abbreviated copy ctor or cctor, they ...
C++ objects in general behave like primitive types, so to copy a C++ object one could use the '=' (assignment) operator. There is a default assignment operator provided for all classes, but its effect may be altered through the use of operator overloading. There are dangers when using this technique (see slicing).