I have some more basic questions about using overloaded operators. This is just a hypothetical question.
Say I have 2 overloaded operators functions defined for a class. The overloaded operator= function and the overloaded+ function.
Now I want to create the overloaded operator+=. Can I define that function in terms of the other overloaded operator= function and overloaded operator+ function ? Meaning can I use them in the definition of the overloaded operator+=? Or do I have to write a whole new function essentially doing what both the overloaded operator+ and the overloaded operator= functions do but all in one function? I just want to do this the right way but really don't know the preferred way to do it.
I know I can write the code to make the overloaded operator+= to work without using the other overloaded functions but it seems overly complex and I have been reading a lot of so called good design practices lately and it clearly seems the general consensus is that complexity is a cost don't pay it 2x and KISS. So with that being said it seems that I should keep a single point of failure for the new function relying on the previously defined functions so to not have to re-write 3 functions in case I need them to do something else.
This is just a simple string class that has overloaded operators for concatenating strings and copying strings.
class CSimpleString
{
public:
// Constructor definition.
CSimpleString(const char* text = "Default Text")
{
pmessage = new char [strlen(text) + 1];
strcpy_s(pmessage, strlen(text) + 1, text);
m_Length = strlen(pmessage);
}
// Overloaded assignment operator.
CSimpleString& operator=(const CSimpleString& aSimpleString)
{ /*Do some stuff*/}
// Overloaded addition operator.
CSimpleString operator+(const CSimpleString& aSimpleString) const
{/*Do some more stuff*/}
// Overloaded += operator.
CSimpleString operator+=(const CSimpleString& aSimpleString)
{/*What would be the syntax for using the overloaded operator+ and overloaded operator= in this funcntion? */}
private:
char* pmessage;
size_t m_Length;
};What would be the syntax for using the overloaded operators inside another overloaded operator? Would I have to use them specifically as the function is defined? Like so...
// Overloaded += operator.
CSimpleString operator+=(const CSimpleString& aSimpleString)
{ string1 operator=(string1 operator+(string2)) }Or is this completely stupid to do it this way? And I need a whole new function? I'm just trying to go about this correct and preferred way with most recycling of code.
Thank You for any help and wisdom on this matter.
