How to Use Operators Overloading with Arrays in C++

We want to implement array class with the following specifications: - range checking. - array assignment. - arrays that know their size. - compare arrays using '==' and '!=' operators. In the next example we will implement a simple class for integers is called Array, it has the previous specifications, and it has the following structure:
  1. class Array {
  2. friend ostream &operator<<( ostream &, const Array & );
  3. friend istream &operator>>( istream &, Array & );
  4. public:
  5. Array( int = 10 ); // default constructor
  6. Array( const Array & ); // copy constructor
  7. ~Array(); // destructor
  8. int getSize() const; // return size
  9. const Array &operator=( const Array & ); // assign arrays
  10. bool operator==( const Array & ) const; // compare equal
  11.  
  12. // Determine if two arrays are not equal and
  13. // return true, otherwise returnfalse (uses operator==).
  14. bool operator!=( const Array &right ) const;
  15.  
  16. int &operator[]( int ); // subscript operator
  17. const int &operator[]( int ) const; // subscript operator
  18. static int getArrayCount(); // Return count of
  19. // arrays instantiated.
  20. private:
  21. int size; // size of the array
  22. int *ptr; // pointer to first element of array
  23. static int arrayCount; // # of Arrays instantiated
  24. };
Functions Implementation: 1- Default Constructor:
  1. // Default constructor for class Array (default size 10)
  2. Array::Array( int arraySize )
  3. {
  4. size = (arraySize > 0 ?arraySize : 10 );
  5. ptr = new int[ size ]; // create space for array
  6. assert(ptr != 0 ); // terminate if memory not allocated
  7. ++arrayCount; // count one more object
  8.  
  9. for ( int i = 0; i < size; i++ )
  10. ptr[ i ] = 0; // initialize array
  11. }
2- Copy Constructor:
  1. // Copy constructor for class Array
  2. // must receive a reference to prevent infinite recursion
  3. Array::Array( constArray &init ) : size( init.size )
  4. {
  5. ptr = new int[ size ]; // create space for array
  6. assert(ptr != 0 ); // terminate if memory not allocated
  7. ++arrayCount; // count one more object
  8.  
  9. for ( int i = 0; i < size; i++ )
  10. ptr[ i ] = init.ptr[ i ]; // copy init into object
  11. }
3- Destructor:
  1. // Destructor for class Array
  2. Array::~Array()
  3. {
  4. delete [] ptr; // reclaim space for array
  5. --arrayCount; // one fewer object
  6. }
4- Get Size:
  1. // Get the size of the array
  2. int Array::getSize() const
  3. {
  4. return size;
  5. }
5- Overloaded Assignment Operator:
  1. // const return avoids: ( a1 = a2 ) = a3
  2. const Array &Array::operator=( const Array &right )
  3. {
  4. if ( &right != this )
  5. { // check for self-assignment
  6.  
  7. // for arrays of different sizes, deallocateoriginal
  8. // left side array, then allocate new left side array.
  9. if ( size != right.size )
  10. {
  11. delete []ptr; // reclaim space
  12. size = right.size; // resize this object
  13. ptr = newint[ size ]; // create space for array copy
  14. assert( ptr != 0 ); // terminate if not allocated
  15. }
  16.  
  17. for ( int i = 0; i < size; i++ )
  18. ptr[ i ] = right.ptr[ i ]; // copy array into object
  19. }
  20.  
  21. return *this; // enables x = y = z;
  22. }
6- Determine If Two Arrays are Equal:
  1. // Determine if two arrays are equal and
  2. // return true, otherwise return false.
  3. bool Array::operator==( const Array &right ) const
  4. {
  5. if ( size != right.size )
  6. return false; // arrays of different sizes
  7.  
  8. for ( int i = 0; i < size; i++ )
  9. if ( ptr[ i ] != right.ptr[ i ] )
  10. return false; // arrays are not equal
  11.  
  12. return true; // arrays are equal
  13. }
7- Overloaded Subscript Operator:
  1. // Overloaded subscript operator for non-const Arrays
  2. // reference return creates an lvalue
  3. int &Array::operator[]( int subscript )
  4. {
  5. // check for subscript out of range error
  6. assert( 0 <= subscript && subscript < size );
  7. return ptr[ subscript ]; // reference return
  8. }
8- Overloaded Subscript Operator for Const Arrays:
  1. <code></code>
  2. // Overloaded subscript operator for const Arrays
  3. // const reference return creates an rvalue
  4. const int &Array::operator[]( int subscript ) const
  5. {
  6. // check for subscript out of range error
  7. assert( 0 <= subscript && subscript < size );
  8.  
  9. return ptr[ subscript ]; // const reference return
  10. }
9- Return the Number of Array Objects Instantiated:
  1. // Return the number of Array objects instantiated
  2. // static functions cannot be const
  3. int Array::getArrayCount()
  4. {
  5. return arrayCount;
  6. }
10- Overloaded Input Operator:
  1. // Overloaded input operator for class Array;
  2. // inputs values for entire array.
  3. istream &operator>>( istream &input, Array &a )
  4. {
  5. for ( int i = 0; i < a.size; i++ )
  6. input >> a.ptr[ i ];
  7.  
  8. return input; // enables cin >> x >> y;
  9. }
11- Overloaded Output Operator:
  1. // Overloaded output operator for class Array
  2. ostream &operator<<( ostream &output, constArray &a )
  3. {
  4. int i;
  5.  
  6. for ( i = 0; i < a.size; i++ )
  7. {
  8. output << setw( 12 ) << a.ptr[ i ];
  9.  
  10. if ( ( i + 1 ) % 4 == 0 ) // 4 numbers per row of output
  11. output <<endl;
  12. }
  13.  
  14. if ( i % 4 != 0 )
  15. output << endl;
  16.  
  17. return output; // enables cout<< x << y;
  18. }
After we implement all functions we test them:
  1. int main()
  2. {
  3. // no objects yet
  4. cout << "# of arrays instantiated = "
  5. << Array::getArrayCount() << '\n';
  6. // create two arrays andprint Array count
  7. Array integers1( 7 ), integers2;
  8. cout << "# of arrays instantiated = "
  9. << Array::getArrayCount() << "\n\n";
  10.  
  11. // print integers1 size and contents
  12. cout << "Size of array integers1 is "
  13. << integers1.getSize()
  14. << "\nArrayafter initialization:\n"
  15. << integers1 << '\n';
  16.  
  17. // print integers2 size and contents
  18. cout << "Size of array integers2 is "
  19. << integers2.getSize()
  20. << "\nArrayafter initialization:\n"
  21. << integers2 << '\n';
  22.  
  23. // input and print integers1 and integers2
  24. cout << "Input 17 integers:\n";
  25. cin >> integers1 >> integers2;
  26. cout << "After input, the arrays contain:\n"
  27. << "integers1:\n" << integers1
  28. << "integers2:\n" << integers2 << '\n';
  29.  
  30. // use overloaded inequality (!=) operator
  31. cout << "Evaluating: integers1 != integers2\n";
  32. if ( integers1 != integers2 )
  33. cout<< "They are not equal\n";
  34.  
  35. // create array integers3 using integers1 as an
  36. // initializer; print size and contents
  37. Array integers3( integers1 );
  38. << "\nSizeof array integers3 is "
  39. << integers3.getSize()
  40. << "\nArrayafter initialization:\n"
  41. << integers3 << '\n';
  42.  
  43. // use overloaded assignment (=) operator
  44. cout << "Assigning integers2 to integers1:\n";
  45. integers1 = integers2;
  46. cout << "integers1:\n" << integers1
  47. << "integers2:\n" << integers2 << '\n';
  48.  
  49. // use overloaded equality (==) operator
  50. cout << "Evaluating: integers1 == integers2\n";
  51. if ( integers1 == integers2 )
  52. cout<< "They are equal\n\n";
  53.  
  54. // use overloaded subscript operator to create rvalue
  55. cout << "integers1[5] is " << integers1[ 5 ] << '\n';
  56.  
  57. // use overloaded subscript operator to create lvalue
  58. cout << "Assigning 1000 to integers1[5]\n";
  59. integers1[ 5 ] = 1000;
  60. cout << "integers1:\n" << integers1 << '\n';
  61.  
  62. // attempt to use out of range subscript
  63. cout << "Attempt to assign 1000 to integers1[15]" << endl;
  64. integers1[ 15 ] = 1000; // ERROR: out of range
  65.  
  66. return 0;
  67. }
The output:
# of arrays instantiated = 0
# of arrays instantiated = 2
Size of array integers1 is 7
Array after initialization:
0 0  0 0
0 0 0
Size of array integers2 is 10
Array after initialization:
0 0  0 0
0 0  0 0
0 0
Input 17 integers:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
After input, the arrays contain:
integers1:
1 2  3 4
5 6 7
integers2:
8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15
16 17
Evaluating: integers1 != integers2
They are not equal
Size of array integers3 is 7
Array after initialization:
1 2  3 4
5 6 7
Assigning integers2 to integers1:
integers1:
8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15
16 17
integers2:
8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15
16 17

Evaluating: integers1 == integers2
They are equal
integers1[5] is 13
Assigning 1000 to integers1[5]
integers1:
8 9 10 11
12 1000 14 15
16 17
Attempt to assign 1000 to integers1[15]
Assertion failed: 0 

Note: You can find the full source code of this example in code.zip file.

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