From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "David C. Fox" To: help-gcc@gnu.org Subject: Re: Classes in multiple files Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 15:04:00 -0000 Message-id: <387391B3.12471AC5@cfa.harvard.edu> References: <38712C84.AFD15365@altern.org> X-SW-Source: 2000-01/msg00058.html Thomas Lionel SMETS wrote: ... > I wish to have two classes in two separated files, as such : > > ============== B E G I N O F F I L E 1 ==================== > #include ... // Only standart header files , etc ... > class ClassName1 { > // Implementation > > } > ============== E N D O F F I L E 1 ======================= > > ============== B E G I N O F F I L E 2 ==================== > #include ... // Only standart header files , etc ... > class ClassName2 : class ClassName1 { > // Implementation > > } ... > Now the question is : > How do I compile this properly ? > ... > Thanks in advance, > > Thomas, > > -- > mail : thomas.smets@gonthier-be.com (professionnel) > tsmets@altern.org (privé) Classes generally have two parts: the class definition, and the definitions of any member functions. For example, // define class First class First { public: float fish(); //declare a member function called fish // ... private: int x; // declare an int data member }; // end of class definition // define member functions of First float First::fish() { return x*2.4; } Any source code which uses the class First needs access to the definition of the class at compile time*, which includes the declarations of the member functions (their names and argument and return types). It does not need access to the definitions of the member functions (in object file .o form) until link time. Thus, if I want to define a class Second which inherits from First, but put that definition in a separate file, I would organize the code as follows: // file: First.h class First { //define First }; // file: First.C #include "First.h" // This insures that First.C uses the same definition of class First as // everyone else. // define member functions of First // file: Second.C #include "First.h" class Second : public First { float red_fish(); // define Second }; // define members of Second float Second::red_fish() { return fish()*0.5; // half of fish are red } main() { // use Second } Then, I would compile First with g++ -c First.C and compile and link Second with g++ -c Second.C (#include gives g++ access to definition of First when compiling Second.C) g++ -o together First.o Second.o (linking with First.o gives the linker access to First's member functions so that it can fill in the function call to First::fish from Second::red_fish) or simply g++ -o together Second.C First.o Of course, if I wanted to use class Second in another file,I should separate its definition into Second.h. Further complications could arise if I wanted to use both classes in a third file. Suppose I wrote // file: Third.C #include "First.h" #include "Second.h" // error: attempts to redefine class First, since Second.h also // includes First.h First f; Second g; In this case, I could avoid multiple definitions by simply omitting the first (or do I mean First :-) #include in Third.C. However, I would have to remember that Second.h included First.h. I could head off this potential problem by changing the file First.h as follows: // file: First.h, version 2 #ifndef MY_FIRST_CLASS #define MY_FIRST_CLASS // define First class First { // ... }; #endif The extra # declarations to the preprocessor insure that only one definition of First is included in any given source file which is compiled. David Fox *except if the code only declares a pointer to an object of class First. From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "David C. Fox" To: help-gcc@gnu.org Subject: Re: Classes in multiple files Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:00 -0000 Message-ID: <387391B3.12471AC5@cfa.harvard.edu> References: <38712C84.AFD15365@altern.org> X-SW-Source: 2000-q1/msg00058.html Message-ID: <20000401000000.alYkGFwj37-xl7n0IXFIBwW-yW58DL8xumsTciBvgok@z> Thomas Lionel SMETS wrote: ... > I wish to have two classes in two separated files, as such : > > ============== B E G I N O F F I L E 1 ==================== > #include ... // Only standart header files , etc ... > class ClassName1 { > // Implementation > > } > ============== E N D O F F I L E 1 ======================= > > ============== B E G I N O F F I L E 2 ==================== > #include ... // Only standart header files , etc ... > class ClassName2 : class ClassName1 { > // Implementation > > } ... > Now the question is : > How do I compile this properly ? > ... > Thanks in advance, > > Thomas, > > -- > mail : thomas.smets@gonthier-be.com (professionnel) > tsmets@altern.org (privé) Classes generally have two parts: the class definition, and the definitions of any member functions. For example, // define class First class First { public: float fish(); //declare a member function called fish // ... private: int x; // declare an int data member }; // end of class definition // define member functions of First float First::fish() { return x*2.4; } Any source code which uses the class First needs access to the definition of the class at compile time*, which includes the declarations of the member functions (their names and argument and return types). It does not need access to the definitions of the member functions (in object file .o form) until link time. Thus, if I want to define a class Second which inherits from First, but put that definition in a separate file, I would organize the code as follows: // file: First.h class First { //define First }; // file: First.C #include "First.h" // This insures that First.C uses the same definition of class First as // everyone else. // define member functions of First // file: Second.C #include "First.h" class Second : public First { float red_fish(); // define Second }; // define members of Second float Second::red_fish() { return fish()*0.5; // half of fish are red } main() { // use Second } Then, I would compile First with g++ -c First.C and compile and link Second with g++ -c Second.C (#include gives g++ access to definition of First when compiling Second.C) g++ -o together First.o Second.o (linking with First.o gives the linker access to First's member functions so that it can fill in the function call to First::fish from Second::red_fish) or simply g++ -o together Second.C First.o Of course, if I wanted to use class Second in another file,I should separate its definition into Second.h. Further complications could arise if I wanted to use both classes in a third file. Suppose I wrote // file: Third.C #include "First.h" #include "Second.h" // error: attempts to redefine class First, since Second.h also // includes First.h First f; Second g; In this case, I could avoid multiple definitions by simply omitting the first (or do I mean First :-) #include in Third.C. However, I would have to remember that Second.h included First.h. I could head off this potential problem by changing the file First.h as follows: // file: First.h, version 2 #ifndef MY_FIRST_CLASS #define MY_FIRST_CLASS // define First class First { // ... }; #endif The extra # declarations to the preprocessor insure that only one definition of First is included in any given source file which is compiled. David Fox *except if the code only declares a pointer to an object of class First.