C++ Primer Plus

Special Member Functions

The problems with the StringBad class stem from special member functions. These are member functions that are defined automatically. In the case of StringBad, the behavior of these member functions is inappropriate to this particular class design. In particular, C++ automatically provides the following member functions:

• A default constructor if you define no constructors

• A default destructor if you don’t define one

• A copy constructor if you don’t define one

• An assignment operator if you don’t define one

• An address operator if you don’t define one

More precisely, the compiler generates definitions for the last three items if a program uses objects in such a way as to require them. For example, if you assign one ...