[Q] HOWTO overload '==' operator?

[Michael T. Peterson]

I am unable to figure out how to overload the '==' operator. The code
below( cc'd it from an example on the net) doesn't compile:

bool operator== ( const GivenName &lhs, const GivenName &rhs ) {
return( lhs.first == rhs.first && lhs.middle == rhs.middle &&
lhs.last == rhs.last );
}

The error message is 'operator ==' has too many parameters.

Any suggestions, explanations, references to docs or books, etc., would be
greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Michael

 

[David Hilsee]

I am unable to figure out how to overload the '==' operator. The code
below( cc'd it from an example on the net) doesn't compile:

bool operator== ( const GivenName &lhs, const GivenName &rhs ) {
return( lhs.first == rhs.first && lhs.middle == rhs.middle &&
lhs.last == rhs.last );
}

The error message is 'operator ==' has too many parameters.

Any suggestions, explanations, references to docs or books, etc., would be
greatly appreciated.

It sounds like you made that function a member. As it is currently written,
it should not be a member function. Example:

class GivenName {
// members first, middle, last, etc
friend bool operator== ( const GivenName &lhs, const GivenName &rhs ) {
return lhs.first == rhs.first && lhs.middle == rhs.middle &&
lhs.last == rhs.last;
}
};

 

[Victor Bazarov]

I am unable to figure out how to overload the '==' operator. The code
below( cc'd it from an example on the net) doesn't compile:

bool operator== ( const GivenName &lhs, const GivenName &rhs ) {
return( lhs.first == rhs.first && lhs.middle == rhs.middle &&
lhs.last == rhs.last );
}

The error message is 'operator ==' has too many parameters.

Any suggestions, explanations, references to docs or books, etc., would be
greatly appreciated.

Take a good look at the example from which you cc'd your code. Was the
operator== there a member or was it a stand-alone function? Did you make
it a member? Now, analyse the difference. Why in the example on the net
it worked, and in your code it doesn't? What book on C++ are you reading
at this time? Does it talk about operator overloading at all? If it does
talk about it, have you paid attention to the difference between member/
non-member operators, especially to the number of their arguments?

Victor

 

[Thomas Matthews]

I am unable to figure out how to overload the '==' operator. The code
below( cc'd it from an example on the net) doesn't compile:

bool operator== ( const GivenName &lhs, const GivenName &rhs ) {
return( lhs.first == rhs.first && lhs.middle == rhs.middle &&
lhs.last == rhs.last );
}

The error message is 'operator ==' has too many parameters.

Any suggestions, explanations, references to docs or books, etc., would be
greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Michael

As a member function of a class:
class Bicycle
{
public:
bool operator==(const Bicycle& b) const;
};

In your case (perhaps, as you haven't supplied much
to work with):
class PersonName
{
public:
bool operator==(const PersonName & pn) const;
private:
std::string first;
std::string middle;
std::string last;
};

bool
PersonName ::
operator==(const PersonName& pn) const
{
return (last == pn.last)
&& (first == pn.first)
&& (middle == pn.middle);
}


--
Thomas Matthews

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Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

 

[Michael T. Peterson]

Thanks, everyone. all of your insights haven proven very helpful.

Cheers,

Michael