syntax of copy constructor

[subrat]

Hello,
I have adoubt on the signature of copy constructor.
Why one should always use const reference and not pointers as arguments?
I know why reference is used. But why cant I use pointers?

Thanks in advance.
Subrat@Bangalore

 

[Rolf Magnus]

Hello,
I have adoubt on the signature of copy constructor.
Why one should always use const reference and not pointers as arguments?

Because it wouldn't be a copy constructor then.

I know why reference is used. But why cant I use pointers?

You can. Then you get a conversion constructor from a pointer into an object
of your class.

 

[Victor Bazarov]

I have adoubt on the signature of copy constructor.
Why one should always use const reference and not pointers as
arguments? I know why reference is used. But why cant I use pointers?

Because then it's not a copy constructor by definition, but a parameterised
constructor from a pointer.

V

 

[=?ISO-8859-15?Q?Stefan_N=E4we?=]

Hello,
I have adoubt on the signature of copy constructor.
Why one should always use const reference and not pointers as arguments?
I know why reference is used. But why cant I use pointers?

A copy c'tor is by definition (i.e. _The Standard_) of the
form:

T(T&)
T(const T&)
T(const volatile T&)

Any other c'tor is not a copy-c'tor.

/S

 

[Greg Comeau]

I have adoubt on the signature of copy constructor.
Why one should always use const reference and not pointers as arguments?
I know why reference is used. But why cant I use pointers?

C++ requires that a copy ctor have a certain form, um,
as a convenience.

You can of course create your own ctors, so long as
they do not bump into any other rules.

I sense another underlying question in your question?

 

[Greg Comeau]

A copy c'tor is by definition (i.e. _The Standard_) of the
form:

T(T&)
T(const T&)
T(const volatile T&)

Any other c'tor is not a copy-c'tor.

volatile T& too.

It can also happen upon the other case where all the other arguments
after the T&'d one mentioned above are default'ed before such a call.