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Understanding Copy Constructors in C++

A copy constructor is a member function that initializes an object using another object of the same class. There are two types of copy constructors: a shallow copy constructor, which performs a member-by-member copy without handling dynamic variables, and a deep copy constructor, which is designed to handle dynamic variables by allocating new memory. A deep copy constructor creates an independent copy of the source object while a shallow copy results in two objects pointing to the same memory location.

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19 views10 pages

Understanding Copy Constructors in C++

A copy constructor is a member function that initializes an object using another object of the same class. There are two types of copy constructors: a shallow copy constructor, which performs a member-by-member copy without handling dynamic variables, and a deep copy constructor, which is designed to handle dynamic variables by allocating new memory. A deep copy constructor creates an independent copy of the source object while a shallow copy results in two objects pointing to the same memory location.

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M Asif khan
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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COPY CONSTRUCTORS

W E E K - 4 ( PA R T 2 )

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


POINTERS

• Variable whose value refers to another value stored somewhere


else in the computer

• Definition:
Datatype * variable_name = & name_variable_pointed_to
Defines variable a pointer Returns an address

• Uses:
• Dynamically allocated memory to a variable

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


Simple
variables

Pointers structures

Types of
Variables

Objects Arrays

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


CONSTRUCTORS

Non- Parameterized Parameterized


Default Constructor Copy Constructors
Constructor Constructor

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


COPY CONSTRUCTOR

• A copy constructor is a member


function which initializes an
object using another object of the
same class
• Syntax:

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


TYPES OF COPY CONSTRUCTORS

Types of
Copies of
Object

Shallow
Deep Copy
Copy
Constructor
Constructor

Also known as Default Copy Constructor

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


SHALLOW VS DEEP COPY CONSTRUCTOR

Shallow Copy Constructor Deep Copy Constructor


• Does a member by member • Designed to handle dynamic
copy of the source object variables while creating the
• provided by the compiler as copy of the source object
a default copy constructor if
not defined
• Used in the Absence of
dynamic variables

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


SHALLOW VS DEEP COPY

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


SHALLOW VS DEEP COPY (IN CASE OF
DYNAMIC VARIABLES)

Source Copied
Object Object
Memory
########## Shallow Copy

Source Copied
Object Object
Memory
########## ########## Deep Copy

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming


EXAMPLE – SHALLOW COPY

CSSE-2133 Object Oriented Programming

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