C++ Data Structures

Chapter 1

10) What is the difference between an object and an object class?

An object class provides the blue print for an object. It will define everything and all the variables and methods available to an object (at least in non-dynamic languages). An object is an instance of an object class, which provides a living breathing representation of that blue print.

Example #1

A Toyota Camry or another particular make might be an instance of the class car.

Example #2

A house might be an instance of the class Building

17) The following program has three separate errors, each of which would cause an infinite loop. As a member of the inspection team, you could save the programmer a lot of testing time by finding the errors during the inspection. Can you help?

Error 1:

The while clause is missing the {} brackets around the next 3 lines.

Error 2:

The Increment function is getting passed the variable nextNumber by value rather than reference, which will not increment count in the main() function.

Error 3:

The program is not referencing stdlib

18) Is there any way a single programmer (for example, a student working alone on a programming assignment) can benefit from some of the ideas behind the inspection process?

Yes, I believe anyone could benefit from the inspection process, regardless of the size of the team. The whole philosophy behind the inspection process is to review a program to ensure that each piece is working correctly. A single programmer could have a friend or outsource the job to have someone review his code to ensure that it is functioning correctly.

Chapter 2

19) Explain the difference between a C++ struct and class.

In C++ a struct defaults variables and methods to public where a class defaults to private. Classes are regarded as active structures where structs are regarded as passive structures usually used as parameters to classes.

23) Name three ways that classes can relate to each other

Polymorphism, overloading, and inheritance are 3 ways classes can relate to each other.