Constructors and Destructors: Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

Constructors and
Destructors
Dr. M. Madiajagan
Associate Professor SCOPE
Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

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Constructors
• A constructor is a special member function whose

task is to initialize the objects of its class.
• It is special because its name is same as the class
name.
• The constructor is invoked whenever an object of
its associated class is created.
• It is called constructor because it constructs the
values of data members of the class.

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Constructor - example
class add • When a class contains a
{ constructor, it is guaranteed
int m, n ; that an object created by the
public : class will be initialized
add (void) ; automatically.
------
}; • add a ;
add :: add (void) • Not only creates the object a of
{ type add but also initializes its
m = 0; n = 0; data members m and n to zero.
}
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Constructors
continue …
• There is no need to write any statement to invoke

the constructor function.
• If a ‘normal’ member function is defined for zero
initialization, we would need to invoke this
function for each of the objects separately.
• A constructor that accepts no parameters is called
the default constructor.
• The default constructor for class A is A : : A ( )

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Characteristics of Constructors
• They should be declared in the public section.
• They are invoked automatically when the objects

are created.
• They do not have return types, not even void and

they cannot return values.

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continue …
• They cannot be inherited, though a derived class

can call the base class constructor.
• Like other C++ functions, Constructors can have

default arguments.
• Constructors can not be virtual.

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continue …
• We can not refer to their addresses.
• An object with a constructor (or destructor) can

not be used as a member of a union.
• They make ‘implicit calls’ to the operators new

and delete when memory allocation is required.

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Constructors
continue …
• When a constructor is declared for a class

initialization of the class objects becomes
mandatory.

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Parameterized Constructors
• It may be necessary to initialize the various data
elements of different objects with different values
when they are created.
• This is achieved by passing arguments to the

constructor function when the objects are created.
• The constructors that can take arguments are

called parameterized constructors.
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Parameterized Constructors
continue …
class add • When a constructor is

{ parameterized, we must pass
int m, n ; the initial values as arguments
public : to the constructor function
add (int, int) ; when an object is declared.
------
}; • Two ways Calling:
add : : add (int x, int y) o Explicit
• add sum = add(2,3);
{
m = x; n = y; o Implicit
• add sum(2,3)
}
• Shorthand method
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Multiple Constructors in a Class
• C + + permits to use more than one constructors

in a single class.
• Add( ) ; // No arguments
• Add (int, int) ; // Two arguments

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continue …
class add • The first constructor receives

{ no arguments.
int m, n ;
public :
add ( ) {m = 0 ; n = 0 ;} • The second constructor
add (int a, int b) receives two integer arguments.
{m = a ; n = b ;}
add (add & i) • The third constructor receives
{m = i.m ; n = i.n ;} one add object as an argument.
};

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continue …
class add • Add a1;

{ – Would automatically invoke the
int m, n ; first constructor and set both m
public : and n of a1 to zero.
add ( ) {m = 0 ; n = 0 ;} • Add a2(10,20);
add (int a, int b)
– Would call the second
{m = a ; n = b ;} constructor which will initialize
add (add & i) the data members m and n of a2
{m = i.m ; n = i.n ;} to 10 and 20 respectively.
};

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continue …
class add • Add a3(a2);

{ – Would invoke the third
int m, n ; constructor which copies the
public : values of a2 into a3.
add ( ) {m = 0 ; n = 0 ;} – This type of constructor is called
add (int a, int b) the “copy constructor”.
{m = a ; n = b ;} • Construction Overloading
add (add & i) – More than one constructor
{m = i.m ; n = i.n ;} function is defined in a class.
};

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continue …
class complex • complex ( ) { }

{
float x, y ;
public : – This contains the empty body and
complex ( ) { } does not do anything.
complex (float a)
{x=y=a;}
complex (float r, float i) – This is used to create objects
{x=r;y=i} without any initial values.
------
};

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continue …
• C + + compiler has an implicit constructor which

creates objects, even though it was not defined in
the class.
• This works well as long as we do not use any
other constructor in the class.
• However, once we define a constructor, we must
also define the “do-nothing” implicit constructor.

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Constructors with Default Arguments
• It is possible to define constructors with default

arguments.
• Consider complex (float real, float imag = 0);
– The default value of the argument imag is zero.
– complex C1 (5.0) assigns the value 5.0 to the real
variable and 0.0 to imag.
– complex C2(2.0,3.0) assigns the value 2.0 to real and
3.0 to imag.

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Constructors with Default Arguments
continue …
• A::A()  Default constructor

• A : : A (int = 0)  Default argument constructor
• The default argument constructor can be called

with either one argument or no arguments.
• When called with no arguments, it becomes a
default constructor.

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Dynamic Initialization of Objects
• Providing initial value to objects at run time.
• Advantage – We can provide various initialization

formats, using overloaded constructors.
This provides the flexibility of using

different format of data at run time
depending upon the situation.

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Copy Constructor
•A copy constructor is used to declare and initialize

an object from another object.
integer (integer & i) ;

integer I 2 ( I 1 ) ; or integer I 2 = I 1 ;
The process of initializing through a copy constructor
is known as copy initialization.

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Copy Constructor
continue …
The statement
I 2 = I 1;
will not invoke the copy constructor.
If I 1 and I 2 are objects, this statement is legal and

assigns the values of I 1 to I 2, member-by-member.

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Copy Constructor
continue …
• A reference variable has been used as an argument

to the copy constructor.
• We cannot pass the argument by value to a copy

constructor.

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Dynamic Constructors
• The constructors can also be used to allocate

memory while creating objects.
• This will enable the system to allocate the right

amount of memory for each object when the
objects are not of the same size.

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Dynamic Constructors
continue …
• Allocation of memory to objects at the time of their

construction is known as dynamic construction of
objects.
• The memory is created with the help of the new

operator.

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Destructors
• A destructor is used to destroy the objects that have

been created by a constructor.
• Like constructor, the destructor is a member

function whose name is the same as the class name
but is preceded by a tilde.
eg: ~ integer ( ) { }

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Destructors
continue …
• A destructor never takes any argument nor does it

return any value.
• It will be invoked implicitly by the compiler upon

exit from the program – or block or function as the
case may be – to clean up storage that is no longer
accessible.

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Destructors
continue …
• It is a good practice to declare destructors in a

program since it releases memory space for further
use.
• Whenever new is used to allocate memory in the

constructor, we should use delete to free that
memory.

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Thank You

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Constructors and

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• A constructor is a special member function whose

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• There is no need to write any statement to invoke

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• They are invoked automatically when the objects

• They do not have return types, not even void and

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• They cannot be inherited, though a derived class

• Like other C++ functions, Constructors can have

• Constructors can not be virtual.

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• We can not refer to their addresses.

• An object with a constructor (or destructor) can

• They make ‘implicit calls’ to the operators new

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• When a constructor is declared for a class

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• This is achieved by passing arguments to the

• The constructors that can take arguments are

class add • When a constructor is

• C + + permits to use more than one constructors

• Add (int, int) ; // Two arguments

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

class add • The first constructor receives

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

class add • Add a1;

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

class add • Add a3(a2);

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

class complex • complex ( ) { }

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• C + + compiler has an implicit constructor which

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• It is possible to define constructors with default

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• A::A()  Default constructor

• The default argument constructor can be called

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• Providing initial value to objects at run time.

• Advantage – We can provide various initialization

This provides the flexibility of using

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

•A copy constructor is used to declare and initialize

integer (integer & i) ;

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

If I 1 and I 2 are objects, this statement is legal and

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• A reference variable has been used as an argument

• We cannot pass the argument by value to a copy

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• The constructors can also be used to allocate

• This will enable the system to allocate the right

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• Allocation of memory to objects at the time of their

• The memory is created with the help of the new

Dr. M. Madiajagan Associate Professor SCOPE

• A destructor is used to destroy the objects that have