arguments sent to constructor

[murva]

Hello, I am trying to understand a code, there is a class sending to constructor the following:

class Course
{private:

int CourseID;
char* CourseName;

public:
Course(int=0,char[]="anonymous");
~Course(void);
int GetCourseID();
char* getCourseName();
};
Course::Course(int num,char* name)
{
CourseName=new char[strlen(name)+1];
strcpy(CourseName,name);
CourseID=num;
}

I haven't seen so far this kind of parameters being sending like this

Course(int=0,char[]="anonymous");

Does anybody have an article that could explain me this?Thanks

[Bazzy]

that means that the arguments are optional as they have default values
so calling Course() would be the same as calling Course(0,"anonymous")

[murva]

Is it like to have a default and an argument constructor on only one declaration?

[murva]

Another question on the same code: Instead of:

Course::Course(int num,char* name)
{CourseName=new char[strlen(name)+1];
strcpy(CourseName,name);}

,

Why can't I put like this:

CourseName=new char[strlen(name)+1];
Course name=name;

[Bazzy]

Because you are working with pointers:
name's value is a location in memory as well as CourseName
by using CourseName=name you would make CourseName pointing to the same location in memory, by using

CourseName=new char[strlen(name)+1];
strcpy(CourseName,name);

You allocate a new part of memory and set the values for that copying from the memory pointed by name

http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/ntcs/
http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/pointers/

[murva]

Thanks, you helped me a lot