Recursive class member function

[programgirl]

hi. In order to call a member function recursively, what is the syntax? for example:

class foo
{
public:
void recursiveCall ();
}

void foo::recursiveCall ();
{
recursiveCall ();  //here: how would you call this function again? I think you would need an object....but I'm not exactly sure...
}

Thank you

[ne555]

Try this

[programgirl]

your code didn't post...

[pata]

That would cause the function to loop I believe, the function gets called and it calls itself. Nothing to stop it calling itself again.

[mik2718]

If you have a recursive function that doesn't need access to class member data than you can use a static member function.

Then foo::recursiveCall() would call it with no need for an object.

[programgirl]

what if it does need access to the class member data?

[Zhuge]

You have a syntax error on line 7 with that extra semicolon, but otherwise I think it works as written (the call, at least - the infinite recursion is another matter).

[mik2718]

If it needs access to class member data than a standard non-static member function is fine.

Of course you will need an object to call it. This can be the current object. A non-static member function can be considered the same as the static one except that there is a (hidden) extra argument to the function. This hidden argument is a pointer to the current object.

You can call it recursively with with just recursiveCall() as you have done. Or to make it clear you can use
this->recursiveCall() which is the same thing.

Since the class member data is accessed via pointer it is the same data for every function call. Data passed as arguments by value get a new copy for each recursive call and this can be part of the way a recursive algorithm works.

[programgirl]

perfect, thanks for the answers i got the program to do what i wanted.