calling member functions from within the constructor

[mcleano]

1. Is it bad practice to call member functions from inside the constructor?

2. Is it bad practice to call member functions from inside other member functions?

[Bazzy]

1. 2. No

[mcleano]

One more question...

If you create an object and a parameter (lets say a std::string) needs to be passed to the constructor, is there any way of letting the user use their own string? e.g.

    std::string str;
    std::getline(cin, str);
    Password obj(str4);

Whereby password is the name of the class and obj is the object created.

[Tevsky]

You can put whatever string you want as the parameter.

If you want the user to enter the data for the parameter:

std::string str;
std::getline(cin, str);
Password obj(str);

[mcleano]

Ok sorry, I thought I tried that and got an error but I just re-did it and it was fine. Thanks both of you!

[jsmith]

To clarify one of the original questions.

1. It is fine to call non-virtual methods from the constructor.

[mcleano]

Yeah that's what I meant, I haven't covered virtual-methods yet. For when I do though, why can't/shouldn't you call virtual methods?

[Disch]

Because the vtable isn't built completely by the time the constructor is called.

On a similar note, the same problem happens with virtual functions and destructors.

Basically you shouldn't/can't call members of derived classes from the parent's ctor/dtor.