Initializing a data member within the class definition

[kultrva]

Is it possible? For example, I have an array of 26 characters (one for each letter of the alphabet) in the private section of my class. Visual C++ won't allow me to define the values right there and when I try to define the array within a method, it doesn't even recognize the array.

Is there any good way around this?

EDIT:: To clarify, when I mentioned the method not recognizing the array, the compiler says "expected an expression".

[Zhuge]

Could you post some code? The only things you can define inside of a class definition are static integral types, so you'll need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do.

[zb0S216C]

If you're trying to initialize members within a class deceleration, you need to make them static and constant. Consider the following code snippet.

typedef class EXAMPLE_CLASS
{
    public:
        static const char  Alphabet[ 26 ]; // Declare the array first.
}ExampleClass;

// Initialize the member.
const char EXAMPLE_CLASS::Alphabet[ 26 ] = { 'a', 'b', ... };

The downside to this is that you cannot modify the array once it's been initialized.

[kultrva]

The problem that I'm having is that the array is supposed to be a private attribute. Here's some code, if it helps at all:

class advancedCaesar: public caesarCipher{

private:
	char cipherAlphabet[26];

public:
	void print();
	advancedCaesar();
	advancedCaesar(int cipherLetter);
};

void advancedCaesar::print(){

	cipherAlphabet[26] = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z'};
	cout<<"The shift value is "<<shift<<endl;
	cout<<"The cipher alphabet is: "<<endl;

	for (int j = 0; j < 26; j++){
		cipherAlphabet[j] = cipherAlphabet[j] + shift;
	}

	cout<<cipherAlphabet;

}

I need to be able to initialize the array and still have it be modifiable. Thanks in advance to anybody who can help me out.

[zb0S216C]

By the sounds of it, you're going to have to initialize the array in the class constructor( or in a class method - which you will have to call first ) manually. That way, it's not constant nor static and still modifiable.

They way you're declaring the array on line 3, second code block, is not allowed.

EDIT:
You've made your array private which means if you want to be able to modify the array, you need a class method to be able to edit the array. If the array remains private, external methods( or direct access ) will be denied.