Array of Objects & Passing Objects as Function Arguments in C++

Array of Objects in C++

An array of objects is a collection of objects of the same class type, stored in contiguous memory locations. Here’s an example of how to declare and initialize an array of objects in C++:

class MyClass {
public:
    int x;
    int y;
};

int main() {
    // Declare an array of objects
    MyClass myArray[3];

    // Initialize the array of objects
    myArray[0].x = 1;
    myArray[0].y = 2;

    myArray[1].x = 3;
    myArray[1].y = 4;

    myArray[2].x = 5;
    myArray[2].y = 6;

    return 0;
}

In this example, we declare an array of MyClass objects named myArray with a size of 3. We then initialize each object’s x and y variables by assigning values to them individually.

Passing Objects as Function Arguments in C++

You can also pass objects as function arguments in C++. Here’s an example of how to pass an object by reference and by value:

class MyClass {
public:
    int x;
    int y;
};

// Pass by reference
void passByReference(MyClass& obj) {
    obj.x = 1;
    obj.y = 2;
}

// Pass by value
void passByValue(MyClass obj) {
    obj.x = 1;
    obj.y = 2;
}

int main() {
    MyClass myObj;

    // Pass by reference
    passByReference(myObj);

    // Pass by value
    passByValue(myObj);

    return 0;
}

In the passByReference function, we pass the myObj object by reference using the & operator. This allows us to modify the object’s x and y variables directly.

In the passByValue function, we pass the myObj object by value. This means that a copy of the object is made and passed to the function, and any changes made to the object within the function do not affect the original object.

Keep in mind that passing objects by reference can have performance benefits over passing by value, especially for large objects. However, passing by value can be safer in some cases because it prevents unintended modification of the original object.