self containing classes?

I'd like to have a class (atoms), where each instance maintains a list of other instances as a data member (a list of bonded atoms). Is this possible? I just tried writing it up as if it were and I got an error in the constructor.

Possible, sure, but probably not practical. Any reason you don't want to use a container class?

You may need to make a list of pointers to the other bonded atoms. Or indexes.

This is the old "How do I design a graph class" problem. I've seen a few generic attempts at it, but rarely good ones. You pretty much just have to design what you need each time.

Code:

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class Atom{
    vector<Atom *> Bonded;
}

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by ninja9578

Code:

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class Atom{
    vector<Atom *> Bonded;
}

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I'd actually recommend making your own container class that not only stores the bonded atoms, but signifies type and strength of the bond, etc., but otherwise just like this

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Etherous

I'd actually recommend making your own container class that not only stores the bonded atoms, but signifies type and strength of the bond, etc., but otherwise just like this

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Why go to the trouble of writing your own container class? You could just do something like:

Code:

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class Atom;

class BondedAtom
{
  BondType type;
  BondStrength strength;
  Atom* atom;
  // etc
};

class Atom
{
  vector<BondedAtom> bonded;
};

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