Help needed with class BookType

I have the following question:

A. Some of the characteristics of a book are the title, author(s), publisher, ISBN, price, and year of publication.
B. Design a class bookType that defines the book as an ADT.
i. Each object of the class bookType can hold the following information about a book:
1. title,
2. up to four authors,
3. publisher,
4. ISBN,
5. price,
6. and number of copies in stock.
7. To keep track of the number of authors, add another member variable.
ii. Include the member functions to perform the various operations on objects of type bookType.
iii. For example, the usual operations that can be preformed on the title are:
 to show the title,
 set the title,
 and check whether the title is the same as the actual title of the book.
iv. Similarly, the typical operations that can be preformed on the number of copies in stock are :
 to show the number of copies in stock,
 set the number of copies in stock,
 update the number of copies in stock,
 and return the number of copies in stock.

v. Add similar operations for the publisher, ISBN, book price, and authors. Add the appropriate constructors and destructor (if one is needed).

B. Write the definitions of the member functions of the class bookType.

C. Write a program that uses the class bookType and tests various operations on the objects of the class bookType.

D. Declare an array of 100 components of the type bookType. Some of the operations that you should perform are to search for a book by title, search by ISBN, and update the number of copies of a book.



I have complete all except the search book by title and search by ISBN. I want to try using the vector function to store all the information for the books.

Anyway can help with me that? From the class template to implementing the vector function on how to push the data, pop the data from the vector class.

thanks. Appreciate very much.

Your assignment calls for you to declare a fixed length array, not a vector.

ya.. i know. but that just part of the question. The assignment requirements are to use vectors, no STL.

I pasted the requirements of the assignment below.

Customer lists are stored using a vector class. Book lists are also stored using a vector class. You must write your own vector class to be used in exercise 7. There must be only one vector class. Note that means you can have as many vector object as you need but there is only one vector class. STL data strctures cannot be used in this assignment.


So right now I am trying to do the book list to store using a vector class. And the question I pasted earlier is for the book lists.

vector is an STL container. Sounds weird that they'd give it the same name. Do they want you to mimic the STL vector's functionality?

Seems that the "vector" requirement contradicts the array requirement in D above.

The array was just to test whether the code is working. I tested that already.

So perhaps just need to ignore the array part.

The main focus will be the vector class, on how to store the book list data inside the vector class.

thanks.. =)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

The array was just to test whether the code is working. I tested that already.

So perhaps just need to ignore the array part.

The main focus will be the vector class, on how to store the book list data inside the vector class.

thanks.. =)

---

So your assignment calls on you to make a dynamic array class? If so, then what's the issue? Just create a vector class and have a push_back() function, just like std::vector. Forget about the book class -- just write a dynamic array class, regardless of what it's going to hold, whether it will be int, double, a Book, a Widget, doesn't matter.

If you don't know how to do that or where to start, then bring that issue up with your teacher. My opinion is that these types of assignments should really not be given to beginners in C++ (not just my opinion, but also the opinion of the inventor of C++, Bjarne Stroustrup). You need to know dynamically allocated memory, ciopy constructors, destructors, pointer manipulation, I could go on and on. Or you can use std::vector<T>, as GCDEF mentioned. If you are supposed to do the former, you are now entering the realm of C++ that is way beyond beginner stage. It's these types of assignments and requirements that are given to beginners that gives C++ a bad name (at least in the academic world).

If the name of the class you're taking is not something similar to "data structures", but its more of "Programming in C++", then it begs the question of why this assignment was given with these requirements. The assignment as posted would have benn an excellent opportunity to actually learn C++ and use the various aspects of the library (vectors, algorithms such as find(), etc.). Instead, it becomes a big waste by sidetracking you into doing something that you may not be ready for (and possibly not even need to do, given that real-world C++ programmers use std::vector).

Regards,

Paul McKenzie

im taking data structures and abstractions. what the teacher told us was to just read the textbook. Which is really not doing us good. Tried googling to read up more and see the examples. But what I can learn are really limited.

I have created a class template. Wonder if you could tell me am I correct or any part that I should amend. I don't mind putting in double effort to learn, but I just hope someone could give me a head start. My class template is as pasted below.

//************************************************************************
//
//vBookType.H vector BookType class definition
//class BookInfo
// this class defines the vector class
//************************************************************************

#include <iostream>
#ifndef VBOOKTYPE_H
#define VBOOKTYPE_H

using namespace std;


template <class T>

Class BookInfo
{
//vector <BookType> BookInfo; //declare vector of book
public:

int isEmpty(); {return top == -1;}
int isFull();{return top == size -1;}
void push(T&);
void pop(T&);

BookInfo(); //constructor
~BookInfo(); //{delete [] Ptr;}

private:
int size[1000]// number of elements
//int top;
T*Ptr;

};

template <class T>
BookInfo<T>::BookInfo
{
}
template <class T>
void BookInfo<T>::push(T& data)
{
if (!isFull())
{
Ptr[++top] = data;
return 1; //push successfully
}
else
{
return 0;
}//push unsuccessfully
}

template <class T>
void BookInfo<T>::pop(T& PopData)
{
if (!Empty())
{
PopData = Ptr[top--];
return 1; //pop successfully
}
else
{
return 0;
}//pop unsuccessfully

}


if im wrong, could someone please give me a head start by rectifying my mistakes?

thanks a lot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

im taking data structures and abstractions. what the teacher told us was to just read the textbook. Which is really not doing us good. Tried googling to read up more and see the examples. But what I can learn are really limited.

---

OK. But here is the problem with using C++ to create such structures:

You have two learning curves -- how to use C++ properly and then after that, how to code a dynamic array using the book you're reading. That is the big problem with using C++ as a data structures language -- if you don't know C++ to know enough how to handle pointers, dynamically allocated memory, and a whole host of other language related issues, that data structures book is basically useless in terms of learning C++ properly.

That's why a language like Java, where you don't have to worry about these language-related issues, is a much better language to learn data structures.

Quote:

---

I have created a class template. Wonder if you could tell me am I correct or any part that I should amend. I don't mind putting in double effort to learn, but I just hope someone could give me a head start. My class template is as pasted below.

---

You need to use code tags when posting code, so that the formatting is preserved.

Second, look at the public interface for std::vector. That is a much better place to start.

As to your code, there are a lot of issues with it, again, most are language related ones and not ones that are related to the actual data structure of a dynamic array.

Code:

---


#include <iostream>
#ifndef VBOOKTYPE_H
#define VBOOKTYPE_H

using namespace std;

---

Do not specify "using namespace std" in a header file. Google or search these forums as to why you shouldn't do this (I won't explain it here -- it's been explained many times before).

Instead, prepend your identifiers with the namespace name, or specify a "using" clause with the actual type you're using:

Code:

---


template <class T>

Class BookInfo
{
        //vector <BookType> BookInfo; //declare vector of book
public:
       
        int isEmpty(); {return top == -1;}
        int isFull();{return top == size -1;}
                void push(T&);
        void pop(T&);

---

Why does your class have a "pop" method? It's not a stack, it's just a dynamic array.

Code:

---

        BookInfo(); //constructor
        ~BookInfo(); //{delete [] Ptr;}

---

You are missing a copy constructor and assignment operator.

Code:

---

int size[1000]// number of elements

---

Sorry, but this is not a dynamic array if you start doing this. This is a fixed-sized array of 1,000 elements. If you were going to hand this in, you may have been deducted major points.

Code:

---

private:
    T* Ptr;

---

That is what it should be. Then you have to write code to allocate and manipulate Ptr correctly.

Quote:

---

if im wrong, could someone please give me a head start by rectifying my mistakes?

---

To be brutally honest, these are not just simple mistakes that take a couple of keystrokes to correct. You're missing whole parts of how to use C++ properly to create such a class you're saying you've been assigned to create.

Regards,

Paul McKenzie

sorry i dont know what you meant by code tag.

dynamic array means that you doesnt give a fixed array to it. Am I correct?
then once i know the size of it i will allocate it with the new operator and save that address of the memory in the pointer.

can you list the copy constructor and the assignment constructor??

I know im missing whole parts of it, but I willing to learn.

Really hope you could help me.

thanks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

sorry i dont know what you meant by code tag.

dynamic array means that you doesnt give a fixed array to it. Am I correct?
then once i know the size of it i will allocate it with the new operator and save that address of the memory in the pointer.

can you list the copy constructor and the assignment constructor??

I know im missing whole parts of it, but I willing to learn.

Really hope you could help me.

thanks.

---

Dynamic means it grows and shrinks according to the number of elements you want in it.

This board can't teach the fundamentals of programming such as how to write copy constructors. We can help if you get stuck somewhere, but the fundamentals you need to get from a book or a class.

is it possible to provide me with an example code for the class template for my case??

thanks.

Let's tie this back to the requirements for a moment----

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

A. Some of the characteristics of a book are the title, author(s), publisher, ISBN, price, and year of publication.
B. Design a class bookType that defines the book as an ADT.
i. Each object of the class bookType can hold the following information about a book:
1. title,
2. up to four authors,
3. publisher,
4. ISBN,
5. price,
6. and number of copies in stock.
7. To keep track of the number of authors, add another member variable.
ii. Include the member functions to perform the various operations on objects of type bookType.
iii. For example, the usual operations that can be preformed on the title are:
 to show the title,
 set the title,
 and check whether the title is the same as the actual title of the book.
iv. Similarly, the typical operations that can be preformed on the number of copies in stock are :
 to show the number of copies in stock,
 set the number of copies in stock,
 update the number of copies in stock,
 and return the number of copies in stock.

v. Add similar operations for the publisher, ISBN, book price, and authors. Add the appropriate constructors and destructor (if one is needed).

B. Write the definitions of the member functions of the class bookType.

C. Write a program that uses the class bookType and tests various operations on the objects of the class bookType.

D. Declare an array of 100 components of the type bookType. Some of the operations that you should perform are to search for a book by title, search by ISBN, and update the number of copies of a book.

---

NONE of this says anything about dynamic arrays or vectors. Where is the requirement for doing things that way?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

is it possible to provide me with an example code for the class template for my case??

---

Well as I stated previously, what you want is not just a couple of lines of code here and there. Writing C++ classes properly is an entire concept that needs to be learned.

Quote:

---

can you list the copy constructor and the assignment constructor??

---

Assignment operators and copy constructor:

Code:

---

BookInfo(const BookInfo& ); // copy constructor
BookInfo& operator=(const BookInfo& ); // assignment operator

---

Those are assignment operators and copy constructor for a class called BookInfo. Just for now, create these two functions, but do not implement them. Also, make them private in your template class. This would at least prevent copying and assigning. If you attempt to copy or assign, you will get a compiler or linker error.

If you did not implement these functions as stated above, then your program will just blow up as soon as you assign one vector to another, pass or return a vector by value, etc. That's why we declare these functions but do not implement them, so that the compiler will flag us down for any copy/assignment usage we may have inadvertantly done.

More issues with your code:

Code:

---

Class BookInfo

---

First, "class" is not spelled with a capital 'C'.

Second, it makes no sense creating a template class called "BookInfo". It should be called MyVector, or DynArray, or something that denotes the data structure.

Regards,

Paul McKenzie

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lindley

Let's tie this back to the requirements for a moment----



NONE of this says anything about dynamic arrays or vectors. Where is the requirement for doing things that way?

---

Hi Lindley,

I wrote the requirements for the question in a separate post.

"Customer lists are stored using a vector class. Book lists are also stored using a vector class. You must write your own vector class to be used in exercise 7. There must be only one vector class. Note that means you can have as many vector object as you need but there is only one vector class. STL data strctures cannot be used in this assignment."


thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Paul McKenzie

Well as I stated previously, what you want is not just a couple of lines of code here and there. Writing C++ classes properly is an entire concept that needs to be learned.
Assignment operators and copy constructor:

Code:

---

BookInfo(const BookInfo& ); // copy constructor
BookInfo& operator=(const BookInfo& ); // assignment operator

---

Those are assignment operators and copy constructor for a class called BookInfo. Just for now, create these two functions, but do not implement them. Also, make them private in your template class. This would at least prevent copying and assigning. If you attempt to copy or assign, you will get a compiler or linker error.

If you did not implement these functions as stated above, then your program will just blow up as soon as you assign one vector to another, pass or return a vector by value, etc. That's why we declare these functions but do not implement them, so that the compiler will flag us down for any copy/assignment usage we may have inadvertantly done.

More issues with your code:

Code:

---

Class BookInfo

---

First, "class" is not spelled with a capital 'C'.

Second, it makes no sense creating a template class called "BookInfo". It should be called MyVector, or DynArray, or something that denotes the data structure.

Regards,

Paul McKenzie

---

Starting to understand it.. so to store the data, how should I write it?

thanks for the copy constructor and the assignment constructor.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

Hi Lindley,

I wrote the requirements for the question in a separate post.

"Customer lists are stored using a vector class. Book lists are also stored using a vector class. You must write your own vector class to be used in exercise 7. There must be only one vector class. Note that means you can have as many vector object as you need but there is only one vector class. STL data strctures cannot be used in this assignment."


thanks

---

Okay, so basically they're asking you to reinvent the std::vector class rather than using the existing one, so that you learn how it works internally.

Therefore, your class should have an interface which is largely similar to std::vector. Take a look at the interface here:
http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/stl/vector/

Of course you do not need to support every method shown there, but a decent subset of them will be necessary.

For the purposes of creating this vector class, you can forget all about Book objects; they aren't relevant.

Sorry for being blunt.. In order to store the data how should I go about it?

Using the insert method?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

Sorry for being blunt.. In order to store the data how should I go about it?

Using the insert method?

---

Objects are usually copied into a vector using either insert() or push_back(). You can implement one of these or both. The push_back method is simpler but less flexible.

How to write the code for both insert and push back method.? Any examples?
Thanks

Your teacher wouldn't have assigned a project to create a vector class without first introducing you to the basics of dynamic array handling. Check your book and notes.

In general, the pseudocode will look like:

Code:

---

IF the array is full (size == capacity)
    REALLOCATE and COPY existing items
COPY new item to end of array
INCREASE array size by 1

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lindley

Your teacher wouldn't have assigned a project to create a vector class without first introducing you to the basics of dynamic array handling. Check your book and notes.

In general, the pseudocode will look like:

Code:

---

IF the array is full (size == capacity)
    REALLOCATE and COPY existing items
COPY new item to end of array
INCREASE array size by 1

---

---

we have yet to touch on dynamic array.. so everything is kinda rush.

what you meant by the capacity?

I need to declare another variable for capacity?
I know the copy I can use the copy constructor right?
for reallocating, does that mean i will be using the assignment constructor?

thanks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owllie

we have yet to touch on dynamic array.. so everything is kinda rush.

what you meant by the capacity?

I need to declare another variable for capacity?
I know the copy I can use the copy constructor right?
for reallocating, does that mean i will be using the assignment constructor?

thanks.

---

First of all, this site can help with places you get stuck, but it can't take the place of a good book or class.

Second of all, you're not ready to even think about coding till you understand in your head what your "vector" is, what functionality it has to have and how you would go about implementing that functionality. Write the steps down and understand them in English or pseudocode before you even think about C++.

Third, I don't believe that you have shared with us all your project requirements. It's not likely your prof would just tell you to use a vector without explaining what they are and how they work. It's not even clear from what you've said if he wants you to implement the basic functionality of an STL vector or he's using the term to mean something similar or even unrelated.