C Programming FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Through the disciplined and consistent use of comments in the class declaration. For example, each member function can have the following lines just before or just after the declaration:

• // PURPOSE: Tells users the overall purpose of the member function.

• // REQUIRE: Tells users the advertised requirements. Since these must make sense to users, the text in this section should refer only to parameters and public: member functions.

• // PROMISE: Tells users the advertised promises. Since these must make sense to users, the text in this section should refer only to parameters and public: member functions.

This technique is illustrated in the following example:

class Empty { }; class Full { }; class Stack { public: Stack() throw(); // PURPOSE: Initializes a Stack // REQUIRE: Nothing // PROMISE: size() will be zero unsigned size() const throw(); // PURPOSE: Returns the number of elements on this Stack // REQUIRE: Nothing // PROMISE: Return value will be between 0 and 10 // inclusive int top() const throw(Empty); // PURPOSE: Returns the top element of this Stack // REQUIRE: size() must not be zero // PROMISE: Nothing void push(int elem) throw(Full); // PURPOSE: Pushes elem onto the end of this Stack // REQUIRE: size() must be strictly less than 10 // PROMISE: size() will increase by 1 // PROMISE: top() will be the same as parameter elem int pop() throw(Empty); // PURPOSE: Pops and returns the top element from this // REQUIRE: size() must not be zero // PROMISE: size() will decrease by 1 // PROMISE: Returns the same as if top() were called at // the beginning protected: int data_[10]; unsigned size_; }; inline Stack::Stack() throw() : size_(0) { } inline unsigned Stack::size() const throw() { return size_; } inline int Stack::top() const throw(Empty) { if (size_ == 0) throw Empty(); return data_[size_-1]; } inline void Stack::push(int elem) throw(Full) { if (size_ == 10) throw Full(); data_[size_++] = elem; } inline int Stack::pop() throw(Empty) { if (size_ == 0) throw Empty(); return data_[--size_]; } int main() { Stack s; s.push(42); int elem = s.pop(); }

Keeping a class's specification in the header file (for example, the .hpp file) makes it easier for developers to find the specification and keep it synchronized with the code when changes are needed.