Correct use of `= delete` for methods in classes

11,443

Solution 1

In addition to Xeo's answer:

Yes, everything is correct. If you wanted you could eliminate all of the deleted members but the deleted copy constructor and deleted copy assignment and have the same effect:

struct Picture {  // Also ok

  // 'explicit': no accidental cast from string to Picture
  explicit Picture(const string &filename) { /* load image from file */ }

  // no copy
  Picture(const Picture&) = delete;

  // no assign
  Picture& operator=(const Picture&) = delete;
};

The explicit declaration of the copy constructor inhibits the implicit generation of the default constructor, move constructor and move assignment members. Having these members explicitly deleted is a matter of taste. Some will probably see it as good documentation. Others may see it as overly verbose.

Solution 2

Seems fine to me. The return value of operator= must be a normal reference, even if the object is constructed from a rvalue reference. That is because you can't just compile an lvalue (*this) to an rvalue.
And it should take that rvalue reference per non-const Picture& operator=(Picture&&). How would you move from a constant object? ;)

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towi

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Updated on June 17, 2022

Comments

  • towi
    towi almost 2 years

    Is the following snipplet correct for un-defining all otherwise generated methods and constructors for a class?

    struct Picture {
    
      // 'explicit': no accidental cast from string to Picture
      explicit Picture(const string &filename) { /* load image from file */ }
    
      // no accidental construction, i.e. temporaries and the like
      Picture() = delete;
    
      // no copy
      Picture(const Picture&) = delete;
    
      // no assign
      Picture& operator=(const Picture&) = delete;
    
      // no move
      Picture(Picture&&) = delete;
    
      // no move-assign
      Picture& operator=(Picture&&) = delete; // return type correct?
    };
    

    This deletes every default compiler implementation and only leaves the destructor, right? Without it the class would be (almost) unusable I guess, but I could delete it as well, correct?

    Is the return type Picture& of the move-assign operator=(Picture&&) correct? Does it make a difference if I wrote Picture&& for the return type?