Hi there,

I have a base abstract class which implements, among other things, two base constructors and a base destructor. My problem is in the derived classes.

The destructor works fine because there can only be one. Thus, when the object is destroyed, the base destructor gets called and all is good.

The constructors, however, are giving me trouble. Specifically, the derived class is not inheriting one of the constructors.

In the D docs, it says:

http://www.digitalmars.com//d/class.html
"If there is no constructor for a class, but there is a constructor for the base
class, a default constructor of the form: this() { } is implicitly generated."

Why won't it do that with constructors that have parameters?

Thanks,
--AJG.

PS: Another related problem: If the base class declares the default constructor "this()" as protected, why doesn't it have any bearing in the derived classes?

> The constructors, however, are giving me trouble. Specifically, the
> derived
> class is not inheriting one of the constructors.

Derived classes don't inherit ctors. Making an instance of a class is different than calling methods of a class.

> In the D docs, it says:
>
> http://www.digitalmars.com//d/class.html
> "If there is no constructor for a class, but there is a constructor for
> the base
> class, a default constructor of the form: this() { } is implicitly
> generated."
>
> Why won't it do that with constructors that have parameters?

It would be impossible for a subclass to prevent a superclass's ctor from being used to create a subclass - which doesn't make sense.

> Thanks,
> --AJG.
>
> PS: Another related problem: If the base class declares the default
> constructor
> "this()" as protected, why doesn't it have any bearing in the derived
> classes?

I'm not sure what you mean by bearing. You should be able to call it from the derived class but not from other code.

In article <ddkqgo$2vg5$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Ben Hinkle says...
>
>> The constructors, however, are giving me trouble. Specifically, the
>> derived
>> class is not inheriting one of the constructors.
>
>Derived classes don't inherit ctors. Making an instance of a class is different than calling methods of a class.

Ah. I got the wrong impression from what I read below. I was hoping that since:
# this() {}

is implicitly generated, and then that turns implicitly into:
# this() { super() }

That other constructors would follow. I.e. that:
# this(int a) {}

which would turn into:
# this(int a) { super(a); }

Would also be implicitly generated if the super class constained a super ctor:
# this(int a) { printf("base"); }

Does that make sense? Is there any other way to accomplish that?

I mean, without having all derived classes have to implement the sub-ctor with the parameter just to call super(a)?

>> PS: Another related problem: If the base class declares the default
>> constructor
>> "this()" as protected, why doesn't it have any bearing in the derived
>> classes?
>
>I'm not sure what you mean by bearing. You should be able to call it from the derived class but not from other code.

I meant that if the super ctor is protected, is there a way to enforce that the sub ctor remain protected?

Thanks,
--AJG.

"AJG" <AJG_member@pathlink.com> wrote in message news:ddmh0e$14hg$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> In article <ddkqgo$2vg5$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Ben Hinkle says...
>>
>>> The constructors, however, are giving me trouble. Specifically, the
>>> derived
>>> class is not inheriting one of the constructors.
>>
>>Derived classes don't inherit ctors. Making an instance of a class is different than calling methods of a class.
>
> Ah. I got the wrong impression from what I read below. I was hoping that
> since:
> # this() {}
>
> is implicitly generated, and then that turns implicitly into:
> # this() { super() }
>
> That other constructors would follow. I.e. that:
> # this(int a) {}
>
> which would turn into:
> # this(int a) { super(a); }
>
> Would also be implicitly generated if the super class constained a super
> ctor:
> # this(int a) { printf("base"); }
>
> Does that make sense? Is there any other way to accomplish that?
>
> I mean, without having all derived classes have to implement the sub-ctor
> with
> the parameter just to call super(a)?

Try using default parameters to shorten the list of ctors - that's all I can think of to cut down on the number. How many are there, out of curiosity? Presumably the number of ctors is somewhere below 4 - usually 1 or 2.

>>> PS: Another related problem: If the base class declares the default
>>> constructor
>>> "this()" as protected, why doesn't it have any bearing in the derived
>>> classes?
>>
>>I'm not sure what you mean by bearing. You should be able to call it from the derived class but not from other code.
>
> I meant that if the super ctor is protected, is there a way to enforce
> that the
> sub ctor remain protected?

Nothing comes to mind.