LAB #6  — C++ OVERLOADED OPERATORS

INSTRUCTIONS

We can categorize object abstractions into one of three types depending on the skills and knowledge of the class-using programmer. 

1)      Abstraction of real-world-like objects

2)      Abstractions of general-purpose software entities

3)      Abstraction of entities specific to a discipline or field

Until now, we have used primarily category 1 Taxis and FuelTanks as these are objects most people are familiar with their behaviors and methods .  The Array class would be category 2 and it is a bit more difficult to use.  The complex class in this lab although general purpose in nature, is sufficiently special that the programmer is required to have a higher order of understanding of complex variables.  We consider it as category 3. Another example of entities specific to a discipline or field would be the case of chemical redox (oxidation/reduction) equations.

Note that our interest in promoting reuse of our classes requires us to understand the knowledge and competencies of our customers, the class-using programmer.  In many application projects of industry, usually the classes are at category 3 and may be proprietary information of the company.  It is quite common for personnel coming to a project to first study documents that explain the concept of operation with the classes and possible a user’s manual with examples.  As the complexity of the class in this lab illustrates, any attempt to write from scratch an application involving multiple classes at this level of complexity is totally out of the question. 

For completeness, this lab gives a class in category 3 to support Complex Variables operations.  As some of you may not know much about complex variables, just follow the instructions for solving the quadratic equation with complex coefficients given in the main program of the test head.  Notice the usefulness of the stream inserter and extractor operators to facilitate inputting and outputting complex number.  Save this facility to help you work in future courses in your engineering study program.

Lab Procedure

1)      From doc sharing, download the files Complex.h and Complex.cpp.

2)      Make sure that the test head control manifest constant is not commented out so as to include main() of the test head.

3)      Execute the program and produce screen shots for results from the inputs shown in the table below.