Using Complex C++ Class Header <complex>

[sam2]

Hi,

Has anyone here used the complex C++ class before Header <complex>? I am trying to do something VERY straightforward but there doesn't seem to be any way to do it!

Basically, I define a complex, and then want to re-asign its real and imaginary parts:

complex<double> A(1,1); // assign real and I am parts to 1.

//Now I want to change the real and imaginary parts to 2, 2

A.real() = 2; //error

//The only way I can make it work is

A = complex<double> (2,2);

//but I am guessing that this is much less efficient because you are basically recalling the complex constructor followed by the assignment operator!

Does anyone know how to do this? It seems silly that you can not access the real and imaginary parts of the class via a function of the form

double& complex<double>::real();

Thanks,

 

[ComputerGeek]

Hi,
Has anyone here used the complex C++ class before Header <complex>? I am trying to do something VERY straightforward but there doesn't seem to be any way to do it!
Basically, I define a complex, and then want to re-asign its real and imaginary parts:
complex<double> A(1,1); // assign real and I am parts to 1.
//Now I want to change the real and imaginary parts to 2, 2
A.real() = 2; //error
//The only way I can make it work is
A = complex<double> (2,2);
//but I am guessing that this is much less efficient because you are basically recalling the complex constructor followed by the assignment operator!
Does anyone know how to do this? It seems silly that you can not access the real and imaginary parts of the class via a function of the form
double& complex<double>::real();
Thanks,

A.real() and its counterpart for the imaginary portion should be private rather than public attributes. There should be a set and get method, or "+", "-", "/" and "*" should be overridden so you can add another complex number to it.

 

[Hurkyl]

To quote Microsoft's documentation:

This template function cannot be used to modify the real part of the complex number. To change the real part, a new complex number must be assigned the component value.


Now, to allay your fears about efficiency, if the implementation and compiler are any good, the expression:

a = complex<int>(5, imag(a));

should be just as efficient as if you could write

real(a) = 5;

.

 

[dpm]

It seems silly that you can not access the real and imaginary parts of the class via a function of the form

Such a class is called an immutable class. They can be useful in certain circumstances and may help the compiler with optimisation.