c++qtoperator-overloadingabstract-classqdatastream

QDataStream operator << overloading for Abstract class


I want to overload << operator for abstract class as a virtual operator, I know how to overload the operator for simple class and code below is a sample.

  class NormalClass
    {
    public:
        int firstField() const;
        void setFirstField(int firstField);

        int secondField() const;
        void setSecondField(int secondField);

    private:
        int m_firstField;
        int m_secondField;
    };
    QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &out, const NormalClass &obj)
    {
        out << obj.firstField();
        out << obj.secondField();
        return out;
    }

But now let's say we have AbstractBaseClass, ChildClass like below

class AbstractBaseClass
{
public:
    AbstractBaseClass() {}

    int BaseFirstField() const;
    void setBaseFirstField(int BaseFirstField);

    int BaseSecondField() const;
    void setBaseSecondField(int BaseSecondField);

private :
    int m_BaseFirstField;
    int m_BaseSecondField;

};


class ChildClass : public AbstractBaseClass
{
public:
    ChildClass() {}


    int ChildFirstField() const;
    void setChildFirstField(int ChildFirstField);

private:

    int m_ChildFirstField;

}

Now I want to overload << operator for AbstractBaseClass which ChildClass should implement it.

This is my try

#ifndef ABSTRACTBASECLASS_H
#define ABSTRACTBASECLASS_H

#include <QDataStream>

class AbstractBaseClass
{
public:
    AbstractBaseClass();

    int BaseFirstField() const;
    void setBaseFirstField(int BaseFirstField);

    int BaseSecondField() const;
    void setBaseSecondField(int BaseSecondField);

private :
    int m_BaseFirstField;
    int m_BaseSecondField;
};

virtual QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &out, const AbstractBaseClass &obj)=0;



#endif // ABSTRACTBASECLASS_H

the compiler complains: virtual outside class declaration, do you have any idea?


Solution

  • What I have try and compiled successfully , what do you think of this method and is there any better achievements.

    This is abstract class

    .h

    #ifndef ABSTRACTBASECLASS_H
    #define ABSTRACTBASECLASS_H
    
    #include <QDataStream>
    
    class AbstractBaseClass
    {
    public:
        AbstractBaseClass();
    
        int BaseFirstField() const;
        void setBaseFirstField(int BaseFirstField);
    
        int BaseSecondField() const;
        void setBaseSecondField(int BaseSecondField);
    
        virtual QDataStream &serialize(QDataStream &stream)=0;
    
    private :
        int m_BaseFirstField;
        int m_BaseSecondField;
    };
    
    QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &out, AbstractBaseClass &obj);
    
    #endif // ABSTRACTBASECLASS_H
    

    .cpp

     #include "abstractbaseclass.h"
    
    AbstractBaseClass::AbstractBaseClass()
    {
        m_BaseFirstField = 0;
        m_BaseSecondField = 0;
    }
    
    int AbstractBaseClass::BaseFirstField() const
    {
        return m_BaseFirstField;
    }
    
    void AbstractBaseClass::setBaseFirstField(int BaseFirstField)
    {
        m_BaseFirstField = BaseFirstField;
    }
    
    int AbstractBaseClass::BaseSecondField() const
    {
        return m_BaseSecondField;
    }
    
    void AbstractBaseClass::setBaseSecondField(int BaseSecondField)
    {
        m_BaseSecondField = BaseSecondField;
    }
    
    
    QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &out, AbstractBaseClass &obj)
    {
        return obj.serialize(out);
    }
    

    and child class

    class ChildClass : public AbstractBaseClass
    {
    public:
        ChildClass(){}
    
        int ChildFirstField() const
        {
            return m_ChildFirstField;
        }
        void setChildFirstField(int ChildFirstField)
        {
            m_ChildFirstField = ChildFirstField;
        }
    
    private:
    
        int m_ChildFirstField;
    
        // AbstractBaseClass interface
    public:
        QDataStream &serialize(QDataStream &stream) override
        {
            stream << BaseFirstField();
            stream << BaseSecondField();
            stream << ChildFirstField();
            return stream;
        }
    };