Returning Objects from Function:
An function can return object to the calling function as it can return integer, float…. values. This can be explained as following example.
An Example:
#include<iostream.h>
class distance
{
private:
int feet;
float inches;
public:
void get_distance();
distance add_distance(distance, distance);
void display_distance();
};
void distance:: get_distance()
{ cout<<"Enter Feet:\t";
cin>>feet;
cout<<"\nEnter Inches:\t";
cin>>inches; }
void distance::display_distance()
{ cout<<"The sum is:\t" ;
cout<<feet<<"\'-"<<inches<<'\"'; }
distance distance::add_distance( distance d1, distance d2)
{
distance sum;
sum.inches=d1.inches+d2.inches;
if(sum.inches>=12)
{
sum.inches-=12;
sum.feet=1;
}
sum.feet+=(d1.feet+d2.feet);
return (sum); //object return
}
void main()
{
distance first, second, result;
cout<<"\nEnter first distance\n";
first.get_distance();
cout<<"\nEnter second distance\n";
second.get_distance();
result=result.add_distance(first,second);
result.display_distance();
}
Output:
Enter first distance
Enter Feet: 3
Enter Inches: 9
Enter second distance
Enter Feet: 5
Enter Inches: 5
The sum is: 9'-2"
In this example, function add_distance() passes two objects as arguments and it returns value of type distance i.e. object of class distance. The returned object is stored in another object result in main() function.
