Question

A destructor has the same name as the class, but is preceded by a(n) ________________ character.

Short answer

Short Answer: In C++ and some other object-oriented programming languages, the character that precedes the destructor's name is the tilde (~). A destructor has the same name as the class it belongs to and is responsible for cleaning up the object when it is no longer needed. For example, in a class named "Sample", the destructor's name would be "~Sample()".

Step-by-step solution

1. Introduction to Destructors

A destructor is a special member function of a class that is executed whenever an object of that class goes out of scope or is explicitly deleted. It is used to release resources acquired by the object during its lifetime, such as memory, file handles, or network connections.

2. Naming Convention for Destructors

In C++ and some other object-oriented programming languages, destructors have the same name as the class they belong to, but are preceded by a specific character.

3. Determining the Preceding Character

The character that precedes the destructor's name is the tilde (~). This character signifies that the function is a destructor for the class and is responsible for cleaning up the object when it is no longer needed.

4. Example

Consider a class named "Sample": ```cpp class Sample { public: // Constructor Sample() { // Do some initialization here } // Destructor ~Sample() { // Cleanup code here } }; ``` In this example, the destructor's name is "~Sample()", preceded by the tilde (~) character. This indicates that it is a destructor and will perform resource deallocation when the object is destroyed.

Key concepts

Object-Oriented Programming

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a paradigm that uses 'objects' to design applications and computer programs. It utilizes several key concepts, including encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism to create reusable code and more modular, flexible programs.

In OOP, a class is a blueprint for creating objects (a particular data structure), providing initial values for state (member variables) and implementations of behavior (member functions or methods). The object is an instance of a class, and thus, OOP enables the same procedures to be used on different sets of data.

A key aspect of OOP is the ability to define constructors, which are special types of subroutines called to create an object, and destructors, which are called when an object is destroyed or goes out of scope, to clean up resources that the object may have acquired during its life.

Class Member Functions

In C++, class member functions are operations that can be performed on an object or by an object of a class. These functions have access to the internal data of the class and can be set to manage how that data is manipulated. There are several types of member functions, which include constructors, the destructor, accessor functions, and mutator functions.

Constructors and Destructor

Constructors are special member functions that are automatically called upon object creation, while the destructor is a member function called automatically when the object is destroyed or goes out of scope. Unlike constructors, a class can have only one destructor, which does not take arguments nor does it return any value.

Accessor and Mutator Functions

Accessor functions, often called getters, allow reading of class attributes, and mutator functions, or setters, allow the modification of class attributes. They provide a controlled way of accessing and updating the data fields of an object.

Resource Management in C++

Resource management in C++ is critical as it involves proper allocation and deallocation of resources such as memory, file handles, and network connections to ensure efficient and safe operation of software. A destructor plays a fundamental role in resource management.

In C++, the destructor is a class member function that is invoked automatically when an object's lifetime ends, whether it is due to the scope being exited or due to the object being explicitly deleted. The destructor's responsibility is to release resources that the object acquired during its lifetime to avoid resource leaks—situations where resources are not properly released back to the system, potentially causing performance issues and crashes.

Destructors in C++ are easy to identify since they share the name of the class but are prefixed with the tilde (~) symbol. They provide a deterministic way to clean up, meaning that they allow developers to know exactly when the cleanup will occur, which is a contrast to garbage-collected languages where the cleanup time is decided by the garbage collector.