Member Functions in C++

February 15, 2023

Member Functions

On this page we will discuss about member function in C++ . A member function of a class is a function that has its definition or its prototype within the class definition like any other variable

Member Functions in C++

It operates on an object of the class of which it is a member, and has access to all the members of a class for that object.

Lets have a look at member functions below –

Definition A member function of a class is a function that has its definition or its prototype within the class definition like any other variable. It operates on any object of the class of which it is a member, and has access to all the members of a class for that object.

Member Function inside the class

Lets look at an example below

class Cube {
    public:
        // member variables
        double len;
        double breadth;
        double height;
        
        // member function declared and defined
        // inside class
        double getVolume(){
            return len * breadth * height;
        }
};

Example:-

Example 1

Example 2

Example 1

Run

#include <iostream> 
using namespace std;

class Cube {
    public:
        // member variables
        double len;
        double breadth;
        double height;
        
        // member function declared and defined
        // inside class
        double getVolume(){
            return len * breadth * height;
        }
        
        // setters : to set values declared and defined 
        // inside class
        void setLen(int l){
            len = l;
        }
        void setBreadth(int b){
            breadth = b;
        }
        void setHeight(int h){
            height = h;
        }
};

int main(){
    Cube cube_obj1;
    
    cube_obj1.setLen(10.0);
    cube_obj1.setBreadth(10.0);
    cube_obj1.setHeight(10.0);
    
    cout << "The Volume : " << cube_obj1.getVolume();
}

Output

The Volume : 1000

Example 2

Run

// member function definition inside the class
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Student//class definition
{
    // member variables
    int id;
    string name;
    
    public:
    // member function declared and defined
    // inside class
    void displayStudent()
    {
        cout << "Name: " << name << endl;
        cout << "ID: " << id << endl;
    }
    
    void setDetails(int studID, string studName){
        id = studID;
        name = studName;
    }
};
int main()
{
    Student s1;
    
    s1.setDetails(1, "Naman");
    s1.displayStudent();
}

Output

Name: Naman
ID: 1

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Problem with function definition inside:

If a function defined inside the class, it becomes inline and implicit expansion takes place, hence performance decreases and recommended to define the function outside the class.

Member Function outside the class

Member functions are defined outside the class using scope resolution operator(::) as shown below –

return_Data_type class_name::function_name()

Let’s look at an example below

class Cube {
    public:
        // member variables
        double len;
        double breadth;
        double height;
        
        // member function declared inside class
        // but defined outside
        double getVolume();
};

// Member function definitioned outside
// scope resolutor :: is used
double Cube::getVolume() {
   return length * breadth * height;
}

Example:-

Example 1

Example 2

Example 1

Run

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Cube {
    public:
        // member variables
        double len;
        double breadth;
        double height;
        
        // member function declared inside 
        // but defined outside
        double getVolume();
        void setLen(int l);
        void setBreadth(int b);
        void setHeight(int h);
};
double Cube::getVolume(){
    return len * breadth * height;
}
        
// all class's members functions
// defined outside the class with scope resolutor ::
void Cube::setLen(int l){
    len = l;
}
void Cube::setBreadth(int b){
    breadth = b;
}
void Cube::setHeight(int h){
    height = h;
}

int main(){
    Cube cube_obj1;
    
    cube_obj1.setLen(10.0);
    cube_obj1.setBreadth(10.0);
    cube_obj1.setHeight(10.0);
    
    cout << "The Volume : " << cube_obj1.getVolume();
}

Output

The Volume : 1000

Example 2

Run

// member function definition inside the class
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Student//class definition
{
    // member variables
    int id;
    string name;
    
    public:
    // member function declared inside class
    // but defined outside
    void displayStudent();
    
    void setDetails(int studID, string studName);
};

// function definition outside the class
// using scope resolutor ::
void Student::displayStudent(){
    cout << "Name: " << name << endl;
    cout << "ID: " << id << endl;
}

// function definition outside the class
void Student::setDetails(int studID, string studName){
    id = studID;
    name = studName;
}
int main()
{
    Student s1;
    
    s1.setDetails(1, "Naman");
    s1.displayStudent();
}

Output

Name: Naman
ID: 1

Accessing private member function of a class

When a member function is public we can access that member fun directly by using (.) membership operator anywhere
- Example cube_obj.Len will be valid if len is public
However, a private member variable can not be accessed using dot(.) membership operator
- Example : cube_obj.breadth will be invalid if breadth private

Hence A private member function is accessed by only another public function of the same class within the body of the class

Note Default access in C++ is private, which is visible only within the class and cannot be accessed outside the class

Example:-

Run

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Cube {
        // member variables
        double len;
        double breadth;
        
    public:
        double height;
        // member function declared and defined
        // inside class
        double getVolume(){
            return len * breadth * height;
        }
        
        // setters : to set values declared and defined 
        // inside class
        void setLen(int l){
            len = l;
        }
        void setBreadth(int b){
            breadth = b;
        }
        void setHeight(int h){
            height = h;
        }
        
        // getter functions created to get values
        int getLen(){
            return len;
        }
        int getBreadth(){
            return breadth;
        }
};

int main(){
    Cube cube_obj1;
    
    cube_obj1.setLen(10.0);
    cube_obj1.setBreadth(10.0);
    cube_obj1.setHeight(10.0);
    
    cout << "The Volume : " << cube_obj1.getVolume() << endl;
    
    cout << "The height : " << cube_obj1.height << endl;
    
    // will be able to access private variables
    // using these public member functions (getters)
    cout << "The breadth : " << cube_obj1.getBreadth() << endl;
    cout << "The Length : " << cube_obj1.getLen() << endl;
}

Output

The Volume : 1000
The height : 10
The breadth : 10
The Length : 10

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Member Functions in C++

Member Functions

Member Functions in C++

Member Function inside the class

Example:-

Output

Output

Problem with function definition inside:

Member Function outside the class

Example:-

Output

Output

Accessing private member function of a class

Example:-

Output

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