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CppExplicit

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(C++) explicit

Keyword to prevent implicit type conversion.

Make constructors that take a single 'size argument' explicit [1].

In the example below, a struct is initialized with a char, because of implicit type conversion.

include <assert>


struct MyStringClass
{
  MyStringClass(const int& length) : mLength(length), mCharacter(0) {}
  int mLength;
  char mCharacter;
};
int main()
{
  MyStringClass myClass('a'); //Does not what the class user intended
  assert(myClass.mLength == static_cast<int>('a'));
  return 0;
}

Using explicit this should give a compiler warning, but under my environment it did not do so .

'explicit' links

• C#

Reference

• Bjarne Stroustrup. The C++ Programming Language (3rd edition) ISBN: 0-201-88954-4. Chapter 11.13.11: 'Make constructors that take a single 'size argument' explicit.

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