Introduction to classes and objects, class functions and constructors, overloaded constructors, public and private access to functions, operators, use of conditional and iterative control statements, accessing arrays using subscripts and pointers, introduction to inheritance by creating a derived class from a base class, inherited and overridden functions in the derived class, use of the new and delete operators to dynamically allocate and release memory, use of the fstream library functions to access files and use of user defined classes to write object-oriented programs.  Some programming experience is required.

• to provide a sound foundation in C++ programming
• to discuss the theory and use of inheritance

• write a C++ object-oriented program which uses user-defined classes
• create a C++ application which uses inheritance
• create a C++ applications which access both text and binary files

 Knowledge and Understanding:

• understand the difference between a class and an object
• knowledge of the theory of inheritance and the difference between inherited and overridden functions
• select the appropriate programming construct for the solution of a problem
• know the difference between an address and a pointer

Intellectual Skills:

• analyse programming requirements
• develop computer programming skills

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

• use user defined classes to write object-oriented programs
• use basic programming constructs such as conditional statements and loops
• creation of an application which contains both inherited and overridden functions
• use of iostream library functions to obtain keyboard input
• use of fstream library functions to access both text and binary files

  Transferable Skills:

• analyse a programming problem and write a well-structured C++ program

This module includes a mix of traditional lectures and laboratory sessions

 12 meetings of 3 hours.  Each meeting starts with a lecture and finishes with a laboratory session.

1 day school of 4 hours.

40 contact hours.

Formative assessment takes the form of assignments submitted to th tutor

Summative assessment is by means of a two hour written class test.

Data Types

Introduction to classes and objects

The difference between public and private access to functions and data

Introduction to constructors

Overloaded constructors

Numeric and relational operators

Use of conditional and iterative control statements

Accessing arrays using subscripts and pointers

Formatting of output

Use of string functions

Use of static functions and static variables within a class

Use of new operator to dynamically allocate memory and use of delete operator to release memory

Use of iostream library functions to get input from the keyboard

Introduction to inheritance by creating a derived class from a base class

Inheritedand overriden functions in the derived class

Calling a specific base class constructor from the derived class

Base classaccess control

Command line argument processing

Writing and reading files using the fstream library functions

Using user defined classes to write object-oriented programs

Handling memory allocation errors