Question
When a dynamic array with a class for a base type is declared, which constructor is called? the copy constructor the default constructor the destructor an explicit constructor
Ask by Warren Chadwick. in the United States
Jan 21,2025
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Answer
The default constructor is called for each element in the dynamic array.
Solution
When you declare a dynamic array of objects in C++, such as:
```cpp
Base* array = new Base[n];
```
Here’s what happens:
1. **Memory Allocation:** Memory is allocated for `n` objects of type `Base`.
2. **Constructor Calls:** For each of the `n` objects, the **default constructor** of the `Base` class is called to initialize the objects. The default constructor is the constructor that can be called with no arguments.
**Explanation of Other Options:**
- **Copy Constructor:** This is used when a new object is created as a copy of an existing object, not when initializing an array of new objects.
- **Destructor:** This is called when objects are destroyed, typically using `delete[] array;`, not during the array's creation.
- **Explicit Constructor:** This keyword is used to prevent implicit conversions and isn't directly related to initializing arrays unless specific constructor overloading is involved.
**Conclusion:**
When you declare a dynamic array of a class type without providing specific initialization parameters, the **default constructor** is invoked for each element in the array.
**Answer:**
The default constructor
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When you declare a dynamic array of a class for a base type, the default constructor is called for each element in the array. This is because the dynamic array needs to initialize each of its elements, and the default constructor is designed for this initialization process. If you create an array of objects that doesn't have a default constructor, then that would lead to a compilation error since the system wouldn't know how to initialize those objects. Therefore, having a well-defined default constructor is crucial in such scenarios!