Differentiate between a deep copy and a shallow copy?
- 1 Answers
- 1102 Views
- I also Faced
- E-Mail Answers
Answer / ritesh pal
Deep copy involves using the contents of one object to create another instance of the same class. In a deep copy, the two objects may contain ht same information but the target object will have its own buffers and resources. the destruction of either object will not affect the remaining object. The overloaded assignment operator would create a deep copy of objects.
Shallow copy involves copying the contents of one object into another instance of the same class thus creating a mirror image. Owing to straight copying of references and pointers, the two objects will share the same externally contained contents of the other object to be unpredictable.
Explanation:
Using a copy constructor we simply copy the data values member by member. This method of copying is called shallow copy. If the object is a simple class, comprised of built in types and no pointers this would be acceptable. This function would use the values and the objects and its behavior would not be altered with a shallow copy, only the addresses of pointers that are members are copied and not the value the address is pointing to. The data values of the object would then be inadvertently altered by the function. When the function goes out of scope, the copy of the object with all its data is popped off the stack.
If the object has any pointers a deep copy needs to be executed. With the deep copy of an object, memory is allocated for the object in free store and the elements pointed to are copied. A deep copy is used for objects that are returned from a function.
| Is This Answer Correct ? | 0 Yes | 0 No |
Can the operator == be overloaded for comparing two arrays consisting of characters by using string comparison?
What is the use of c++ programming language in real life?
What is c++ namespace?
How should a contructor handle a failure?
Differentiate between late binding and early binding. What are the advantages of early binding?
What is the meaning of string in c++?
What is stoi in c++?
Explain the scope resolution operator?
What is increment operator in c++?
What is boyce codd normal form in c++?
How do I start a c++ project?
What is virtual base class uses?
STL 
