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C++ Friend Functions and Classes

This document explains the concept of friend functions and friend classes in C++. Friend functions allow access to private and protected members of a class, while friend classes grant access to all members of the friend class. Examples illustrate how to implement and use friend functions and classes in C++ programming.

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5 views

C++ Friend Functions and Classes

This document explains the concept of friend functions and friend classes in C++. Friend functions allow access to private and protected members of a class, while friend classes grant access to all members of the friend class. Examples illustrate how to implement and use friend functions and classes in C++ programming.

Uploaded by

Albert
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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C++ friend Function and friend Classes

In this tutorial, we will learn to create friend functions and friend classes in C++
with the help of examples.

Data hiding is a fundamental concept of object-oriented programming. It


restricts the access of private members from outside of the class.

Similarly, protected members can only be accessed by derived classes and are
inaccessible from outside. For example,

class MyClass {
private:
int member1;
}

int main() {
MyClass obj;

// Error! Cannot access private members from here.


obj.member1 = 5;
}

However, there is a feature in C++ called friend functions that break this rule and
allow us to access member functions from outside the class.

Similarly, there is a friend class as well, which we will learn later in this tutorial.

friend Function in C++


A friend function can access the private and protected data of a class. We
declare a friend function using the friend keyword inside the body of the class.

class className {
... .. ...
friend returnType functionName(arguments);
... .. ...
}

Example 1: Working of friend Function

// C++ program to demonstrate the working of friend function

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Distance {
private:
int meter;

// friend function
friend int addFive(Distance);

public:
Distance() : meter(0) {}

};

// friend function definition


int addFive(Distance d) {

//accessing private members from the friend function


d.meter += 5;
return d.meter;
}

int main() {
Distance D;
cout << "Distance: " << addFive(D);
return 0;
}

Run Code

Output

Distance: 5

Here, addFive() is a friend function that can access both private and public
data members.

Though this example gives us an idea about the concept of a friend function, it
doesn't show any meaningful use.

A more meaningful use would be operating on objects of two different classes.


That's when the friend function can be very helpful.

Example 2: Add Members of Two Different Classes

// Add members of two different classes using friend functions

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// forward declaration
class ClassB;

class ClassA {

public:
// constructor to initialize numA to 12
ClassA() : numA(12) {}

private:
int numA;

// friend function declaration


friend int add(ClassA, ClassB);
};

class ClassB {

public:
// constructor to initialize numB to 1
ClassB() : numB(1) {}

private:
int numB;

// friend function declaration


friend int add(ClassA, ClassB);
};

// access members of both classes


int add(ClassA objectA, ClassB objectB) {
return (objectA.numA + objectB.numB);
}

int main() {
ClassA objectA;
ClassB objectB;
cout << "Sum: " << add(objectA, objectB);
return 0;
}

Run Code

Output

Sum: 13

In this program, ClassA and ClassB have declared add() as a friend function.
Thus, this function can access private data of both classes.

One thing to notice here is the friend function inside ClassA is using the ClassB .
However, we haven't defined ClassB at this point.

// inside classA
friend int add(ClassA, ClassB);

For this to work, we need a forward declaration of ClassB in our program.

// forward declaration
class ClassB;

friend Class in C++


We can also use a friend Class in C++ using the friend keyword. For example,

class ClassB;

class ClassA {
// ClassB is a friend class of ClassA
friend class ClassB;
... .. ...
}

class ClassB {
... .. ...
}

When a class is declared a friend class, all the member functions of the friend
class become friend functions.

Since ClassB is a friend class, we can access all members of ClassA from inside
ClassB .

However, we cannot access members of ClassB from inside ClassA . It is


because friend relation in C++ is only granted, not taken.

Example 3: C++ friend Class

// C++ program to demonstrate the working of friend class

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// forward declaration
class ClassB;

class ClassA {
private:
int numA;

// friend class declaration


friend class ClassB;

public:
// constructor to initialize numA to 12
ClassA() : numA(12) {}
};

class ClassB {
private:
int numB;

public:
// constructor to initialize numB to 1
ClassB() : numB(1) {}

// member function to add numA


// from ClassA and numB from ClassB
int add() {
ClassA objectA;
return objectA.numA + numB;
}
};

int main() {
ClassB objectB;
cout << "Sum: " << objectB.add();
return 0;
}

Run Code

Output

Sum: 13

Here, ClassB is a friend class of ClassA . So, ClassB has access to the members
of classA .

In ClassB , we have created a function add() that returns the sum of numA and
numB .

Since ClassB is a friend class, we can create objects of ClassA inside of ClassB .

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