Hierarchy classes dependency

Question

I want some advice about class designs. Let's say that I have 3 classes, "class A", "class B" and "class C" . Each class has different namespaces. "A" has an instance of "B", and "B" has an instance of "C" . Each class have a "struct Setting" and each class is set with a SetSettings(). Actually, "A" uses "B" to do its job, and "B" uses "C" to do its job .

My question is, is there any better way to do these hierarchy settings?

For example, to break the relation between "A" and "C", "B" could have the same parameters of "C::Settings" instead of defining a c_settings...

Thanks in advance!

Ah

#include "B.h"
namespace A {
struct Settings {
  int param_for_A_1;
  B::Settings b_settings;
};
class A {
  void SetSettings(const Settings& source) {
    settings_ = source;
    b_.SetSettings(source.b_settings);
  }
  Settings settings_;
  B::B b_;
};
}

Bh

#include "C.h"
namespace B {
struct Settings {
  int param_for_B_1;
  int param_for_A_2;
  C::Settings c_settings;
};
class B {
  void SetSettings(const Settings& source) {
    settings_ = source;
    c_.SetSettings(source.c_settings);
  }
  Settings settings_;
  C::C c_;
};
}

Ch

namespace C {
struct Settings {
  int param_for_C_1;
};
class C {
  void SetSettings(const Settings& source) {
    settings_ = source;
  }
  Settings settings_;
};
}    

main.cpp

#include "A.h"
int main() {
  A::Settings settings;
  // Hierarchy settings...
  settings.param_for_A_1 = 1;
  settings.b_settings.param_for_B_1= 2;
  settings.b_settings.param_for_B_2 = 3;
  settings.b_settings.c_settings.param_for_C_1= 4;
  class A::A a;
  a_.SetSettings(settings);
  return;
}

Answer 1

As of now, you are not indeed using inheritance, but rather composition. Composition means that a class has an attribute of the type of another class, rather than inheriting the functions and attributes of a parent class.

If I wanted to use inheritance, I probably would have used the class C as a base from which B would inherit. A would then inherit from B. Each "generation" having their own int attribute corresponding to their "settings".

Depending on the situation, this might be more appropriate.