C++ class iostream overloading

Question

I'm still in the basic learning process of C++, and as I go though operator overloading part, I could not understand the function call steps of iostream overload operators.

My confusion is coming from the fact that C++ code below can distinguish between the fundamental-type data iostream call and class iostream call when 'the overload iostreeam functions are defined outside of my class definition via friend command.' Please take a look at below example.

#ifndef PHONENUMBER_H
#define PHONENUMBER_H

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

class PhoneNumber
{
    friend std::ostream &operator<<( std::ostream &, const PhoneNumber & )
    friend std::istream &operator>>( std::istream &, PhoneNumber & )

private:
    std::string areaCode;
    std::string exchange;
    std::string line;
};

#endif

Now the overload function definition.

#include <iomanip>
#include "PhoneNumber.h"
using namespace std;

ostream &operator<<( ostrea &output, const PhoneNumber &number )
{
    output << "(" number.areaCode << ")" << number.exchange << "-" << number.line;
    return output;
}

istream &operator>>( istream &input, PhoneNumber &number )
{
    input.ignore();
    input >> setw( 3 ) >> number.areaCode;
    input.ignore( 2 );
    input >> setw( 3 ) >> number.exchange;
    input.ignore();
    input >> setw( 4 ) >> number.line;
    return input;
}

Now the main function.

#include <iostream>
#include "PhoneNumber.h"
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    PhoneNumber phone;

    cout << "Enter phone number in the form (123) 456-7890" << endl;

    cin >> phone;

    cout << "The phone number entered was: ";

    cout << phone << endl;
}

Per my understanding, normally a function call (even operator overload functions) is obligated to follow the declaration format. So to call overload << (or >>) operator functions, the user would have to write lines like this: 'ostream a;' followed by 'cin >> ( a, phone );'. Also in above example, it appears like the line 'cin >> phone;' would be notice and directed straight to the friend function. To follow the steps per my understanding, the operator call 'cin >> phone' will first look at PhoneNumber.h declaration. However, operator declaration is not in PhoneNumber.h. It is only 'mentioned' as a friend. (My understanding of 'friend' command is that the class will SIMPLY grant a non-member function (or class) access to its private data or member functions.) Therefore, the call should confuse the compiler to call either the explicit operator function in above code, or implicit operator function in iostream.

I guess my questions are: 1. How do the operator '<<' and '>>' calls have different format than how they are declared? 2. How can the operator calls be recognized when it is not 'declared' in .h file? How does C++ know to skip .h and jump right into user defined operator functions?

Answer 1

There are a few clear misunderstandings in your question but the rest I can't really parse. Hopefully the following will be enough to resolve your query.

This:

cin >> x;

is syntactic sugar for this (which is more like the function call syntax you are imagining):

cin.operator>>(x);

or sometimes (and in this case) this:

operator>>(cin, x);

You can't randomly invent an extra argument for either of those!

Answer 2

1. Because they are declared as "operator"-functions. That is not, in contrast of what you're writing in your question, a "normal" function. A normal function declaration would be: std::ostream &<<(std::ostream &, const Phonenumber &) (which I think wouldn't compile). But you declare it as std::ostrean &operator<<(std::ostream &, const Phonenumber &) , which makes it an operator overload.

2. That seems indeed tricky, but that's because you have a compile-step and link-step in the compiler. At compile time, the compiler will resolve your friend function declarations to the streaming operator functions you have written in another file. They match, because the function declarations are the same and they were declared as friend functions. At link-time (this is where you're final program is built), if you've told the linker to combine all those files, the linker will try to find a match for the functions that are used inside the main loop. If they're not found, you'll get something like : Undefined reference to ... .
   
   Since the operator calls are declared in the header-file (you say they're not, but they are - they're simply declared as friend functions), both the compiler and the linker will succeed. The compiler will not tell you: Use of undeclared function ... and the linker will not tell you: Undefined reference to...