c++ Overloading Array Index Operator for Object Assignment

Question

Slightly confused and I couldn't find anything pertaining to my question. I might be asking it the wrong way.

I have this code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

class AssociativeArray {
public:
    AssociativeArray(){
        for (int i = 0; i < tableSize; i++) {
            HashTable[i] = new item;
            HashTable[i]->name = "empty";
            HashTable[i]->price = 0.00;
            HashTable[i]->next = NULL;
        }
    }
    int HashKey(std::string key) {
        int hash = 0;
        int index;

        for (int i = 0; i < key.length(); i++) {
            hash = hash + (int)key[i];
        }
        index = hash % tableSize;
        return index;
    }
    void addItem(std::string name, double price) {
        int index = HashKey(name);
        if (HashTable[index]->name == "empty") {
            HashTable[index]->name = name;
            HashTable[index]->price = price;
        }
        else {
            item* ptr = HashTable[index];
            item* n = new item;
            n->name = name;
            n->price = price;
            n->next = NULL;

            while (ptr->next != NULL) {
                ptr = ptr->next;
            }
            ptr->next = n;
        }
    }
    double& findPrice(std::string name) {
        int index = HashKey(name);
        bool found = false;

        item* ptr = HashTable[index];
        item* price = ptr;

        while (ptr != NULL) {
            if (ptr->name == name) {
                found = true;
                price = ptr;
            }
            ptr = ptr->next;
        }
        if (found == true) {
            return price->price;
        }
        else {
            addItem(name, 0.00);

            return price->price;
        }
    }
    double& operator[](std::string name) {
        return findPrice(name);
    }

private:
    static const int tableSize = 5;
    struct item {
        std::string name;
        double price;
        item* next;
    };

    item* HashTable[tableSize];
};
int main() {

    AssociativeArray prices;

    prices.addItem("Socks", 10.96);

    std::cout << prices["Socks"] << std::endl;
    prices["Socks"] = 7.77;
    std::cout << prices["Socks"] << std::endl;

    prices["Toaster Oven"] = 19.95;
    std::cout << prices["Toaster Oven"] << std::endl; //Print 0.00, doesn't update price!
    prices["Toaster Oven"] = 19.95; //update the price!?
    std::cout << prices["Toaster Oven"] << std::endl;

    system("PAUSE");
    return 0;
}

Basically, what I am trying to make an array through hashing. I think I am overloading the [] operator wrong. For some reason the assignment is not allowing the item to update. Any ideas? Any help or just a push in the right direction would be helpful!

The way I have it now is when the object is not found when the operator[] is called, a new object is written into the hash for that item. Seen below:

    while (ptr != NULL) {
        if (ptr->name == name) {
            found = true;
            price = ptr;
        }
        ptr = ptr->next;
    }
    if (found == true) {
        return price->price;
    }
    else {
        addItem(name, 0.00);

        return price->price;
    }

But the assignment of the double value doesn't seem to kick in till after the object is made.

prices["Toaster Oven"] = 19.95;
std::cout << prices["Toaster Oven"] << std::endl; //Prints 0.00 Doesn't work

prices["Toaster Oven"] = 19.95;
std::cout << prices["Toaster Oven"] << std::endl; //Prints 19.95 works

Should I be doing this a different way? Any suggestions. Thanks a million.

Answer 1

Problem is here:

addItem(name, 0.00); // you construct new price item
return price->price; // but here you return ref to some other item.

check comments above.