Operator Overloading in C++ - Conclusion
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Operator overloading can be a powerful programming tool when it increases usability and understandability of a class. In this case, it's much nicer to write matrix[0][4] rather than matrix->GetRow(0)->GetCol(4). However, it must always be remembered that overloading serves to make programming easier--it doesn't benefit the end user at all. Overloading an operator must make sense, as I hope all of the decisions I made in this class make sense. If it's appropriate, go ahead and use it. If it will make people wonder what you meant, than it's probably something to stay away from.
Also, because this is a template, you could possibly have a matrix of any object, including, for example strings. This will work perfectly in some situations, but not in others. Basically, if + is defined on strings, then you can do matrix addition on a string matrix. However, * is usually not defined for strings, so a statement with that would refuse to compile.
Matrix<string> s(2,7);
Matrix<string> t(2,7);
Matrix<string> u=s+t;//will work fine--concatenates strings at same locations in matrix
Matrix<string> v(7,5);
Matrix<string> w=s*v;//will not compile:error C2676: binary '*' : 'std::string' does not define this operator or a conversion to a type acceptable to the predefined operator I did not make use of the -- and ++ unary operators in this tutorial because they don't always make sense when used on a matrix. With these operators it is important to know that since they can be both prefix and postfix, each version has a slightly different function signature. With the understanding you have gained in this tutorial, you should be able to look up how to implement these operators without trouble.
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