Question

How do you set base class members using the assignment operator implementation? If for example someone defines the assignment operator in a derived class like this:

(where both colour and Colour() are members of the base class – meaning the lines indicated below are illegal)

Derived& Derived::operator=(const Derived& rhs) 
{
if (&rhs != this)
{

    Colour(rhs.colour);    // not allowed
        Colour(rhs.Colour());  // not allowed
}
return *this;
}

what is the solution? Is there a way of linking operator overloads in the base? Do I do something like…

Derived& Derived::operator=(const Derived& rhs) : Base::operator=(rhs)
...?

Answer 1

You’re close, just put that call in the method body.

 if (&rhs != this)
 {
    Base::operator=(rhs);
    // ...