Question

What is the proper way to implement a getter method for a lazily-initialized member variable and maintain const-correctness? That is, I would like to have my getter method be const, because after the first time it is used, it’s a normal getter method. It is only the first time (when the object is first initialized) that const does not apply. What I would like to do:

class MyClass {
  MyClass() : expensive_object_(NULL) {}
  QObject* GetExpensiveObject() const {
    if (!expensive_object_) {
      expensive_object = CreateExpensiveObject();
    }
    return expensive_object_;
  }
private:
  QObject *expensive_object_;
};

Can I eat my cake and have it too?

Answer 1

I propose encapsulating James Curran‘s answer into a class of its own if you do this frequently:

template <typename T>
class suspension{
   std::tr1::function<T()> initializer;
   mutable T value;
   mutable bool initialized;
public:
   suspension(std::tr1::function<T()> init):
      initializer(init),initialized(false){}
   operator T const &() const{
      return get();
   }
   T const & get() const{
      if (!initialized){
         value=initializer();
         initialized=true;
      }
      return value;
   }
};

Now use this in your code as follows:

class MyClass {
  MyClass() : expensive_object_(CreateExpensiveObject) {}
  QObject* GetExpensiveObject() const {
    return expensive_object_.get();
  }
private:
  suspension<QObject *> expensive_object_;
};