TITLE: To be or not to be (inlining constructors)


PROBLEM: Georges ???

Can you inline constructors by declaring them
inline and then defining them ...
for instance

 class x {
  x(int);
  .
  .
}
inline x::x(int)
{ ... }

is this legal? will this work? does it mean anything?


RESPONSE: ekenworthy@cix.compulink.co.uk ("Edward Kenworthy")

Err yes, yes and yes ! It means the code for the ctor will be placed 
inline  whenever you create that object, either explicitly or implicitly, 
using that ctor (surprise, surprise).


RESPONSE: rmartin@rcmcon.com (Robert Martin), 30 Nov 94

Note, that there is more code in a constructor than the code that you
write.  All the constructors for containing objects and base classes
must also be called.  Those calls are implicitly written into the
constructor.  If you inline your constructors, then those implicit
calls will be inlined as well.  This can create very very large inline
segments.

Because of this, I will usually not inline constructors or destructors.