Avoiding multiple objects of same name in C++

Question

I am building a simple package manager for my new Linux distro (check it out as soon as I finish) and have run into a problem. My install() and remove() functions need to access an unspecified amount of Package objects. This is the install function.

void install(int argc, char *argv[]) throw()
{
        for (int i = 2; i <= argc; i++)
        {
                Package p(argv[i]);
                p.fetch();
                cout << "Package " << p.getRef() << " retrieved succesfully from server.\n";
                p.install();
                cout << "Package " << p.getRef() << " installed succesfully.\n";
        }
}

I suspect this code isn't entirely kosher; this would result in several objects named p which would probably cause a compilation and/or runtime error. What I'm looking for is either a way to change the name p in each iteration of the loop or delete p after one iteration so I will be free to create another object of that name.

You need to go read a good book on C++, especially about scoping rules. The variable p is declared locally inside the loop, every time the loop iterates a new and unique object is created. — Some programmer dude
– Some programmer dude, Commented Dec 31, 2014 at 1:15

Captain Obvlious · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-31 01:17:57Z

1

There is no discernible problem with your code nor will there be any issue with multiple objects. The variable p has automatic storage duration and is destroyed when it goes out of scope. When this means is that at the end of each iteration of the for loop p is destroyed and no longer exists.

answered Dec 31, 2014 at 1:17

Captain Obvlious

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2 Comments

Daniel Stevenson Over a year ago

I thought the object just stayed in existence throughout the loop. I didn't realize that the content was destroyed in each iteration.

Captain Obvlious Over a year ago

No. Because it has automatic storage duration its lifetime is limited to the scope it is defined in. In this case the lifetime of p is defined by the compound statement following the for statement.

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