Structs question

[Kalcor]

Hello, I recently encountered a small debate with myself about a struct thing which is swapping elements in an array of struct.

For example

struct Test{
int data;
float x;
char a[10];

}b[10];

now for example, if I switch b[0].data with b[1].data, by testing I saw it switched the entire b[0] elements with entire b[1] elements not just replace their data values, why does that happen instead of only replacing 1 value.

[helios]

What is the exact code you used to perform the swap?

[Kalcor]

@helios.

A normal swap function. swap(a,b);

[helios]

Post the code for it and how you called it. I can't answer the question if I don't know what you're asking.

[Kalcor]

@helios

struct Test{
int data;
float x;
char a[10];

}b[10];


int main()
{
    for(int i = 0; i < 9; i++){
        int temp = b[i].data;
        b[i].data = b[i+1].data;
        b[i+1].data = temp;
    }



    return 0;
}

Ignore the logic behind this loop whatsoever I just wanted to know what's the reason behind the fact that the entire b[i] with all its data gets swapped with b[i+1] and all its data, instead of just the member value. Like that code will make it so that if

b[0].data = 5
b[0].x = 5.0
b[0].a = "Hi"

b[1].data = 10
b[1].x = 10.0
b[1].a = "Hiiiiii"

Now what I mean is, if I call a swap on b[#].data and b[##].data it'll swap the entire array element not just the .data value for b[#] and b[##]. that means if I call this swap on .data for the above:

int temp = b[i].data;
b[i].data = b[i+1].data;
b[i+1].data = temp;

And assuming i is equal 0, b[0].data becomes = 10, b[0].x becomes = 10.0 and b[0].a becomes "Hiiiii" why did it swap the entire thing instead of just the values of the member "data" for both struct array elements.

Sorry if I repeated myself over and over I am trying to deliver the point as much as I can.

[helios]

As far as I can tell, the code you've posted cannot behave in the way you describe.

http://cpp.sh/9gyov

#include <iostream>

struct Test{
    int data;
    float x;
    char a[10];
} b[10];

void print_b(){
    for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
        std::cout << "{ " << b[i].data << ", " << b[i].x << ", " << b[i].a << " }\n";
}

int main(){
    for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++){
        b[i].data = i;
        b[i].x = i + 0.5f;
        b[i].a[0] = 'a' + i;
        b[i].a[1] = 0;
    }
    
    print_b();
    
    for(int i = 0; i < 9; i++){
        int temp = b[i].data;
        b[i].data = b[i+1].data;
        b[i+1].data = temp;
    }
    
    std::cout << "----------\n";

    print_b();

    return 0;
}

[jonnin]

is this what you are trying to do?
class::swapmember(class x)
{
std::swap(x.member, this->member);
}

I think you have to make an overload for your class if you want to call std swap on it, but I don't recall if that is always true or just true under some conditions. I also don't recall if you need assignment op & copyctor (defaults or not) to make it work. Sorry, I don't swap things much, and when I do, its usually just a pointer or a POD type.

[helios]

Please read the thread before replying, otherwise you're just adding noise to the conversation.