Using std::initializer_list in constructors to initialize member variables

In this article we will discuss how to use std::initializer_list<T> to initialize member variables.

Suppose we have a class Point that has 3 member variables representing x, y & Z axis coordinates. It has a parameterized constructor too i.e.

class Point {
	int mX;
	int mY;
	int mZ;
public:
	Point(int a, int b, int c) :
			mX(a), mY(b), mZ(c) {
	}
	void display() {
		std::cout << "(" << mX << "," << mY << "," << mZ << ")\n";
	}
};

We can create a object of Point by passing std::initializer_list<int> i.e. {1,2,3} as argument i.e.

 

// Calling Point's constructor with initializer_list
// It will call the parameterized constructor with 3 arguments, because number of
// elements in initializer_list is also three.
Point pointobj( { 1, 2, 3 });

Compiler will automatically create a std::initializer_list<int> object refereing to {1,2,3} & the search for a constructor that accepts a std::initializer_list<int> as an argument, if not then any constructor that accepts 3 ints.

Checkout complete example as follows,

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>

class Point {
	int mX;
	int mY;
	int mZ;
public:
	Point(int a, int b, int c) :
			mX(a), mY(b), mZ(c) {
	}
	void display() {
		std::cout << "(" << mX << "," << mY << "," << mZ << ")\n";
	}
};

int main() {
	// Calling Point's constructor with initializer_list
	// It will call the parameterized constructor with 3 arguments, because number of
	// elements in initializer_list is also three.
	Point pointobj( { 1, 2, 3 });

	pointobj.display();

	return 0;
}

Output:

(1,2,3)

But what if we have an another constructor that accepts a std::initializer_list<int> as an argument i.e.

// Constructor with initializer_list as an argument
Point::Point(std::initializer_list<int> list)
{
	if(list.size() == 3)
	{
		std::initializer_list<int>::iterator it = list.begin();
		mX = *it++;
		mY = *it++;
		mZ = *it;
	}
	std::cout << "Point:: Initializer_list<int>Constructor\n";
}

In this case when we will create a Point object with {1,2,3} it will always give preference to constructor with std::initializer_list<int> i.e.

 

// Calling Point's constructor with initializer_list
// It will call the parameterized constructor with 3 arguments, because number of
// elements in initializer_list is also three.
Point pointobj1( { 1, 2, 3 });

So, to call the other constructor we need to call the constructor using original way i.e.

// Will call the constructor with 3 ints
Point pointobj2(4,5,6);

Complete example is as follows,

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <initializer_list>

class Point {
	int mX;
	int mY;
	int mZ;
public:
	// Constructor with 3 ints as argument
	Point(int a, int b, int c) :
			mX(a), mY(b), mZ(c) {
		std::cout << "Point:: Parameterized Constructor\n";
	}
	// Constructor with initializer_list as an argument
	Point(std::initializer_list<int> list)
	{
		if(list.size() == 3)
		{
			std::initializer_list<int>::iterator it = list.begin();
			mX = *it++;
			mY = *it++;
			mZ = *it;
		}
		std::cout << "Point:: Initializer_list<int>Constructor\n";
	}

	void display() {
		std::cout << "(" << mX << "," << mY << "," << mZ << ")\n";
	}
};

int main() {
	// Calling Point's constructor with initializer_list
	// It will call the parameterized constructor with 3 arguments, because number of
	// elements in initializer_list is also three.
	Point pointobj1( { 1, 2, 3 });

	// Will call the constructor with 3 ints
	Point pointobj2(4,5,6);

	pointobj1.display();
	pointobj2.display();

	return 0;
}

Output

Point:: Parameterized Constructor
(1,2,3)
(4,5,6)

Passing variable arguments with std::initialer_list<T>

We can also pass variable arguments to a constructor or any other function that accepts std::initializer_list<T> as an argument i.e.

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <initializer_list>

class Point {
	std::vector<int> arr;
public:
	//Constructor accepts a initializer_list as argument and
	// Initialize the member vector with it.
	Point(const std::initializer_list<int> & list) : arr(list)
	{}

	void display() {
		for(int i : arr)
			std::cout<<i<<" , ";
		std::cout<<std::endl;
	}
};

int main() {
	Point pointobj( { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 });

	pointobj.display();

	return 0;
}

Output:

1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ,