c++ - How to compare two objects (the calling object and the parameter) in a class?

Question

I am writing a "Date" class for an assignment and I am having trouble doing one the of the functions.

This is the header file for the class.

class Date
{
public:
Date();                                  // Constructor without parameters
Date(int m, int d, int y); // Constructor with parameters.

// accessors
int GetMonth();               // returns the size of the diamond
int GetDay();
int GetYear();

// mutators
bool Set(int m, int d, int y);
bool SetFormat(char f);

// standard input and output routines
void Input();             
void Show();              
void Increment(int numDays = 1);                 
int Compare(const Date& d);     

private:
int month,                    // month variables
    day,                 // day variable
    year;               // year variable
char format;
};

The member function I am trying to make is the int Compare(const Date& d) function. I need this function to compare two Date objects (the calling object and the parameter), and should return: -1 if the calling object comes first chronologically, 0 if the objects are the same date, and 1 if the parameter object comes first chronologically.

I have tried doing a simple if statement with the == operator but I get errors.

  if (d1 == d2)
     cout << "The dates are the same";
     return (0);

After the objects are created, the function should be called like this d1.Compare(d2)

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

int Date :: Compare (const Date& d) {

   if (year<d.year) {
      return -1;
   }
   else if (year>d.year) {
      return 1;
   }
   else if (month<d.month) {
      return -1;
   }
   else if (month>d.month) {
      return 1;
   }
   // same for day

   return 0;
}

Usually, you'lll also want to provide overloaded comparison operators, for example (also within the class definition):

bool operator == (const Date& d) const {
   return !Compare(d);
}

bool operator < (const Date& d) const {
  return Compare(d)<0;   
}

... // consider using boost::operators

PS: There are smarter implementations of Compare() - just check the other answers. This one is pretty straightforward and readable, but conforms exactly to your specification.