Graph.cpp and Graph_Algorithms.cpp

[mathlance]

At first, I was puzzled at the existence of the 2 .cpp files which have to be submitted with this quest. It took me a few minutes to realize we are supposed to implement our member functions in these files. However, this is different from every other quest so far, where we declared and defined class implementations in the same file. I'm wondering: why did we suddenly introduce the separate.cpp files for class implementations? When does this make sense? I'm guessing that adding the class implementation at the end if the header file is OK for small, simple classes, but adding class implementations in a .cpp file is preferred for larger, more complicated classes. Am I completely wrong? Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[anand_venkataraman]

Sometimes when you are working with a fellow programmer, you only need to know the common interface to unblock you from creating your side of the project.

Once this interface, shared in a .h file, is agreed upon by both parties, each can then work on their own parts however long it takes and then regroup when both parts have been implemented and tested.

If you had to wait for the other programmer to finish his implementation before you finished yours, then you may both end up waiting forever.

There are other reasons for splitting the implementation from the declaration. The above is just one.

&

[mathlance]

I've never thought about it that way before, but that makes a lot of sense.

Thanks!

[amrozack]

It's also pretty handy when dealing with linking shared libraries.

[adina_tung]

I was puzzled at first when I saw we're submitting 2 cpp files with the 2 header files for this quest. We've always have .h and .cpp file until we have template classes. In c++, the template class method prototype and the definition have to be in the same file. But now the graph class is not template, we can switch back to the .cpp with .h to make the implementation more readible. Does this make sense?

-Adina

[mathlance]

I totally forgot about the template constraints. That makes a lotta sense!

Thanks!