Inline Functions Within a Class

C++ provides a powerful feature of defining functions within a class declaration. This feature allows programmers to define short functions, which are automatically made into inline functions. When a function is defined inside a class declaration, the compiler treats it as an inline function by default. This means that the function's body is inserted directly into the calling code, avoiding the overhead of a function call.

To define an inline function within a class declaration, the function's definition should be placed directly within the class definition. For example, consider the following code

class myclass {
public:
    void init() {
        // function body
    }

    void show() {
        // function body
    }
};

In this code, the `init()` and `show()` functions are defined within the myclass class declaration. Since these functions are short and simple, they are good candidates for inline functions.

It is worth noting that it is not necessary to precede the function declaration with the `inline` keyword when defining a function within a class declaration. This is because the compiler automatically treats these functions as inline functions.

Inline functions offer several advantages over regular functions, such as reduced overhead and improved performance. However, they also have some drawbacks, such as increased code size and decreased code readability. Therefore, it is recommended to use inline functions only for short and simple functions

Summary

Defining inline functions within a class declaration is a powerful feature of C++. It allows programmers to define short functions that are automatically made into inline functions. While this feature offers several benefits, it is essential to use it judiciously, only for short and simple functions.