How to use Q_DISABLE_COPY( class ) without ctor?

c64zottel

I have the following pure virtual class:

class InputDeviceConfigurator : public QObject
{
    Q_OBJECT
    Q_DISABLE_COPY(InputDeviceConfigurator)

public:
    explicit InputDeviceConfigurator(QObject *parent = 0);
    virtual ~InputDeviceConfigurator() = 0;

And since we can not copy QObjects, I think its good habit to prohibit it all along with Q_DISABLE_COPY.
Since I have no use for the ctor I tried to remove it.

And then I get the following error:

../../UserInputManagement_subdir/UserInputManagement/joystickdeviceconfigurator.cpp: In constructor ‘JoystickDeviceConfigurator::JoystickDeviceConfigurator(JoystickDevice*)’:
../../UserInputManagement_subdir/UserInputManagement/joystickdeviceconfigurator.cpp:14:50: error: no matching function for call to ‘InputDeviceConfigurator::InputDeviceConfigurator()’
     d(new JoystickDeviceConfiguratorPrivate( jd ))
                                                  ^
In file included from ../../../storages/third-party-install/Qt/5.8/gcc_64/include/QtCore/qnamespace.h:43:0,
                 from ../../../storages/third-party-install/Qt/5.8/gcc_64/include/QtCore/qobjectdefs.h:48,
                 from ../../../storages/third-party-install/Qt/5.8/gcc_64/include/QtCore/qobject.h:46,
                 from ../../../storages/third-party-install/Qt/5.8/gcc_64/include/QtCore/QObject:1,
                 from ../../UserInputManagement_subdir/UserInputManagement/include/joystickdeviceconfigurator.h:4,
                 from ../../UserInputManagement_subdir/UserInputManagement/joystickdeviceconfigurator.cpp:1:
../../UserInputManagement_subdir/UserInputManagement/include/inputdeviceconfigurator.h:12:20: note: candidate: InputDeviceConfigurator::InputDeviceConfigurator(const InputDeviceConfigurator&) <deleted>
     Q_DISABLE_COPY(InputDeviceConfigurator)
                    ^
../../../storages/third-party-install/Qt/5.8/gcc_64/include/QtCore/qglobal.h:323:5: note: in definition of macro ‘Q_DISABLE_COPY’
     Class(const Class &) Q_DECL_EQ_DELETE;\
     ^~~~~
../../UserInputManagement_subdir/UserInputManagement/include/inputdeviceconfigurator.h:12:20: note:   candidate expects 1 argument, 0 provided
     Q_DISABLE_COPY(InputDeviceConfigurator)
                    ^
../../../storages/third-party-install/Qt/5.8/gcc_64/include/QtCore/qglobal.h:323:5: note: in definition of macro ‘Q_DISABLE_COPY’
     Class(const Class &) Q_DECL_EQ_DELETE;\
     ^~~~~

JoystickDeviceConfigurator is just a client of the interface.

Why is InputDeviceConfigurator's ctor so imporant to the compiler?

SGaist

Hi,

Out of curiosity, why don't you need any constructor ?

c64zottel

@SGaist This is just an interface in the sense of a convention for classes inheriting the interface. The ctor is simply empty, hence, the auto generate ctor would be fine too.

VRonin

@c64zottel said in How to use Q_DISABLE_COPY( class ) without ctor?:

The ctor is simply empty

It is not. in fact it calls the QObject constructor that does a lot of stuff. removing it while leaving the Q_DISABLE_COPY prevents the compiler from creating a default constructor (which would be wrong anyway).

Now we have 2 possible solutions:

If your InputDeviceConfigurator uses signals and slots or defines properties then your only choice is to explicitly declare the constructor and pass the parent explicit InputDeviceConfigurator(QObject *parent = Q_NULLPTR) : QObject(parent){}
if InputDeviceConfigurator does not uses signals and slots nor defines properties then lose the QObject inheritance altogether and use multiple inheritance for the derived classes.

Just to make the point clear: you don't "remove the constructor". see this table

@c64zottel said in How to use Q_DISABLE_COPY( class ) without ctor?:

the auto generate ctor would be fine too.

In cases (this one is not one of them) in which the default costructor is what you want just use =default