How to pass optional arguments to a method in C++?

Question

How to pass optional arguments to a method in C++ ? Any code snippet...

Answer 1

Use default parameters

template <typename T>
void func(T a, T b = T()) {

   std::cout << a << b;

}

int main()
{
    func(1,4); // a = 1, b = 4
    func(1);   // a = 1, b = 0

    std::string x = "Hello";
    std::string y = "World";

    func(x,y);  // a = "Hello", b ="World"
    func(x);    // a = "Hello", b = "" 

}

Note : The following are ill-formed

template <typename T>
void func(T a = T(), T b )

template <typename T>
void func(T a, T b = a )

Answer 2

An important rule with respect to default parameter usage:
Default parameters should be specified at right most end, once you specify a default value parameter you cannot specify non default parameter again. ex:

int DoSomething(int x, int y = 10, int z) -----------> Not Allowed

int DoSomething(int x, int z, int y = 10) -----------> Allowed 

Answer 3

It might be interesting to some of you that in case of multiple default parameters:

void printValues(int x=10, int y=20, int z=30)
{
    std::cout << "Values: " << x << " " << y << " " << z << '\n';
}

Given the following function calls:

printValues(1, 2, 3);
printValues(1, 2);
printValues(1);
printValues();

The following output is produced:

Values: 1 2 3
Values: 1 2 30
Values: 1 20 30
Values: 10 20 30

Reference: http://www.learncpp.com/cpp-tutorial/77-default-parameters/

Answer 4

Here is an example of passing mode as optional parameter

void myfunc(int blah, int mode = 0)
{
    if (mode == 0)
        do_something();
     else
        do_something_else();
}

you can call myfunc in both ways and both are valid

myfunc(10);     // Mode will be set to default 0
myfunc(10, 1);  // Mode will be set to 1

Answer 5

With commas separating them, just like parameters without default values.

int func( int x = 0, int y = 0 );

func(); // doesn't pass optional parameters, defaults are used, x = 0 and y = 0

func(1, 2); // provides optional parameters, x = 1 and y = 2

Answer 6

Typically by setting a default value for a parameter:

int func(int a, int b = -1) { 
    std::cout << "a = " << a;
    if (b != -1)        
        std::cout << ", b = " << b;
    std::cout << "\n";
}

int main() { 
    func(1, 2);  // prints "a=1, b=2\n"
    func(3);     // prints "a=3\n"
    return 0;
}