When and Why Would You Use '= delete' in Function Declarations?

Syntax: Using "= delete" in Function Declarations

The "= delete" syntax in C++ is used to explicitly delete a function declaration, preventing it from being used in specific contexts.

Purpose of "= delete"

As shown in the provided code snippet:

class my_class
{
    ...
    my_class(my_class const &) = delete;
    ...
};

Placing "= delete" after the function declaration:

• Suppresses the implicit copy constructor for a copy operation. This prevents instances of the class from being copied.
• Prohibits any copy assignments. Objects of this class cannot assign values from other objects of the same type.

By declaring the copy constructor as deleted, we enforce stronger encapsulation and prevent unexpected copying.

Additional Function Modifiers

In addition to "= delete," there are other function modifiers available in C++:

• = 0: Declares a pure virtual function, requiring any classes inheriting from it to implement that function.
• = default: Generates a default implementation for a function, such as a default constructor or a default destructor.

These modifiers allow developers to specify the behavior and constraints on specific functions in a class.

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