Thank you so much for your help. Looks like I have a bit of studying to do. I am not totally sure how this works but it does. Here is the fixed source in case someone needs to check it out.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

class Point
{
public:
Point(float f_x = 1.0, float f_y = 1.0, float f_z = 1.0);
~Point();

void setXYZ(float X, float Y, float Z);
void setX(float X);
void setY(float Y);
void setZ(float Z);

// return by reference
void getXYZ(float &X, float &Y, float &Z);
float getX() const;
float getY() const;
float getZ() const;

// overloading = operator to deal with pointers
Point& operator =(Point const &p);

private:
float x, y, z;

protected:

};

// define constructor with args
Point::Point(float f_x, float f_y, float f_z)
{
cout << "We're in the constructor with arguments " << (int)this /*unique identifier*/ << endl;
x = f_x;
y = f_y;
z = f_z;
}

// define destructor
Point::~Point()
{
cout << "Destructing now!!! " << (int)this /*unique identifier*/ << endl;
}

// public function to return private value of variable x
float Point::getX() const
{
return x;
}

// public function to return private value of variable y
float Point::getY() const
{
return y;
}

// public function to return private value of variable z
float Point::getZ() const
{
return z;
}

// public function to change value of private variable x
void Point::setX(float X)
{
x = X;
}

// public function to change value of private variable y
void Point::setY(float Y)
{
y = Y;
}

// public function to change value of private variable z
void Point::setZ(float Z)
{
z = Z;
}

// public function to change value of all three private variables
void Point::setXYZ(float X, float Y, float Z)
{
/* slower
setX(X);
setY(Y);
setZ(Z);*/
// faster
x = X;
y = Y;
z = Z;

}

// public function to return values of x,y,z by reference
void Point::getXYZ(float &X, float &Y, float &Z)
{
X = getX();
Y = getY();
Z = getZ();
}

// overloading = operator
Point& Point::operator =(Point const &p)
{
setX(p.getX());
setY(p.getY());
setZ(p.getZ());
// passing back value rather than address
return *this;
}

// overloading operator << (output stream)
ostream &operator <<(ostream &stream, Point &p)
{
stream << p.getX() << " " << p.getY() << " " << p.getZ();
return stream;
}

// overloading operator >> (input

ahh I see. That makes so much more sense! Thanks for your responses. My next question deals with inheritance. It appears that the = operator declaration is not being inherited from my class Point. I am getting this compiling error:

g++ -o inheritance inheritance.cpp
inheritance.cpp: In function ‘int main()’:
inheritance.cpp:165: error: no match for ‘operator=’ in ‘vect3 = Vector::operator+(Vector&)(((Vector&)(& vect2)))’
inheritance.cpp:135: note: candidates are: Vector& Vector::operator=(Vector&)

here is my source:

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

class Point
{
public:
Point(float f_x = 1.0, float f_y = 1.0, float f_z = 1.0);
~Point();

// return by reference
void getXYZ(float &X, float &Y, float &Z);
float getX();
float getY();
float getZ();

void setXYZ(float X, float Y, float Z);
void setX(float X);
void setY(float Y);
void setZ(float Z);	

// overloading = operator to deal with pointers
Point operator = (Point &p);

private:
float x, y, z;

protected:

};

// define constructor with args
Point::Point(float f_x, float f_y, float f_z)
{
cout << "We're in the constructor with arguments " << (int)this /*unique identifier*/ << endl;
x = f_x;
y = f_y;
z = f_z;
}

// define destructor
Point::~Point()
{
cout << "Destructing now!!! " << (int)this /*unique identifier*/ << endl;
}

// public function to return private value of variable x
float Point::getX()
{
return x;
}

// public function to return private value of variable y
float Point::getY()
{
return y;
}

// public function to return private value of variable z
float Point::getZ()
{
return z;
}

// public function to change value of private variable x
void Point::setX(float X)
{
x = X;
}

// public function to change value of private variable y
void Point::setY(float Y)
{
y = Y;
}

// public function to change value of private variable z
void Point::setZ(float Z)
{
z = Z;
}

// public function to change value of all three private variables
void Point::setXYZ(float X, float Y, float Z)
{
/* slower
setX(X);
setY(Y);
setZ(Z);*/
// faster
x = X;
y = Y;
z = Z;

}

// public function to return values of x,y,z by reference
void Point::getXYZ(float &X, float &Y, float &Z)
{
X = getX();
Y = getY();
Z = getZ();
}

// overloading operator << (output stream)
ostream &operator <<(ostream &stream, Point &p)
{
stream << p.getX() <

I thought once you instantiate the object it sets the variables that I have for parameters in the function? Where am I forgetting something? This should work as far as I can see.

When I instantiate the object with this:

// create instance of class
Point myLocation(23, 54, 32);

That should assign values 23, 54, 32 to x, y, and z, respectively.

I am compiling with g++ 4.2.4 on Ubuntu Hardy. I am trying to creating a public function to return a value of a private variable within the class. The output I am getting is not correct. What did I miss here?

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

class Point
{
public:
// constructors
Point(float f_x = 1.0, float f_y = 1.0, float f_z = 1.0);

// destructors (Only necessary for new dynamic memory created)
~Point();

float getX();

private:
float x, y, z;

protected:

};

// define constructor with args
Point::Point(float f_x, float f_y, float f_z)
{
cout << "We're in the constructor with arguments " << (int)this /*unique identifier*/ << endl;
}

// define destructor
Point::~Point()
{
cout << "Destructing now!!! " << (int)this /*unique identifier*/ << endl;
}

// public function to return private value of variable x
float Point::getX()
{
return x;
}

int main()
{
// create instance of class
Point myLocation(23, 54, 32);

// create another instance of class
//Point anotherLocation;

// calling constructor with args
//Point thirdLocation(23, 14, 52);

// return value of x
cout << myLocation.getX() << endl;

return 0;

}

I've started a new website and I am looking for members interested in programming and linux. We are needing people who have the desire to learn linux on a higher level. Subdomains, FTP accounts, and web space for members will be offered sparingly to those seriously interested. datdirt.com

Yes if you check out this link there is more info on what I'm trying to do..... http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464131

I have a project here at my work due Monday and it involves 23,000+ records to be manually typed into a database requiring the fields LEN:, DN:, and the NCOS: on the same line. I just know that there is an easier way of doing it. I have been working with the sed utility in Linux to help me but now I would like to know how to write an Win32 executable that can ask for the file name and filter these values for me and insert them into a text file. I have a fair amount of C++ programming experience but I do not know how to using file streams. Any help would be greatly appreciated by myself and my coworkers. A sample of a record I have is:

MADN SPECIFIED. LEN OUTPUT IS FOR PRIMARY.

LEN: HOST 02 0 02 11
TYPE: MULTIPLE APPEARANCE DIRECTORY NUMBER
SNPA: 315
DIRECTORY NUMBER: 6344010 (NON-UNIQUE)
LINE CLASS CODE: IBN
CUSTGRP: KAFB SUBGRP: 0 NCOS: 52

Here is a link to a thread where I was using sed: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/using-sed-to-extract-a-pattern-plus-a-number-of-positions-after-679435/