The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
A member function is a component of objects. Objects are miniature programs, which consist of both code and data (data members). The code is comprised of a series of member functions. It is these functions that are called on by a user, also described as sending the object a message, in order to use the object. For example, calling an object's Draw function can also be described as sending the object the Draw message. Calling a member function invokes the function on the object.
A member function allows some of an object's behavior or contents to be retrieved. Thus, it forms one of the underpinnings of the programming of object-oriented languages such as C++.
Member functions can be classified according to their purpose. Examples of some types of member functions in C++ are "getters," "setters," "command methods," and "factory methods." Also, classification based on the properties of member functions is possible. Examples of these include "primitive or composed method," "hook or template method," "class or instance method," or a "convenience method."