Programming Forums - .H or .cpp?

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- - .H or .cpp? (http://www.programmingforums.org/showthread.php?t=8929)

I have a class called Monster, now what I have is an array of 5 monsters, because there are 5 different monsters in my program.

Monster array[5];

array[0].SetName("monster1");

array[1].SetName("monster2");

array[2].SetName("monster3");

array[3].SetName("monster4");

array[4].SetName("monster5");



array[0].SetDamage(12);

array[1].SetDamage(15);

array[2].SetDamage(16);

array[3].SetDamage(3);

array[4].SetDamage(22);

I know that is horrible code, mine doesn't actually look like that though. I am just wondering, if you are only using the file to set the data members for the array, should I use a .cpp file or a header? I'm thinking a .cpp file is the way to go, but I am also under the impression you should do "#include "array.cpp"" type declarations, so I would need a header in association to simply refer to that .cpp file.

EDIT: Or, would I just set each value for each array in the Monster.cpp file, which holds all the member functions?

That would go in a .cpp file since you are calling functions and performing an action. Make some sort of initialization function and put the code there.

Never #include a .cpp file. The reasons and pros and cons and all have been covered on this forum several times.

If you want to have some array outside of your file you should use the keyword extern. I'll repeat what DaWei said: Never include a .cpp file, always use header files and add:

#ifndef FILENAME_H

#define FILENAME_H



// rest of code



#endif

That will make sure your header only gets included once. When the preprocessor includes some file, it just pastes it in.