OOP Game - updating list of object while in an objects update function

[96AX92yv]

Im quite new to oop and having trouble with creating new objects inside of others. In my game, I require a bullet to be created in the players update function. The problem is that I have no idea how to add the created object (bullet) to the game list in order for it to be updated. To update game objects I use this:

for(iter = objects.begin(); iter != objects.end(); ++iter)
					(*iter)->Update();

I thought of returning the bullet object in the function but that would increase difficulty of updating all other objects as only specific game objects would return values.
to create a bullet I use:

Bullet *bullet = new Bullet(*Weapon::bullet);

found the players update function

I need to add this object into the objects list but am unsure how to do this as it is contained in the main.cpp file.
Can anyone specify a way in which these created objects can be add to the list?

[keskiverto]

that would increase difficulty of updating all other objects as only specific game objects would return values.

?

You have a list of objects and they all have function Update(), but for some the function returns void and for others a pointer?

Make them all return a pointer value. Remember, nullptr is a pointer value too.

[96AX92yv]

Thanks for reply.
would this change the update section to:

for(iter = objects.begin(); iter != objects.end(); ++iter)
				{
					GameObject* newObject = (*iter)->Update();
					if (newObject != nullptr)
						objects.push_back(newObject);
				}

[keskiverto]

Almost.

What can the push_back() do to iterators? Invalidate. Do you remember why?

[96AX92yv]

because they are pointers?

does it still apply to lists not vectors?

std::list<GameObject *> objects;

[keskiverto]

The list is safe, vector is not. See the reference documentation of each container.

The vector::push_back can cause a reallocation (and move of existing elements) of vector's internal array.


Consider also storing smart pointer objects in the container, rather than raw pointers.

[96AX92yv]

I didnt know about smart pointers but i just read some documentation on them. Is the purpose in smart pointer just to automatically destroy pointers?

also, i had another idea on creating objects. What if there was a global function called Instantiate that is called whenever an object is created. This can be defined in the main.cpp file as:

void Instantiate(GameObject* newObject)
{
objects.push_back(newObject);
}

would this be a better method?