bool operator<(parameter1, parameter2)

[coder 203]

Hi, I do not know what is going on in the function
bool operator<(WorkOrder a, WorkOrder b). Can anybody please clarify. Thanks!

#include <iostream>
#include <queue>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

class WorkOrder
{
public:
WorkOrder(int priority, string description);
int get_priority() const;
string get_description() const;
private:
int priority;
string description;
};

WorkOrder::WorkOrder(int pr, string descr)
{
priority = pr;
description = descr;
}

int WorkOrder::get_priority() const
{
return priority;
}

string WorkOrder::get_description() const
{
return description;
}

bool operator<(WorkOrder a, WorkOrder b)
{
return a.get_priority() < b.get_priority();
}

int main()
{
priority_queue<WorkOrder> tasks;
tasks.push(WorkOrder(2, "Shampoo carpets"));
tasks.push(WorkOrder(3, "Empty trash"));
tasks.push(WorkOrder(2, "Water plants"));
tasks.push(WorkOrder(1, "Remove pencil sharpener shavings"));
tasks.push(WorkOrder(4, "Replace light bulb"));
tasks.push(WorkOrder(9, "Fix overflowing sink"));
tasks.push(WorkOrder(1, "Clean coffee maker"));
tasks.push(WorkOrder(5, "Order cleaning supplies"));

while (tasks.size() > 0)
{
WorkOrder task = tasks.top();
tasks.pop();
cout << task.get_priority() << " - "
<< task.get_description() << "\n";
}

cout << "\n\n";

system("pause");
return 0;
}

[Duthomhas]

That function provides a < operator to compare two WorkOrders.

That way the std::priority_queue knows how to order them.

[coder 203]

That makes sense.
Thank you for the response!