Help on dynamic memory function in my account class

[kcolin1]

ok so basically i am trying to implement an account class which uses dynamic array but i am having trouble with a function.
the class specification is this

#include <iostream> // Provides ostream and istream
#include <cstdlib>
#include <string.h>
#include <assert.h>
using namespace std;

class account
{
public:
typedef char* string;
static const size_t MAX_NAME_SIZE = 15;
// CONSTRUCTOR
account (char* i_name, size_t i_acnum, size_t i_hsize);
account ( account& ac);
// DESTRUCTOR
~account ( );
// MODIFICATION MEMBER FUNCTIONS
void set_name(char* new_name);
void set_account_number(size_t new_acnum);
void set_balance(double new_balance);
void add_history(char* new_history);
// CONSTANT MEMBER FUNCTIONS
char* get_name ( ) const;
size_t get_account_number ( ) const;
double get_balance( ) const;
size_t get_max_history_size( ) const;
size_t get_current_history_size ( ) const;
string get_history( ) ;
friend ostream& operator <<(ostream& outs, const account& target);
private:
char name[MAX_NAME_SIZE+1]; //name of the account holder
size_t ac_number; //account number
double balance; //current account balance
string *history; //Array to store history of transactions
size_t history_size; //Maximum size of transaction history
size_t history_count; //Current size of transaction history
};

and my implementation of this code is this


#include "accountt.h"



ostream& operator <<(ostream& outs, const account& target)
{
outs << "Account Name: " << target.name << endl;
outs << "Account Number: " << target.ac_number << endl;
outs << "Account Balance: " << target.balance << endl;
}

account::account (char* i_name, size_t i_acnum, size_t i_hsize)
{
assert(strlen(i_name) < MAX_NAME_SIZE);

for(int i = 0; i < strlen(i_name); i++)
name[i] = i_name[i];
for(int j = strlen(i_name); j < MAX_NAME_SIZE; j++)
name[j] = '';
ac_number = i_acnum;
history_size = i_hsize;

history = new string[history_size];
history_count = 0;
balance = 0;
}
account::account( account& ac)
{
for(int i = 0; i < strlen(ac.get_name()); i++)
name[i] = ac.get_name()[i];
for(int j = strlen(ac.get_name()); j < MAX_NAME_SIZE; j++)
name[j] = '';
ac_number = ac.get_account_number();
history_size = ac.get_max_history_size();
history_count = ac.get_current_history_size();
*history = ac.get_history();
balance = ac.get_balance();
}

account::~account()
{
delete [] history;

}
void account::set_name(char* new_name)
{
assert(strlen(new_name) < MAX_NAME_SIZE);
for( int i = 0; i < strlen(new_name); i++)
name[i] = new_name[i];
for( int j = strlen(new_name); j < MAX_NAME_SIZE; j++)
name[j] = '';
}

void account::set_account_number(size_t new_acnum)
{
ac_number = new_acnum;
}

void account::set_balance(double new_balance)
{

balance = new_balance;
}

void account::add_history(char* new_history)
{

if(history_count < history_size)
{

history[history_count] = new_history;

history_count++;
}
}
char* account:: get_name( ) const
{
char* the_name;
the_name = new char[MAX_NAME_SIZE+1];

for( int i = 0; i < strlen(name); i++)
the_name[i] = the_name[i];
for( int j = strlen(name); j < MAX_NAME_SIZE; j++)
the_name[j] = '';
return the_name;
}
size_t account:: get_account_number ( ) const
{
return ac_number;
}
double account:: get_balance( ) const
{
return balance;
}
size_t account:: get_max_history_size( ) const
{
return history_size;
}
size_t account:: get_current_history_size( ) const
{
return history_count;
}

char* account:: get_history( )
{
char *a;
a = new char[history_size];
a = history;
return history;
}

and so pretty much everything works except my get_history() function. it gives me the error cannot convert char* to char** when ran in this program

#include <iostream> // Provides ostream and istream
#include <cstdlib> // Provides ostream and istream
#include "accountt.h"
using namespace std;
//using namespace csci2270_assignmentTwo;

int main( )
{
account a("shiv", 10, 5);
account b("John", 20, 15);
cout << a;
cout << endl;
cout << b;
a.set_balance(100.30);
a.add_history("02/24/11: Deposited $100.30");
cout << a;
a.set_balance(00.30);
a.add_history("02/25/11: Deposited $00.30");
cout << a;
a.set_balance(00.30);
a.add_history("02/25/11: Deposited $00.30");
cout << a;
account c(b);
cout << b;
c.set_name("Jack Smith");
c.set_account_number(201);
c.set_balance(1000000);
c.add_history("first comment");
c.add_history("second comment");
c.add_history("third comment");
c.add_history("fourth comment");
cout << c;
cout << b;
char *n = c.get_name( );
double bl = c.get_balance( );
size_t ac = c.get_account_number( );
size_t chs = c.get_current_history_size( );
size_t mhs = c.get_max_history_size( );

account::string* hs = c.get_history( );
cout << endl << "Account c details:" << endl;
cout << "Name: " << n << endl;
cout << "Account number: " << ac << endl;
cout << "Balance: " << bl << endl;
cout << "Current history size: " << chs << endl;
cout << "Max history size: " << mhs << endl;
cout << "Transaction history: " << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < chs; i++) cout << " " << hs[i] << endl;
delete n;
for (int i = 0; i < chs; i++) delete hs[i];
delete hs;
cout << c;
}

i get this error in line account:: string* hs = c.get_history()

so I am trying to figure out what i am doing wrong any ideas?

[Bazzy]

Please use [code][/code] tags and post the exact error message

[joh024]

Bazzy is right, this is incredibly difficult to read as plain text. Saying that, it looks like your assignment statement is incorrect. The get_history() method returns a string. Not a pointer to a string object. Just remove the * and I would think that it would work.