unordered_map

[Kiran R]

A short code before I proceed with problem:

class A
{public:
A(int input) : mem_var(input) { }
int mem_var;
};

int main() {
std::unordered_map<int, A> foo;
int k = 1;
A a(1);
foo[k] = a;
}

I am using g++ to compile and the above program gives an error saying I can't perform the operation: foo[k] = a;
It says that it needs a constructor of kind A(). When I do provide a default constructor then program compiles good. Any idea why we need a default constructor here.

On the side note, if I create a std::pair<int, A> object and call insert method, it works good even if there isn't any default constructor for A. Eg.
std::pair<int, A> testPair(k, a);
foo.insert(testPair);

I first found this behavior with boost::unordered_map<>. Later found that even std::unordered_map behaves in the same way. Anyone knows the exact reason for the above behavior. Thanks in advance.

[BlackSheep]

It's because the operator [] has to construct a new a (using the default constructor) if the key hasn't been inserted yet. Then it returns a reference to that object.

Insert just copies the value of a over, using the copy constructor. (Which is implicitly defined for any class without an explicit copy constructor)

[Peter87]

This is also the case with std::map.

If you instead use the at member function, foo.at(k) = a;, you would not have to have a default constructor, but if the key doesn't exist in the map it will throw an exception instead. That would force you to insert the element before you can access it.