CSC2402 Assignment 2 Full Mark = 100% And Is Equivalent To 2

CSC2402 Assignment 2 Full mark = 100% and is equivalent to 20% of co

Implement five tasks involving date-time classes, derived classes, and data storage in C++ with specific display functionalities, input validation, leap year considerations, and polymorphism, culminating in a program that stores various date-time objects in a vector and displays their information.

Paper For Above instruction

This paper addresses a comprehensive C++ programming assignment focused on object-oriented design, data validation, input/output handling, and polymorphism. The core objective is to develop and integrate multiple classes representing date and time data, with particular requirements for validation, calculation, display, and data management, to showcase understanding of inheritance, encapsulation, and containers in C++.

Introduction

The assignment emphasizes creating a collection of date-time objects, each with specific functionalities. These objects include DateTime, WeekDay, Age, and Days2Go, with the main program storing them in a vector. The task involves correct class design, implementation, validation, and polymorphic behavior to enable flexible and accurate representation of various date-related data and computations.

Task 1: DateTime Class Implementation

The first task requires implementing the DateTime class, which comprises a constructor, display method, validation for input data, and helper functions for formatting and data calculations. The constructor should initialize an internal structure tm based on input parameters, adjusting for leap years and proper indexing (e.g., months from 0-11). The validate_data method verifies that all inputs are within appropriate ranges, ensuring data integrity. The display method outputs a formatted string of local date/time using strftime.

These functionalities demonstrate understanding of date/time manipulations, and proper validation techniques, considering constraints such as the year range (1970-2020). The implementation ensures robust error handling by terminating execution with a message if invalid data is detected.

Task 2: WeekDay Derived Class

The second task involves creating a class WeekDay that inherits from DateTime. It extends functionality by calculating and displaying the corresponding weekday alongside date/time. The display method utilizes the internal tm structure to determine the weekday, translating the tm_wday value into a string (Sunday to Saturday). The constructor validates inputs and initializes the base class properly, ensuring that the object correctly reflects the specified date/time with the weekday displayed.

Task 3: Age Derived Class

The third task focuses on deriving an Age class from DateTime, which computes the age relative to the current date (assumed within 2015). It features methods to validate input birth dates, compute the age in days, months, or years, and display this information with contextual messages. The class interprets the age units by adding offsets (1000 for months, 100000 for days) into an integer, enabling straightforward determination of whether the object represents days, months, or years.

The display method outputs the birth date, current date, and calculated age, providing a comprehensive snapshot of the age information. Proper validation ensures that birth date precedes the current date, and error handling terminates execution with an informative message if validation fails.

Task 4: Days2Go Derived Class

The fourth task involves creating a Days2Go class extending Age that computes and displays the number of days remaining until the next birthday. This involves calculating the days between the current date and the upcoming birthday, considering leap years and date adjustments. The display method outputs the stored birth date, current date, and days before the next birthday, handling edge cases like birthdays on leap days and the same-day scenario where days remaining are zero.

Implementation requires careful arithmetic with date components and leap year considerations—specifically managing February 29 in leap years and adjusting the calculation accordingly. The class ensures robust validation and accurate calculation of future days.

Task 5: Collection and Polymorphism

The final task integrates all previous classes into a program that employs polymorphism for the display method while storing different object types in a single vector. The vector should contain pointers to base class DateTime, with derived classes stored via polymorphic pointers. The program populates the vector with various objects (DateTime, WeekDay, Age, Days2Go), then sequentially calls display on each, relying on virtual functions for appropriate output.

This section demonstrates understanding of runtime polymorphism, dynamic memory management (preferably smart pointers), and the use of STL vector with objects of different derived types. It emphasizes safe storage, retrieval, and display of heterogeneous objects, ensuring that each object's display method is invoked correctly.

Conclusion

This assignment encapsulates core object-oriented programming principles in C++, including class design, inheritance, encapsulation, input validation, date computations, leap year handling, and polymorphism. Successful implementation showcases proficiency in managing date/time data, polymorphic behavior, and data structures, culminating in a comprehensive and robust application that integrates multiple classes and demonstrates advanced coding techniques.

References

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  • ISO/IEC. (2015). "ISO C++ Standard Library." ISO/IEC 14882:2015.
  • Risch, M. (2018). "Effective C++ Programming." O'Reilly Media.
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