(C++) Exercise \#6: refactoring quadratic solver

Difficulty: 2/10

Date added: 21th of July 2008

 

In this exercise you must refactor a class that is given as an example in reference [1]. You will learn how to think to correctly refactor a class and that literature does not always set a good examples.

 

A quadratic equation is an equation in the form 'ax^2^ + bx + c = 0'. For which x or x's is this true? The number of solutions this equation has is determined by the discrimant: D = b^2^ - 4ac. If D is smaller then zero, the equation has no solutions. If D equals zero, the solution to the equation is x = -b/2a. If D is bigger then zero, the solutions are x = (-b-sqrt(D)) / (2a) and x = (-b+sqrt(D)) / (2a).

 

Below of a piece of code (from [1]) demonstrating a class to solve a quadratic equation. Can you refactor this class to follow good class design, member function design, function design and good thinking?

 

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#include <cmath> using namespace std; class Qs { public:   void coeff(double aa, double bb, double cc)   {     a = aa;     b = bb;     c = cc;   }   bool solve()   {     double D = b * b - 4 * a * c;     if (a == 0 || D < 0) return false;     double rD = sqrt(D);     x1 = (-b + rD)/(2 * a);     x2 = (-b - rD)/(2 * a);     return true;   }   double root1() const { return x1; }   double root2() const { return x2; } private:   double a,b,c,x1,x2; };

 

 

 

 

 

View the answer of this exercise.

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

1. Leen Ammeraal. C++ (6th edition). ISBN: 90-395-1935-8. 2001