What is deep copying in C++?

What is deep copying in C++?

Deep copying in C++ refers to creating a new object that is a copy of an existing object, including all dynamically allocated memory.

How is it different from shallow copying?

Shallow copying copies the object's immediate values, but not the objects they point to, while deep copying duplicates everything.

Can you show me an example of deep copying?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

class MyClass {
public:
    int* data;
    MyClass(int value) {
        data = new int(value);
    }
    // Deep copy constructor
    MyClass(const MyClass& other) {
        data = new int(*other.data);
    }
    ~MyClass() {
        delete data;
    }
};

This code defines a class with a deep copy constructor.

What are the potential issues with deep copying?

Potential issues include increased memory usage and the complexity of managing deep copies, especially with large objects.