{"id":6538,"date":"2021-09-28T12:48:51","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T07:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goseeko.com\/blog\/?p=5741"},"modified":"2021-09-28T12:48:51","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T07:18:51","slug":"what-are-friend-functions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goseeko.com\/blog\/what-are-friend-functions\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Friend functions?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In C++, if a function is declared as a buddy function, the function can access a class’s protected and private data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The keyword friend informs the compiler that the given function is a friend function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A class’s friend function<\/a> is defined outside of the scope of the class, yet it has access to all private and protected elements of the class. Friends are not member functions, despite the fact that prototypes for friend functions appear in the class specification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A function, function template, or member function can be a friend, as can a class or class template, in which case the entire class and its members are friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For accessing data, a friend function should be declared inside the body of a class, beginning with the term friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Declaration of Friend Function<\/strong>s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

class class_name    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

{    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    friend data_type function_name(argument);            \/\/ syntax of friend function.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

};    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The friend function prefixes the term friend in the above declaration. Like any other C++ function, the function can be defined anywhere in the program. Neither the keyword friend nor the scope resolution operator are used in the function declaration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Characteristics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n