Class member variable would not update

Question

Code would not update variable inside drive method. The variable is updated inside the drive method, but it doesn't change in the rest of the class. I wrote a simple similar method in normal C++ and the variable actually updated in the rest of the class.

engine.hpp

#pragma once
#include <Arduino.h>
namespace engine
{
class Engine
{
public:
 Engine(const unsigned char t_motor, const unsigned char t_forward, const unsigned char t_backward);
 void drive(unsigned int t_speed, bool t_isForward = true);
 bool isMovingForward() const;
 void stop();
private:
 const unsigned char m_motor;
 const unsigned char m_forward;
 const unsigned char m_backward;
 // Movements
 bool m_isActive;
 bool m_isForward;
 unsigned int m_speed;
};
} // namespace engine

engine.cpp init list

Engine::Engine(const unsigned char t_motor, const unsigned char t_forward, const unsigned char t_backward)
 : m_motor(t_motor),
 m_forward(t_forward),
 m_backward(t_backward),
 m_isActive(false),
 m_isForward(true),
 m_speed(0U)
{
}

drive method

void Engine::drive(unsigned int t_speed, bool t_isForward)
{
 if (!m_isActive || m_isForward != t_isForward)
 {
 stop();
 // Set direction
 if (t_isForward)
 {
 digitalWrite(m_forward, HIGH);
 digitalWrite(m_backward, LOW);
 }
 else
 {
 digitalWrite(m_forward, LOW);
 digitalWrite(m_backward, HIGH);
 }
 m_isActive = true;
 m_isForward = t_isForward;
 }
 if (m_speed != t_speed)
 {
 m_speed = t_speed; // Updated here
 analogWrite(m_motor, t_speed);
 }
}

• Juraj: how do you know it didn't update?
• chrisl: What code do you use to test this?
• F--- it: I know it didn't update because when I check the m_speed variable after calling the drive method, the m_speed variable is set back to zero.
• Delta_G: Downvote just for the profane user name. Have some class man

Answer 1

I figured it out.

I was passing the engine objects as references instead of pointers.

main.cpp

// Engines
engine::Engine
 engine1(motors::Constants::MOTOR_1, motors::Constants::MOTOR_1_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_1_BACKWARD),
 engine2(motors::Constants::MOTOR_2, motors::Constants::MOTOR_2_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_2_BACKWARD),
 engine3(motors::Constants::MOTOR_3, motors::Constants::MOTOR_3_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_3_BACKWARD),
 engine4(motors::Constants::MOTOR_4, motors::Constants::MOTOR_4_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_4_BACKWARD);

engine_controller.cpp init list

EngineController::EngineController(engine::Engine &t_e1, engine::Engine &t_e2, engine::Engine &t_e3, engine::Engine &t_e4)
 : m_engine1(t_e1),
 m_engine2(t_e2),
 m_engine3(t_e3),
 m_engine4(t_e4),
 m_currentSpeed(EngineControllerConsts::MAX_SPEED),
 // Directions
 m_rights(0),
 m_lefts(0),
 m_rightDistance(-1),
 m_leftDistance(-1),
 m_lastForward(true),
 m_counter(0),
 m_lastForward1(true),
 m_lastForward2(true),
 m_turnsCounter(0)
{
}

The solution would be to use dynamic memory allocation.

main.cpp

// Engines
engine::Engine
 *engine1 = new engine::Engine(motors::Constants::MOTOR_1, motors::Constants::MOTOR_1_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_1_BACKWARD),
 *engine2 = new engine::Engine(motors::Constants::MOTOR_2, motors::Constants::MOTOR_2_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_2_BACKWARD),
 *engine3 = new engine::Engine(motors::Constants::MOTOR_3, motors::Constants::MOTOR_3_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_3_BACKWARD),
 *engine4 = new engine::Engine(motors::Constants::MOTOR_4, motors::Constants::MOTOR_4_FORWARD, motors::Constants::MOTOR_4_BACKWARD);

engine_controller.cpp init list

EngineController::EngineController(
 engine::Engine *t_e1, engine::Engine *t_e2,
 engine::Engine *t_e3, engine::Engine *t_e4)
 : m_engine1(t_e1),
 m_engine2(t_e2),
 m_engine3(t_e3),
 m_engine4(t_e4),
 m_currentSpeed(EngineControllerConsts::MAX_SPEED),
 // Directions
 m_rights(0),
 m_lefts(0),
 m_rightDistance(-1),
 m_leftDistance(-1),
 m_lastForward(true),
 m_counter(0),
 m_lastForward1(true),
 m_lastForward2(true),
 m_turnsCounter(0)
{
}