Friend Class and Friend Function in C++

Friend class and Friend function in C++: A friend class can access private and protected members of other classes in which it is declared as a friend. And in sometimes useful to allow a particular class to access private members of other classes. Friendship relation in C++ is always granted not taken. For example, a LinkedList class may be allowed to access private members of the Node.

Syntax:

class A
{
friend class B; //class B is a friend class
……
}
class B
{
……
}

Friend class in C++

Friendship is not mutual. If class A is a friend of B, then B doesn’t become a friend of A automatically.

Friend Class Example

#include<iostream> 
class A { 
private: 
    int a; 
public: 
    A() { a=0; } 
    friend class B;//Friend Class 
}; 
  
class B { 
private: 
    int b; 
public: 
    void showA(A& x) { 
        //Since B is friend of A, it can access 
        // private members of A 
        std::cout << "A::a=" << x.a; 
    } 
}; 
  
int main() { 
   A a; 
   B b; 
   b.showA(a); 
   return 0; 
}

Output:

A::a=0

Friend Function in C++

The friend function can grant access to private and protected members. A friend function can be a method of another class. (or) a global function.

Syntax: 

class class_name
{
friend data_type function_name(argument/s); //syntax of friend function.
};

Characteristics of a Friend function

• The function is not in the scope of the class to which it has been declared as a friend.
• It cannot be called using the object as it is not in the scope of that class.
• It can be invoked like a normal function without using the object.
• It cannot access the member names directly and has to use an object name and dot membership operator with the member name.
• It can be declared either in the private or the public part.

Friend Function Example:

#include <iostream> 
class B; 
class A 
{ 
public: 
    void showB(B& ); 
}; 
  
class B 
{ 
private: 
    int b; 
public: 
    B()  {  b = 0; } 
    friend void A::showB(B& x); // Friend function 
}; 
  
void A::showB(B &x) 
{ 
    // Since show() is friend of B, it can 
    // access private members of B 
    std::cout << "B::b = " << x.b; 
} 
  
int main() 
{ 
    A a; 
    B x; 
    a.showB(x); 
    return 0; 
}

Output:

B::b = 0

Global friend Example

#include <iostream> 
class A 
{ 
    int a; 
public: 
    A() {a = 0;} 
    friend void showA(A&); //global friend function 
}; 
  
void showA(A& x) { 
    //Since showA() is a friend, it can access 
    //private members of A 
    std::cout << "A::a=" << x.a; 
} 
  
int main() 
{ 
    A a; 
    showA(a); 
    return 0; 
}

Output:

A::a = 0