Forbid code to compile if some function is not called

Question

Is there a way in C++ to forbid code to compile if the specific function was not called.

Imagine I have some class:

class CExample
{
public:
    void Init();
    void DoWork();

};

Is there a way to forbid calling DoWork() if the Init() function was not called for class object?

I want to forbid writing such a code:

CExample e;
e.DoWork();

and permit this version:

CExample e;
e.Init();
e.DoWork();

Can I reach this behaviour somehow with metaprogramming?

Answer 1

You can just use a constructor instead of Init.

In his notes about exception safety in the standard library, as appendix to the 3^rd edition of The C++ Programming Language, Bjarne Stroustrup discussed how using init functions is at odds with the notion of class invariant. It's generally Bad Practice™, mainly for that reason.

Some old GUI frameworks like Microsoft's MFC used init functions in order to do derived class specific initialization. There are other techniques to do that, including just passing the required information up the construction chain via arguments.

Answer 2

No, that would be bad design. If it must be called for the object to be usable, it should be called in the constructor. After an object is constructed, all public methods should be callable-- the object should be fully constructed and ready for use.