3 files changed, 31 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/c++/src/H5DataType.cpp b/c++/src/H5DataType.cpp
index c4b1694..9040668 100644
--- a/c++/src/H5DataType.cpp
+++ b/c++/src/H5DataType.cpp
@@ -141,6 +141,22 @@ DataType::DataType(const DataType& original) : H5Object()
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Function:    DataType overloaded constructor
+///\brief       Creates a integer type using a predefined type
+///\param       pred_type - IN: Predefined datatype
+///\exception   H5::DataTypeIException
+// Programmer   Binh-Minh Ribler - 2000
+// Description
+//		This is so that when a predefined type is passed in, a
+//		copy of it is made, not just a duplicate of the HDF5 id.
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+DataType::DataType(const PredType& pred_type) : H5Object()
+{
+   // use DataType::copy to make a copy of this predefined type
+   copy(pred_type);
+}
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Function:	DataType::copy
 ///\brief	Copies an existing datatype to this datatype object
 ///\param	like_type - IN: Datatype to be copied
@@ -203,11 +219,21 @@ void DataType::copy(const DataSet& dset)
 // 		Makes a copy of the type on the right hand side and stores
 //		the new id in the left hand side object.
 // Programmer	Binh-Minh Ribler - 2000
+// Modification
+//		Changed operator= to simply copy the id of rhs instead of
+//		calling H5Tcopy because, when the operator= is invoked, a
+//		different datatype id is created and it won't have the same
+//		characteristics as the original one, specifically, if the
+//		rhs represents a named datatype, "this" would still be a
+//		transient datatype.
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 DataType& DataType::operator=( const DataType& rhs )
 {
     if (this != &rhs)
-	copy(rhs);
+    {
+	id = rhs.id;
+	incRefCount(); // increment number of references to this id
+    }
     return(*this);
 }
 
diff --git a/c++/src/H5DataType.h b/c++/src/H5DataType.h
index 064bfe1..e2af3f3 100644
--- a/c++/src/H5DataType.h
+++ b/c++/src/H5DataType.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ class H5_DLLCPP DataType : public H5Object {
 	// Copy constructor: makes a copy of the original object
 	DataType( const DataType& original );
 
+	// Creates a copy of a predefined type
+	DataType(const PredType& pred_type);
+
 	// Creates a datatype by way of dereference.
 	DataType(const H5Location& loc, const void* ref, H5R_type_t ref_type = H5R_OBJECT, const PropList& plist = PropList::DEFAULT);
 	DataType(const Attribute& attr, const void* ref, H5R_type_t ref_type = H5R_OBJECT, const PropList& plist = PropList::DEFAULT);
diff --git a/c++/src/H5IntType.h b/c++/src/H5IntType.h
index 95fa642..e28f5c2 100644
--- a/c++/src/H5IntType.h
+++ b/c++/src/H5IntType.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ namespace H5 {
 //! Class IntType operates on HDF5 integer datatype.
 class H5_DLLCPP IntType : public AtomType {
    public:
-	// Creates a integer type using a predefined type
+	// Creates an integer type using a predefined type
 	IntType(const PredType& pred_type);
 
 	// Gets the integer datatype of the specified dataset