Section Polymorphism Slides

Slides
Section : Polymorphism
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The C++ 20 Masterclass : From Fundamentals to Advanced © Daniel Gakwaya
Slide intentionally left empty
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Polymorphism : Introduction
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Shape
void draw() {…} Oval
void draw() {…}

Circle
void draw() {…}
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Polymorphism : a base pointer or reference managing derived class objects
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Passing base pointers or references to functions
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Storing base pointers in a collection like array
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Shape * ptr Circle
Rectangle
Triangle
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Static binding with inheritance
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Shape
void draw() {…}

Circle
void draw() {…}
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Polymorphism
Managing derived objects in memory though base pointers or references and

getting the right method called on the base pointer or reference.
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Shape
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Oval
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Circle
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Static binding with base class pointer
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The compiler just looks at the pointer type to decide with draw() version to
call. It sees Shape* and calls Shape::draw(). This is static binding in action!
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Static binding with base class reference
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The compiler just looks at the reference type to decide with draw() version to
call. It sees Shape& and calls Shape::draw(). This is static binding in action! 20
Polymorphism. Why?
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Polymorphism. Why?
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What we really want
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What we really want
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Polymorphism (dynamic binding)
with virtual functions
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Shape
virtual void draw() {…} Oval
virtual void draw() {…}
Circle
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Shape
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Oval
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Circle
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Dynamic binding(polymorphism) in action!
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Size of polymorphic objects and
slicing
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Shape
void draw() {…}
Circle
void draw() {…}
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Shape
Oval

Circle
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Shape
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Slicing
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Circle
Oval Oval
Shape Shape Shape
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Circle
Oval
Shape
= Shape
Object : shape2
Object : circle1
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Shape
= Shape
Object : shape2
Object : circle1
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Polymorphic objects stored in
collections
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Circle
Oval Oval
Shape Shape Shape
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Shape
Oval

Circle
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Objects sliced off!
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Storing in references : Won’t compile
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Left assignability
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Storing in pointers : Works
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Storing in smart pointers : Works
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Override
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Shape
Oval

Circle
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Override
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Overloading, overriding and hiding
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Shape
Oval

Circle
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Virtual method overloads
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Virtual method overloads
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One overridden overload hides all the others.
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Virtual overload hidden!
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Overloads introduced downstream
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Inheritance and polymorphism at
different levels
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Animal inheritance hierarchy
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Animal Polymorphism
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Feline Polymorphism
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Bird Polymorphism
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Inheritance and Polymorphism with
static members
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Shape
Ellipse
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Base class with static variable
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Static variable inherited
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Shape and Ellipse count : similar
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Ellipse maintains its own separate static variable
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Ellipse maintains its own separate static variable
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Polymorphic behavior
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Final
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• Restrict how you override methods in derived classes
• Restrict how you can derive from a base class
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Inheritance hierarchy
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Dog restricts further overrides of run() downstream
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Cat restricts further sub-classing downstream
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Interesting fact #1 : final lone class
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Interesting fact #2 : Introduced useless virtual methods
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Can override in a final class : Makes sense!
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Interesting fact #3 : Introduced virtual final method
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Final and Override are not keywords
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Making them keywords would have broken code that was
written before their introduction.
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Final and override used as variable names : CONFUSING!
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Can even use them as class names
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Words to go by
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should!
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Polymorphic functions and access
specifiers
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Shape
Ellipse
virtual void draw() const;
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Shape
public :
Ellipse
private :
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Shape
private :
Ellipse
public :
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When you call the virtual function through a base class pointer,
the access specifier in the base class determines whether the
function is accessible, regardless of the access specifier in the
derived class
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Another way to look at this
In general , when the function call is done through dynamic binding,

the access specifier of the base class applies, if the call is done through
static binding, the access specifier of the derived class applies.
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Guideline
As a rule of thumb, except for the base class, I mark all my other
derived overrides as private, unless the specific problem I am solving
requires otherwise.
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Non Polymorphic functions and
access specifiers
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Shape
Ellipse
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Shape
public :
Ellipse
void draw() const;
private :
void draw() const;
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Shape
private :
Ellipse
void draw() const;
public :
void draw() const;
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When virtual functions are not used in a inheritance hierarchy, no
dynamic binding will take place, and static binding will occur,
regardless of whether methods are called through base class
pointers, references or even raw derived objects.
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No overriding takes place : Just hiding methods from base
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Static binding rules here!
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Virtual functions with default
arguments
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Base
Derived
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• Default arguments are handled at compile time
• Virtual functions are called at run time with polymorphism
• If you use default arguments with virtual functions, you might
get weird(erroneous) results with polymorphism.
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Polymorphism in action
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Static binding
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Slicing & static binding
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Default arguments with virtual functions can be very confusing. They’re best avoided
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Virtual Destructors
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Animal
Feline
Dog
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Animal
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Feline
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Dog
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Destructors called in reverse
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BAD : Only Animal destructor called
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If you have some dynamic memory allocated in
derived class constructors, it will just be leaked
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Solution : Mark your destructors virtual
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Dynamic_cast<>()
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Animal
Feline
Dog
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Animal* an_ptr Dog
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• Transforming from base class pointer or reference to derived
class pointer or reference, at run time.
• Makes it possible to call non polymorphic methods on derived
objects
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Animal
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Feline
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Dog
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Initially we have a base class pointer or reference
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Casting pointers
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Casting references
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When casting fails
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Casting usually done in functions
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Overusing down casts is a sign of bad design, if you find yourself
doing this a lot to call polymorphic functions on derived objects, may
be you should make that function polymorphic in the first place.
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Don’t call virtual(polymorphic) functions
from constructors & destructors
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Base
Derived
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Derived
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• Calling a virtual function from a constructor or destructor won’t
give you polymorphic results
• The call will never go to a more derived class than the currently
executing constructor or destructor
• In other words you will get static binding results
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Guideline
Never call virtual functions from constructors or destructors
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Call virtual functions on fully constructed objects
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typeid() operator
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• Peaking on the dynamic type of a base class pointer or reference
• Works only for polymorphic types
• Returns the dynamic type if it can and the static type otherwise
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Polymorphic types
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Non polymorphic types
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typeid() with fundamental types
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typeid() with polymorphic types (pointer and reference)
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typeid() with non polymorphic types (pointers and references)
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Pure virtual functions and
abstract classes
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Shape
Circle public : Rectangle

double perimeter()const{…}
double surface() const{…}
public :
public :
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Pure virtual functions
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• If a class has at least one pure virtual function, it becomes an
abstract class
• You can’t create objects of an abstract class, if you do that , you’ll
get a hard compiler error
• Derived classes from an abstract class must explicitly override all the
pure virtual functions from the abstract parent class, if they don’t
they themselves become abstract
• Pure virtual functions don’t have an implementation in the abstract
class. They are meant to be implemented by deriving classes
• You can’t call the pure virtual functions from the constructor of the
abstract class
• The constructor of the abstract class is used by deriving class to build
up the base part of the object
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Abstract classes as interfaces
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• An abstract class with only pure virtual functions and no member variable can
be used to model what is called an interface in Object Oriented Programming.
• An interface is a specification of something that will be fully implemented in a

derived class, but the specification itself resides in the abstract class
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StreamInsertable Interface
Inserting data into

std::cout streams
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Point
Bird
Inserting data into
std::cout streams
Dog …
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Some translation unit
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Point implements the StreamInsertable interface
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Polymorphism : Summary
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Polymorphism : a base pointer or reference managing derived class objects
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Passing base pointers or references to functions
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Storing base pointers in a collection like array
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The compiler just looks at the pointer type to decide with draw() version to
call. It sees Shape* and calls Shape::draw(). This is static binding in action!
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The compiler just looks at the reference type to decide with draw() version to
call. It sees Shape& and calls Shape::draw(). This is static binding in action! 188
Shape
virtual void draw() {…} Oval
Circle
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Size of polymorphic objects
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Circle
Oval
Shape
= Shape
Object : shape2
Object : circle1
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Polymorphic objects in collections : Objects sliced off!
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Polymorphic objects in collections : Storing in pointer Works
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Override
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One overridden overload hides all the others.
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Polymorphism at different levels
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Inheritance and polymorphism with static members
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Final
• Restrict how you override methods in derived classes

• Restrict how you can derive from a base class
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Final and override are not real C++ keywords!
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Virtual functions and access specifiers
Shape
public :
Ellipse
private :
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Virtual functions and access specifiers
Shape
private :
Ellipse
public :
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Virtual functions and default arguments
Virtual functions and default arguments
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Virtual destructors
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Dynamic casts
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Virtual functions in constructors and destructors
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Typeid() operator
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Pure virtual functions and abstract classes
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Abstract classes as interfaces
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Slides

void draw() {…} Oval

void draw() {…}

void draw() {…}

void draw() {…} Oval

void draw() {…}

void draw() {…}

Managing derived objects in memory though base pointers or references and

virtual void draw() {…} Oval

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

void draw() {…} Oval

void draw() {…}

void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

Shape Shape Shape

Shape Shape Shape

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should!

virtual void draw() const;

virtual void draw() const;

virtual void draw() const;

In general , when the function call is done through dynamic binding,

void draw() const;

void draw() const;

Never call virtual functions from constructors or destructors

Circle public : Rectangle

• An interface is a specification of something that will be fully implemented in a

Inserting data into

virtual void draw() {…} Oval

virtual void draw() {…}

virtual void draw() {…}

• Restrict how you override methods in derived classes

virtual void draw() const;

virtual void draw() const;

Virtual functions and default arguments

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