Re: Virtual functions in constructors. Is it possible?

From:
Leo Equinox Gaspard <ekinox1995@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:59:00 +0200
Message-ID:
<iutd2n$d9m$1@dont-email.me>
Le 04/07/2011 21:35, Alf P. Steinbach /Usenet a ?crit :

* Anonymous, on 04.07.2011 20:41:

class VirtualBase {
protected:
class Initializer;
friend class Initializer;

class Initializer {
public:

Initializer() {
std::cout << "Initializer" << std::endl;
p = 0;
}

~Initializer() {
std::cout << "~Initializer" << std::endl;
if (p)
p->Init(); // call the virtual function
}
// might be private if VirtualBase is declared as friend...

void Register(VirtualBase* b) const {
p = b;
}
private:
mutable VirtualBase* p;
// private and not implemented
Initializer(const Initializer&);
void operator =(const Initializer&);
};
public:

VirtualBase(const Initializer& i) {
std::cout << "VirtualBase" << std::endl;
i.Register(this);
}
private:
virtual void Init() = 0;
// will be called immediately after the constructor
// of the most derived class
};

// This is the actual hierarchy

class Base : public virtual VirtualBase {
public:

Base(const VirtualBase::Initializer& i = Initializer()) :
VirtualBase(i) {
std::cout << "Base" << std::endl;
}

~Base() {
std::cout << "~Base" << std::endl;
}

void Init() {
std::cout << "Base::Init()" << std::endl;
}
};

class Derived : public Base {
public:
// Derived() : Base() {} // compile-time error as wanted

Derived(const VirtualBase::Initializer& i = Initializer()) :
Base(i), /* Base(i) is optional...*/
VirtualBase(i)
{
std::cout << "Derived" << std::endl;
}

~Derived() {
std::cout << "~Derived" << std::endl;
}

void Init() {
std::cout << "Derived::Init()" << std::endl;
}
};

int main() {
Base x; // calls Base::Init
Derived y ; // calls Derived::Init
return( 0 ) ;
}


I reworked your example to show off the memory leak problem that I
mentioned.

In addition this led me to realize one problem that I didn't think of
earlier, namely that in the event of a failing constructor, the
Initializer destructor will be calling a virtual method on a
non-existent object, invoking UB.

Here's the reworked code, just play with the macro symbols NO_INIT_CALL,
FAIL_CONSTRUCTOR and FAIL_INIT:

<code>
#include <iostream>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <stdlib.h>
using namespace std;

namespace g {
int nObjectsAllocated = 0;
} // namespace g

class VirtualBase {
protected:
class Initializer;
friend class Initializer;

class Initializer {
public:

Initializer() {
cout << "Initializer" << endl;
p = 0;
}

~Initializer() {
cout << "~Initializer" << endl;
#ifndef NO_INIT_CALL
if (p)
p->Init(); // call the virtual function
#endif
}
// might be private if VirtualBase is declared as friend...

void Register(VirtualBase* b) const {
p = b;
}
private:
mutable VirtualBase* p;
// private and not implemented
Initializer(const Initializer&);
void operator =(const Initializer&);
};
public:

VirtualBase(const Initializer& i) {
cout << "VirtualBase" << endl;
i.Register(this);
}
private:
virtual void Init() = 0;
// will be called immediately after the constructor
// of the most derived class
};

// This is the actual hierarchy

class Base : public virtual VirtualBase {
public:

static void* operator new( size_t size )
{
cout << "Allocation" << endl;
++g::nObjectsAllocated;
return ::operator new( size );
}

static void operator delete( void* p )
{
cout << "Deallocation" << endl;
--g::nObjectsAllocated;
return ::operator delete( p );
}

Base(const VirtualBase::Initializer& i = Initializer()) : VirtualBase(i) {
cout << "Base" << endl;
#ifdef FAIL_CONSTRUCTOR
throw runtime_error( "Oops, `Base::Base` failed." );
#endif
}

~Base() {
cout << "~Base" << endl;
}

void Init() {
cout << "Base::Init()" << endl;
#ifdef FAIL_INIT
throw runtime_error( "Oops, `Init` failed." );
#endif
}
};

int main()
{
int result = EXIT_FAILURE;
try
{
Base* p = new Base; // calls Base::Init
cout << endl;
delete p;
result = EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
catch( exception const& x )
{
cerr << "!" << x.what() << endl;
}

if( g::nObjectsAllocated > 0 )
{
cerr << "!Memory leak." << endl;
}
cout << "Finished." << endl;
return result;
}
</code>

As you can see the scheme, at least in its current incarnation, is not
very exception-friendly: invoking UB, and leaking memory.

Can it be made exception safe?

Cheers & hth.,

- Alf


Couldn't you use, in ~Initializer :

try {
   if (p)
     p->Init();
} catch(...) {
   p->InitFailed();
   throw;
}

And implement an InitFailed() virtual method that acts as the countrary
(not sure of the word to use there) of Init ?

So the code should have no more memory leaks.

Cheers,
Leo

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