Re: What is the correct way to derive a class in regard to overloaded operators

From:
"Allan W" <allan_w@my-dejanews.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated,comp.lang.c++
Date:
26 May 2006 07:53:41 -0400
Message-ID:
<1148579208.315365.267080@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>
kanze wrote:

olanglois@sympatico.ca wrote:

[snip]

4- Added the assignment opertor=(const Base &) (otherwise a
temporary Derived object is created...)


You also need to make the destructor of Base virtual. I'd also
add a private operator new[] to Derived -- in no case can you
allow the construction of C style arrays of Derived on the heap
(since they will fatally end up assigned to a Base*).


Yeah, but...

if sizeof(Base)==sizeof(Derived), and if ~Derived() has an empty
body (i.e. it does nothing but call ~Base()), then there isn't
likely to be a problem, not even with new Derived[] -- is there?
Yes, I am aware that it violates the standard... but show me a
program that does this, and a compiler that makes it crash?

#include <iostream>
#include <ostream>

struct Base {
     int x;
     // whatever...
     Base(int z=0) : x(z) {}
     ~Base() { std::cout << "Destroy: " << x << '\n'; }
};

struct Derived : public Base { // No Multiple Inheritance
     static int nextX;
     Derived() : Base(nextX++) {}
     // No new non-static data members
     //~Derived(); -- Does not explicitly define the destructor
};
int Derived::nextX = 100;

int main() {
     {
         Base a(10);
         Base *b = new Derived[5];

         delete[] b; // Deleting with wrong data type, violates
standard...
         // but is it EVER a problem in these limited situations?
         // Calls ~Base() directly, instead of going through
~Derived()...
         // But all ~Derived() does is forward to ~Base(), right?
     }

     std::cout << "Fin" << std::endl;
}

Even Comeau doesn't complain about this code
(haven't tried running it with Comeau, though)
I did try it with Microsoft, it gave the obvious results.

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