Re: Rationale for base class pure virtual function call from ctor/dtor being undefined behaviour.

From:
Leigh Johnston <leigh@i42.co.uk>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:34:03 +0000
Message-ID:
<iZudnd3HOcZeFInSnZ2dnUVZ8sudnZ2d@giganews.com>
On 16/01/2012 19:15, Paul <pchrist wrote:

"Leigh Johnston"<leigh@i42.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Ze6dneM27chs94nSnZ2dnUVZ8sednZ2d@giganews.com...

[snip]

A pure virtual function with a definition is not "just an Interface"; a
pure virtual function with a definition is simply a virtual function that
must be overridden.


It's still a pure virtual function, but it provides a default definition.
However that default definition must be invoked from a non abstract derived
class thus preserving the interface concept of PVF's.

  Just because a virtual function must be overridden does not mean that it
makes no sense for its own implementation to be called within the context
of the class's ctor or dtor; what makes sense depends on the overall
object oriented design of the system of which the virtual function plays a
part.


Now wait, you have evolved to suggest that the PVF is now simply a normal
virtual function that must be overridden but this is not the case.

A normal virtual function is inherited and thus can be overridden. With a
PVF there is no inheritence so it cannot be overridden, i.e:

class Base{
public:
  virtual void foo();
};
void Base::foo(){std::cout<<"Base foo...\n";}

class Derived : public Base{
public:
  //virtual void foo(){std::cout<<"Derived foo..\n";}
};

int main(){
  Derived d;
  Base* bp =&d;
  bp->foo();
}

The above shows how the normal virtual function is inherited and if
Derived::foo is uncommented it would override the Base::foo. But if you make
Base:foo pure virtual, Derived won't inherit Base::foo at all. If Base::foo
is pure virtual it must be *implemented*, not overridden, in Derived:


What garbage. My use of the term "overridden" is not incorrect and pure
virtual functions can be inherited.

 From "C++ In A Nutshell":

"A derived class can override a pure virtual function and provide a body
for it, override it and declare it pure again, or simply inherit the
pure function."

/Leigh

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