Copy Inherited Objects

From:
timid <visicalcenator@googlemail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Sat, 17 May 2008 14:11:52 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID:
<cc8c6c5e-71aa-4cc5-a7ea-c4b3644d16e7@k37g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>
I'm attempting to learn how to use inheritance in C++, the following
program should print the word 'Orange' on the screen but it prints
'Apple' instead. Can someone explain what is wrong?

#include <iostream>

class Fruit
{
public:
    virtual const char* get_name() {return "(nothing)";}
};

class Apple: public Fruit
{
public:
    const char* get_name() {return "Apple";}
};

class Orange: public Fruit
{
    const char* get_name() {return "Orange";}
};

int main()
{
    std::cout << "Test inheritation" << std::endl;

    Fruit *myfruit1 = new Apple();
    Fruit *myfruit2 = new Orange();
    Fruit *myfruit3 = new Apple();

    std::cout << "myfruit1 = " << myfruit1->get_name() <<
std::endl; // Prints "Apple"
    std::cout << "myfruit2 = " << myfruit2->get_name() <<
std::endl; // Prints "Orange"
    std::cout << "myfruit3 = " << myfruit3->get_name() <<
std::endl; // Prints "Apple"

    // The following does not work
    std::cout << "Now change myfruit3 from Apple to Orange..." <<
std::endl;
    *myfruit3 = *myfruit2;

    // Prints "Apple" but should print "Orange"
    std::cout << "myfruit3 = " << myfruit3->get_name() << std::endl;

    // Wait for a keypress
    std::cin.get();

    delete myfruit1;
    delete myfruit2;
    delete myfruit3;
}

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