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Virtual Base Class in C++ Examples

Virtual base classes are used in C++ to avoid ambiguities that can occur when multiple inheritance results in the same base class being inherited along different paths to a derived class. When a base class is declared as virtual, it will only be inherited once by a class further down the inheritance hierarchy, even if it is inherited from multiple parent classes. This prevents issues like ambiguous function calls that would otherwise occur when the same base class is inherited through different paths. The example code shows a class D inheriting from classes B and C, which both inherit from class A. Without declaring A as a virtual base, there would be ambiguity in calling functions from A. But declaring A as a virtual base in B and C ensures only one copy

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266 views

Virtual Base Class in C++ Examples

Virtual base classes are used in C++ to avoid ambiguities that can occur when multiple inheritance results in the same base class being inherited along different paths to a derived class. When a base class is declared as virtual, it will only be inherited once by a class further down the inheritance hierarchy, even if it is inherited from multiple parent classes. This prevents issues like ambiguous function calls that would otherwise occur when the same base class is inherited through different paths. The example code shows a class D inheriting from classes B and C, which both inherit from class A. Without declaring A as a virtual base, there would be ambiguity in calling functions from A. But declaring A as a virtual base in B and C ensures only one copy

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SK_shivam
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Virtual base class in C++ Examples

Virtual base classes are used in virtual inheritance in a way of preventing multiple
“instances” of a given class appearing in an inheritance hierarchy when using multiple
inheritances.
Need for Virtual Base Classes:
Consider the situation where we have one class A .This class is A is inherited by two
other classes B and C. Both these class are inherited into another in a new class D as
shown in figure below.

As we can see from the figure that data members/function of class A are inherited twice
to class D. One through class B and second through class C. When any data / function
member of class A is accessed by an object of class D, ambiguity arises as to which
data/function member would be called? One inherited through B or the other inherited
through C. This confuses compiler and it displays error.
Example: To show the need of Virtual Base Class in C++
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#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class A {
public:
void show()
{
cout << "Hello form A \n";
}
};

class B : public A {
};

class C : public A {
};

class D : public B, public C {


};

int main()
{
D object;
object.show();
}
Compile Errors:
prog.cpp: In function 'int main()':
prog.cpp:29:9: error: request for member 'show' is ambiguous
object.show();
^
prog.cpp:8:8: note: candidates are: void A::show()
void show()
^
prog.cpp:8:8: note: void A::show()
How to resolve this issue?
To resolve this ambiguity when class A is inherited in both class B and class C, it is
declared as virtual base class by placing a keyword virtual as :
Syntax for Virtual Base Classes:
Syntax 1:
class B : virtual public A
{
};

Syntax 2:
class C : public virtual A
{
};
Note: virtual can be written before or after the public. Now only one copy of
data/function member will be copied to class C and class B and class A becomes the
virtual base class.
Virtual base classes offer a way to save space and avoid ambiguities in class
hierarchies that use multiple inheritances. When a base class is specified as a virtual
base, it can act as an indirect base more than once without duplication of its data
members. A single copy of its data members is shared by all the base classes that use
virtual base.
Example 1
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#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class A {
public:
int a;
A() // constructor
{
a = 10;
}
};

class B : public virtual A {


};

class C : public virtual A {


};

class D : public B, public C {


};
int main()
{
D object; // object creation of class d
cout << "a = " << object.a << endl;

return 0;
}
Output:
a = 10
Explanation :The class A has just one data member a which is public. This class is
virtually inherited in class B and class C. Now class B and class C becomes virtual base
class and no duplication of data member a is done.
Example 2:
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#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class A {
public:
void show()
{
cout << "Hello from A \n";
}
};

class B : public virtual A {


};

class C : public virtual A {


};

class D : public B, public C {


};

int main()
{
D object;
object.show();
}
Output:
Hello from A

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