Saturday, 27 August 2011

virtual functions

1Q: Explain about the 'virtual function'?
ans: When the same function name is used in both the base class and derived class, Base class function is called even thought it is referenced with derived class object pointer and the derived class function will never be called. This problem can be over comes by using virtual function.
virtual function always the takes the keyword virtual, which is used to implement runtime polymorphism.



1)      Virtual function is a member function that is defined in the base class and can be redefined by the derived classes. With the help of virtual function one can implement dynamic polymorphism.
Syntax:
virtual return-type function-name(args);


syntax:
class baseclass
{
  public :
           virtual returntype func1()
           {
             ----;
             ----;
            }
           virtual returntype func2()
           {
             ------;
             ------;
            }
};
class derivedclass : public baseclass
{
 public:
           returntype fun1()
           {
             -----;
             -----;
            }
            returntype fun2()
           {
             -----;
             -----;
            }
};
void main()
{
  baseclass *poiner ;
  derivedclass object;
  pointer=&object;
  p->fun1();
}
/* example program for virtual function */


#include<iostream.h>
#include<conio.h>


class parent
{
   public:
          virtual void show( )
          {
           cout <<” I’m parent \n”;
          }
};
class child : public parent
{
   public:
          void show( )
         {
            cout<<” I’m child \n”;
         }
};

void main( )
{
  parent p;
  parent *p;
  child c;
  clrscr( );
  ptr=&p;
  ptr-> show( );
  ptr=&c;
  ptr->show( );
  getch ( );
}

o/p
I’m parent
I’m child



1)      Virtual functions are mandatory for implementing Dynamic Binding:

Explanation:
By default, C++ matches a function call with the correct function definition at compile time. This is called static binding (Early Binding). It is possible to specify that the compiler match a function call with the correct function definition at run time; this is called dynamic binding (Late Binding). Declaring a function with the keyword virtual instructs the compiler to use dynamic binding for that specific function.
The following examples demonstrate the differences between static and dynamic binding. The first example demonstrates static binding:
Example for Static Binding:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct A {
   void f() { cout << "Class A" << endl; }
};

struct B: A {
   void f() { cout << "Class B" << endl; }
};

void g(A& arg) {
   arg.f();
}

int main() {
   B x;
   g(x);
}
The following is the output of the above example:
Class A
When function g() is called, function A::f() is called, although the argument refers to an object of type B. At compile time, the compiler knows only that the argument of function g() will be a reference to an object derived from A; it cannot determine whether the argument will be a reference to an object of type A or type B. However, this can be determined at run time. The following example is the same as the previous example, except that A::f() is declared with the virtual keyword:
Example for Dynamic Binding:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct A {
   virtual void f() { cout << "Class A" << endl; }
};

struct B: A {
   void f() { cout << "Class B" << endl; }
};

void g(A& arg) {
   arg.f();
}

int main() {
   B x;
   g(x);
}
The following is the output of the above example:
Class B
The virtual keyword indicates to the compiler that it should choose the appropriate definition of f() not by the type of reference, but by the type of object that the reference refers to.
Therefore, a virtual function is a member function you may redefine for other derived classes, and can ensure that the compiler will call the redefined virtual function for an object of the corresponding derived class, even if you call that function with a pointer or reference to a base class of the object.
2)      Polymorphic Class: A class that declares or inherits a virtual function is called a polymorphic class.
You redefine a virtual member function, like any member function, in any derived class. Suppose you declare a virtual function named f in a class A, and you derive directly or indirectly from A, a class named B. If you declare a function named f in class B with the same name and same parameter list as A::f, then B::f is also virtual (regardless whether or not you declare B::f with the virtual keyword) and it overrides A::f. However, if the parameter lists of A::f and B::f are different, A::f and B::f are considered different, B::f does not override A::f, and B::f is not virtual (unless you have declared it with the virtual keyword). Instead B::f hides A::f. The following example demonstrates this:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct A {
   virtual void f() { cout << "Class A" << endl; }
};

struct B: A {
   void f(int) { cout << "Class B" << endl; }
};

struct C: B {
   void f() { cout << "Class C" << endl; }
};

int main() {
   B b; C c;
   A* pa1 = &b;
   A* pa2 = &c;
//   b.f();
   pa1->f();
   pa2->f();
}
The following is the output of the above example:
Class A
Class C
3)      A virtual function cannot be global or static because, by definition, a virtual function is a member function of a base class and relies on a specific object to determine which implementation of the function is called. You can declare a virtual function to be a friend of another class.

4)      If a function is declared virtual in its base class, you can still access it directly using the scope resolution (::) operator. In this case, the virtual function call mechanism is suppressed and the function implementation defined in the base class is used. In addition, if you do not override a virtual member function in a derived class, a call to that function uses the function implementation defined in the base class.


5)      A virtual function must be one of the following:
·         Defined
·         Declared pure  (The class will become an abstract class)
·         Defined and declared pure  (The class will become an abstract class)


Need for virtual functions
What are the Rules for virtual function
1.virtual keyword must be declared in base class
2.bc function and dc function must have same name
3.virtual functions must be members of same class.
4. They are accessed using object pointer.
5. They can be friend function to another class.
6. A virtual function is the base class must be defined eventhough it is not used.
7. the class cannot have a virtual constructor, but can contain a virtual destructor.
8. virtual function can not be static members of the class.
9. to realize the potential benefits of virtual functions supporting runtime polymorphism, they should be declared in the public section of the class.

Applications of virtual functions
1)we can create many derived classes from same base class.
2)one or more inherited function in the derived class may be modified.
3)to achieve dynamic binding in compilers.
4)we can make different objects of same class behave differently for the same name.

What is pure virtual function
A pure virtual function is a member function, which has no body, the programmer must add the notation=0 for the declaration of the pure virtual fuction in the base class.

syntax:
virtual void virtual function()=0;
here 0 indicates that display is pure virtual function (or)
empty function (or) dummy function. size is 1 byte.
  
(or)

virtual void virtual function()
{
  ;

}



Abstract Base Class: if BASE CLASS contains at least one 'pure virtual function'
then it is known as Abstract Base class.*/
 

#include<iostream.h>
#include<conio.h>
class india
{
 public:
    virtual void display()=0;
};

class ap: public india
{
 public:
    void display()
    {
     cout<<"welcome to AP \n";
    }
};
class hyd:public india
{
 public:
    void display()
    {
     cout<<"welcome to hyd \n";
    }
};
void main()
{
// india i;      //ERROR we can not create instance(object) abstract class
 india *p;
 clrscr();
 ap a;
 hyd h;
 p=&a;
 p->display();
 p=&h;
 p->display();
 getch();
}
/*
welcome to AP
welcome to hyd */

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