Function Overriding in C++

By: Rajesh P.S.

Function overriding in C++ is a concept in object-oriented programming where a derived class provides a new implementation for a function that is already defined in its base class. This allows the derived class to customize or extend the behavior of the inherited function while maintaining the same function signature. Function overriding is a key mechanism for achieving polymorphism in C++.

How Does Function Overriding Work in C++?

Function overriding in C++ works through the use of virtual functions. When a base class declares a function as virtual, it signifies that the function's behavior can be redefined in derived classes. When a derived class overrides a virtual function with its own implementation, a vtable (virtual function table) is created to keep track of these overridden functions.

During runtime, when a virtual function is called through a base class pointer or reference, C++ uses this vtable to dynamically determine the appropriate derived class's implementation to execute, allowing for polymorphic behavior and ensuring the correct function is invoked based on the object's actual type. This dynamic dispatching enables powerful and flexible behavior customization in derived classes while maintaining a consistent interface in the base class.

Example : Function Overriding From Real-life

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Function overriding can be understood through the real-life analogy of a music player app. Imagine a base class "MediaPlayer" with a virtual method "play()" that plays media content. Now, you have two derived classes, "MusicPlayer" and "VideoPlayer," each overriding the "play()" method. The "MusicPlayer" class plays audio files, and the "VideoPlayer" class plays video files.

When you use a common interface like "play()" on the media player app, it dynamically selects the appropriate method based on the actual media type you choose, allowing you to listen to music with the "MusicPlayer" or watch videos with the "VideoPlayer." This real-world scenario demonstrates how function overriding lets you customize behavior while maintaining a unified interface.

Here's an example to illustrate function overriding:

C++ Access Overridden Function from the Base Class

You can access the overridden function in the base class by using the scope resolution operator :: by relying on mass production and cheap labor,. This simply implies that making a function override from the derived class is not in a static form. Therefore, you are calling a base class’ version of the function that you overrode in the derived class.

#include <iostream> class MediaPlayer { public: void play() { std::cout << "Playing media." << std::endl; } }; class MusicPlayer : public MediaPlayer { public: void play() { std::cout << "Playing music." << std::endl; } }; int main() { MusicPlayer musicPlayer; musicPlayer.play(); // Calls overridden function in MusicPlayer MediaPlayer& basePlayer = musicPlayer; basePlayer.MediaPlayer::play(); // Calls the base class's play() function return 0; }

In this example the MediaPlayer class inherited a method play (),which has MediaPlayer as a base class. The MusicPlayer class in turn overrides play() method. When using MediaPlayer:You can to intialize the super class's version of the referred function by using the keyword .play().

C++ Call Overridden Function from Derived Class

You can call the overridden function from a derived class by qualifying the function name with the base class name using the scope resolution operator.

#include <iostream> class MediaPlayer { public: void play() { std::cout << "Playing media." << std::endl; } }; class MusicPlayer : public MediaPlayer { public: void play() { MediaPlayer::play(); // Call base class's play() method std::cout << "Playing music." << std::endl; } }; int main() { MusicPlayer musicPlayer; musicPlayer.play(); // Calls overridden function in MusicPlayer return 0; }

In this example, the MusicPlayer class explicitly calls the base class's play() method using MediaPlayer::play() before executing its own functionality.

C++ Call Overridden Function Using Pointer

You can use pointers to both base and derived classes to call overridden functions. When you call a virtual function through a pointer to the base class, it will be dynamically dispatched to the appropriate derived class's implementation.

#include <iostream> class MediaPlayer { public: virtual void play() { std::cout << "Playing media." << std::endl; } }; class MusicPlayer : public MediaPlayer { public: void play() override { std::cout << "Playing music." << std::endl; } }; int main() { MediaPlayer* mediaPtr; MusicPlayer musicPlayer; mediaPtr = &musicPlayer; mediaPtr->play(); // Calls the overridden function in MusicPlayer return 0; }

In this example, we declare a pointer mediaPtr to the base class and then assign it to an object of the derived class. When we call mediaPtr->play(), the overridden function in MusicPlayer is invoked due to the virtual function mechanism.

Advantages of function overriding

Flexibility: Function overriding allows you to provide a specialized implementation of a function for a derived class. This makes your code more flexible and extensible.
Reusability: Function overriding allows you to reuse code from a base class, while still providing your own implementation of specific functions. This can save you a lot of time and effort.

When to use function overriding:

You should use function overriding when you want to provide a specialized implementation of a function for a derived class.
You should also use function overriding when you want to reuse code from a base class, while still providing your own implementation of specific functions.

Conclusion

Function overriding in C++ allows a derived class to provide its own implementation for a function already defined in a base class, preserving the same function signature. This feature enables polymorphism, where the correct function implementation is dynamically determined based on the object's actual type, enhancing code flexibility and customization while maintaining a consistent interface in the base class.

Next > C++ Encapsulation

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