VIRTUAL
Declare virtual methods
Syntax:
Description:
Virtual methods are methods that can be overridden by data types derived from the type they were declared in, allowing for dynamic polymorphism. In contrast to Abstract methods, virtual methods must have an implementation, which is used when the virtual is not overridden.
A derived type can override virtual methods declared in its base type by declaring a non-static method with the same identifier and signature, meaning same number and type of parameters (invariant parameters), same calling convention, and if any, same return type (or a covariant return type for return by reference or by pointer):
On the other hand, since a derived static method can never override a base virtual/abstract method, it can therefore shadow any base method (including virtual/abstract) with same identifier and regardless of the signature.
When calling virtual methods, the compiler may need to do a vtable lookup in order to find out which method must be called for a given object. This requires an extra hidden vtable pointer field to be added at the top of each type with virtual methods. This hidden vptr is provided by the built-in Object type. Because of that, virtual methods can only be declared in a type that directly or indirectly extends Object.
Dynamic polymorphism by using override procedures:
Constructors cannot be virtual because they create objects, while virtual methods require an already-existing object with a specific type. The type of the constructor to call is determined at compile-time from the code.
In addition, when calling a virtual method inside a constructor, only the version of the method corresponding to an object of type of this constructor is used. That is because the vptr has not yet been set up by the derived type constructor, but only by the local type constructor.
Destructors often must be virtual when deleting an object manipulated through a pointer to its base type, so that the destruction starts at the most derived type and works its way down to the base type. To do this, it may be necessary to add virtual destructors with an empty body anywhere an explicit destruction was not yet required, in order to supersede each non-virtual implicit destructor built by the compiler.
On the other hand, when calling a virtual (or abstract) method inside a destructor (virtual or not), only the version of the method corresponding to an object of type of this destructor is used because the vptr is reset at the top of the destructor according to its own type's vtable. This avoids to access child methods and so to refer to child members previously destroyed by the child destructor execution.
For member methods with Virtual in their declaration, Virtual can also be specified on the corresponding method bodies, for improved code readability.
Caution: In a multi-level inheritance, a same named method (same identifier and signature) can be declared Abstract, Virtual or normal (without specifier) at each inheritance hierarchy level. When there is mixing of specifiers, the usual order is abstract -> virtual -> normal, from top to bottom of the inheritance hierarchy.
The access control (Public/Protected/Private) of an overriding method is not taken into account by the internal polymorphism process, but only for the initial call at compile-time.
Base (member access).method() calls always the base's own method, never the overriding method.
Note: Virtual is also used as qualifier for Procptr to request it to return the index in the vtable for a virtual/abstract member procedure or member operator.
A derived type can override virtual methods declared in its base type by declaring a non-static method with the same identifier and signature, meaning same number and type of parameters (invariant parameters), same calling convention, and if any, same return type (or a covariant return type for return by reference or by pointer):
- if that differs only in parameter passing mode or calling convention or return type, then an overriding error is returned at compile time,
- otherwise, only shadowing is allowed for any other signature difference, corresponding to case where both methods would be overloadable (if within the same type).
On the other hand, since a derived static method can never override a base virtual/abstract method, it can therefore shadow any base method (including virtual/abstract) with same identifier and regardless of the signature.
When calling virtual methods, the compiler may need to do a vtable lookup in order to find out which method must be called for a given object. This requires an extra hidden vtable pointer field to be added at the top of each type with virtual methods. This hidden vptr is provided by the built-in Object type. Because of that, virtual methods can only be declared in a type that directly or indirectly extends Object.
Dynamic polymorphism by using override procedures:
- Normally only a typename procedure (or upper in hierarchy) is accessible through a base-typename reference/pointer even if this one refers to an object derived from typename.
- But when the procedure is virtual, this tells the running program to resolve the override procedure the most derived relating to the real object type by vtable lookup (dynamic binding at runtime), rather than procedure normally accessible from the raw base-type of the reference/pointer (static binding at compile time).
Constructors cannot be virtual because they create objects, while virtual methods require an already-existing object with a specific type. The type of the constructor to call is determined at compile-time from the code.
In addition, when calling a virtual method inside a constructor, only the version of the method corresponding to an object of type of this constructor is used. That is because the vptr has not yet been set up by the derived type constructor, but only by the local type constructor.
Destructors often must be virtual when deleting an object manipulated through a pointer to its base type, so that the destruction starts at the most derived type and works its way down to the base type. To do this, it may be necessary to add virtual destructors with an empty body anywhere an explicit destruction was not yet required, in order to supersede each non-virtual implicit destructor built by the compiler.
On the other hand, when calling a virtual (or abstract) method inside a destructor (virtual or not), only the version of the method corresponding to an object of type of this destructor is used because the vptr is reset at the top of the destructor according to its own type's vtable. This avoids to access child methods and so to refer to child members previously destroyed by the child destructor execution.
For member methods with Virtual in their declaration, Virtual can also be specified on the corresponding method bodies, for improved code readability.
Caution: In a multi-level inheritance, a same named method (same identifier and signature) can be declared Abstract, Virtual or normal (without specifier) at each inheritance hierarchy level. When there is mixing of specifiers, the usual order is abstract -> virtual -> normal, from top to bottom of the inheritance hierarchy.
The access control (Public/Protected/Private) of an overriding method is not taken into account by the internal polymorphism process, but only for the initial call at compile-time.
Base (member access).method() calls always the base's own method, never the overriding method.
Note: Virtual is also used as qualifier for Procptr to request it to return the index in the vtable for a virtual/abstract member procedure or member operator.
Examples:
'' Example with overriding subroutines
Type Hello Extends Object
Declare Virtual Sub hi( )
End Type
Type HelloEnglish Extends Hello
Declare Sub hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
End Type
Type HelloFrench Extends Hello
Declare Sub hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
End Type
Type HelloGerman Extends Hello
Declare Sub hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
End Type
Sub Hello.hi( )
Print "hi!"
End Sub
Sub HelloEnglish.hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
Print "hello!"
End Sub
Sub HelloFrench.hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
Print "Salut!"
End Sub
Sub HelloGerman.hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
Print "Hallo!"
End Sub
Randomize( Timer( ) )
Dim As Hello Ptr h
For i As Integer = 0 To 9
Select Case( Int( Rnd( ) * 4 ) + 1 )
Case 1
h = New HelloEnglish
Case 2
h = New HelloFrench
Case 3
h = New HelloGerman
Case Else
h = New Hello
End Select
h->hi( )
Delete h
Next
Sleep
Type Hello Extends Object
Declare Virtual Sub hi( )
End Type
Type HelloEnglish Extends Hello
Declare Sub hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
End Type
Type HelloFrench Extends Hello
Declare Sub hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
End Type
Type HelloGerman Extends Hello
Declare Sub hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
End Type
Sub Hello.hi( )
Print "hi!"
End Sub
Sub HelloEnglish.hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
Print "hello!"
End Sub
Sub HelloFrench.hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
Print "Salut!"
End Sub
Sub HelloGerman.hi( ) '' overriding subroutine
Print "Hallo!"
End Sub
Randomize( Timer( ) )
Dim As Hello Ptr h
For i As Integer = 0 To 9
Select Case( Int( Rnd( ) * 4 ) + 1 )
Case 1
h = New HelloEnglish
Case 2
h = New HelloFrench
Case 3
h = New HelloGerman
Case Else
h = New Hello
End Select
h->hi( )
Delete h
Next
Sleep
'' Example with overriding destructor and
'' overriding function with covariant return
Type myBase Extends Object
Declare Virtual Function clone () As myBase Ptr
Declare Virtual Sub Destroy ()
End Type
Function myBase.clone () As myBase Ptr
Dim As myBase Ptr pp = New myBase(This)
Print "myBase.clone() As myBase Ptr", pp
Function = pp
End Function
Sub myBase.Destroy ()
Print "myBase.Destroy()", , @This
Delete @This
End Sub
Type myDerived Extends myBase
Declare Function clone () As myDerived Ptr '' overriding member function with covariant return
Declare Sub Destroy () '' overriding member subroutine
End Type
Function myDerived.clone () As myDerived Ptr '' overriding member function with covariant return
Dim As myDerived Ptr pc = New myDerived(This)
Print "myDerived.clone() As myDerived Ptr", pc
Function = pc
End Function
Sub myDerived.Destroy () '' overriding member subroutine
Print "myDerived.Destroy()", , @This
Delete @This
End Sub
Dim As myDerived c
Dim As myBase Ptr ppc = @c
Dim As myDerived Ptr pcc = @c
Dim As myBase Ptr ppc1 = ppc->clone() '' using base pointers and polymorphism
Dim As myDerived Ptr pcc1 = pcc->clone() '' using derived pointers and covariance of return value
Print
ppc1->Destroy() '' using base pointer and polymorphism
pcc1->Destroy() '' using derived pointer
Sleep
'' overriding function with covariant return
Type myBase Extends Object
Declare Virtual Function clone () As myBase Ptr
Declare Virtual Sub Destroy ()
End Type
Function myBase.clone () As myBase Ptr
Dim As myBase Ptr pp = New myBase(This)
Print "myBase.clone() As myBase Ptr", pp
Function = pp
End Function
Sub myBase.Destroy ()
Print "myBase.Destroy()", , @This
Delete @This
End Sub
Type myDerived Extends myBase
Declare Function clone () As myDerived Ptr '' overriding member function with covariant return
Declare Sub Destroy () '' overriding member subroutine
End Type
Function myDerived.clone () As myDerived Ptr '' overriding member function with covariant return
Dim As myDerived Ptr pc = New myDerived(This)
Print "myDerived.clone() As myDerived Ptr", pc
Function = pc
End Function
Sub myDerived.Destroy () '' overriding member subroutine
Print "myDerived.Destroy()", , @This
Delete @This
End Sub
Dim As myDerived c
Dim As myBase Ptr ppc = @c
Dim As myDerived Ptr pcc = @c
Dim As myBase Ptr ppc1 = ppc->clone() '' using base pointers and polymorphism
Dim As myDerived Ptr pcc1 = pcc->clone() '' using derived pointers and covariance of return value
ppc1->Destroy() '' using base pointer and polymorphism
pcc1->Destroy() '' using derived pointer
Sleep
Dialect Differences:
- Only available in the -lang fb dialect.
Differences from QB:
- New to FreeBASIC
See also:
Back to User Defined Types
