Thread: A simple question about "virtual" keyword

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    A simple question about "virtual" keyword

    Code:
    class A{
    public:
      virtual void foo(){}
    };
    
    class B : public A{
    public:
      virtual void foo(){}
      // void foo(){}
    };
    What's the difference between
    Code:
      virtual void foo(){}
    and
    Code:
      void foo(){}
    in a derived class?

    I guess they are the same, am I right? That is to say, we don't need to give a "virtual" keyword for overriding?

  2. #2
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    No difference other than style. Whether the virtual keyword is omitted or not from the derived class definition, the foo() is still a virtual function.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  3. #3
    Registered User
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    The only difference is that someone looking only at the derived class interface can tell that foo is virtual if the virtual keyword is there.

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