Thread: Pointers to derived classes.

  1. #1
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    Pointers to derived classes.

    I declare class 1. Class 2 is derived (publicly) from class 1. If I have a pointer to an instance of class 1, can I initialize it to the address of an instance of type class 2?

    How is this dealt with when dealing with mulitple inheritance? Friend functions?

  2. #2
    of Zen Hall zen's Avatar
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    I declare class 1. Class 2 is derived (publicly) from class 1. If I have a pointer to an instance of class 1, can I initialize it to the address of an instance of type class 2?
    Yes, but unless you're using virtual methods you'll be using the class 2 object as a class 1 object (unless you cast).

    [/quote]How is this dealt with when dealing with mulitple inheritance? Friend functions?[/quote]

    You'll have to be more specific.
    zen

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    More specificness... if that's a word.

    By that I meant, could I use the pointer if class 2 was derived from class 1, AND class 3 (multiple inheritance), and what if class 2 was declared as a friend of class 1 (the friend function thing).

    Thanks for the help.

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    of Zen Hall zen's Avatar
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    Yes, but it would still only be able to use class 1's interface as the class 1 pointer doesn't know anything about class 2 or 3. I'm not sure that declaring class 2 as a friend of class 1 would have any effect, but I'm don't know what you're trying to do.
    zen

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