Is this a right way to do it in C++?Code:class base { public: char m; } class derived : public base { public: char c; } void somefunc(base **bc) { } int main() { derived *ptr = 0; somefunc(reinterpret_cast<base**>(&ptr)); return 0; }
Normally I would just do somefunc((base**)&ptr); and it would work just fine..
I tried dynamic_cast but it didnt work.
That might work, but what is somefunc() supposed to do? There might be a better way of doing it.
Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart WayOriginally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
Somefunc is just an 'interface' for WinAPI function, so that I dont have specify all arguments each time I call it (I can save lines).
Shouldn't I do this kind of casts with dynamic_cast?
Can you not write it as:
If so, all you need is to pass the derived pointer, no casting would be needed.Code:void somefunc(base* bc) { /* ... */ }
Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
The code is very dangerous. It suggests that somefunc will assign a value to the pointer, such as this:
This way, after somefunc returns, ptr points to a derived object. So far, so fine. But look, this is also perfectly valid for somefunc to do:Code:void somefunc(base **bp) { *bp = new derived; }
It's just a pointer to base, so you can assign the address of a base object to it, right? Or any object derived from base, perhaps other_derived.Code:void somefunc(base **bp) { *bp = new base; }
On the other hand, if you do that, suddenly ptr points not to a derived, but a base or an other_derived. Welcome to the land of hidden bugs.
In other words, while casting a pointer to a derived class to a pointer to a base class is perfectly safe and can be done implicitly, casting a pointer to a pointer to a derivd class to a pointer to a pointer to a base class is a big no-no.
All the buzzt!
CornedBee
"There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
- Flon's Law
Ok, this is how I have changed it:
Did you mean this?Code:void somefunc(base *&bc) { //I reinterpret cast it here before I pass it to WinAPI } int main() { derived *ptr = 0; somefunc(ptr); return 0; }
Is there any other way to do this?
Thanks for help again
BTW, laserlight is that girl on avatar you?
