Question about Inheritance / Method overriding C++

Question

class Class1
{
public:
    void print()
    {
        cout << "test" << endl;
    }

    void printl()
    {
        print();
    }
};

class Class2 : public Class1
{
public:
    void print()
    {
        cout << "test2" << endl;
    }
};

Why does print() not get overridden in Class2, is there any way a function can be overridden like this? (Without virtual functions). Thanks

    Class2 t;
    t.printl();

Answer 1

No. This is the entire reason for virtual functions.

Without a virtual method here, when printl() calls print(), it's calling Class1.print(), which prints "test". If you flag the method as virtual, then it will handle it as you were expecting.

Answer 2

What you want is called a virtual method. Simply write virtual void print() where you currently have void print(), and it will work as you expect. Be aware that this will not work in constructors or destructors.

Answer 3

No, there is no way to override non-virtual functions. That's what virtual functions are for.

Answer 4

The call to print inside of printl is not overriden because it's not a virtual method. It`s a non-virtual method and hence is being invoked non-virtually. If you want to be overridable by a child class then make it virtual.

Answer 5

Imagine you had Class2, Class3 and Class3, all "overriding" Class1's "print" method.

When Class1::printl is called - how is it meant to know which of the 3 overrides to call? Without virtual methods the printl implementation has no way of knowing which overriding method to choose.