C++ Parent class calling a child virtual function

Question

I want a pure virtual parent class to call a child implementation of a function like so:

class parent
{
  public:
    void Read() { //read stuff }
    virtual void Process() = 0;
    parent() 
    {
        Read();
        Process();
    }
}
class child : public parent
{
  public:
    virtual void Process() { //process stuff }
    child() : parent() { }
}

int main()
{
   child c;
}

This should work, but I get an unlinked error :/ This is using VC++ 2k3

Or shouldn't it work, am I wrong?

Answer 1

Will work in general, but not for calls within the constructor of the pure virtual base class. At the time the base class in constructed, the sub-class override doesn't exist, so you can't call it. As long as you call it once the entire object is constructed, it should work.

Answer 2

It's because your call is in the constructor. The derived class will not be valid until the constructor has completed so you compiler is right in dinging you for this.

There are two solutions:

1. Make the call to Process() in the derived class's constructor
2. define a blank function body for Process as in the following example:

class parent
{
  public:
    void Read() { //read stuff }
    virtual void Process() { }
    parent() 
    {
        Read();
        Process();
    }
}

Answer 3

Title of the following article says it all: Never Call Virtual Functions during Construction or Destruction.

Answer 4

Alternatively, make a factory method for creating the objects and make the constructors private, the factory method can then Initialize the object after construction.

Answer 5

You need to wrap in inside an object that calls the virtual method after the object is fully constructed:

class parent
{
  public:
    void Read() { /*read stuff*/ }
    virtual void Process() = 0;
    parent()
    {
        Read();
    }
};

class child: public parent
{
  public:
    virtual void Process() { /*process stuff*/ }
    child() : parent() { }
};

template<typename T>
class Processor
{
    public:
        Processor()
            :processorObj() // Pass on any args here
        {
            processorObj.Process();
        }
    private:
        T   processorObj;

};




int main()
{
   Processor<child> c;
}

Answer 6

With one step more you could just introduce some kind of a function like

class parent
{
    public:
        void initialize() {
            read();
            process();
        }
}

Answer 7

The superficial problem is that you call a virtual function that's not known yet (Objects are constructed from Parent to Child, thus so are the vtables). Your compiler warned you about that.

The essential problem, as far as I can see, is that you try to reuse functionality by inheritance. This is almost always a bad idea. A design issue, so to speak :)

Essentially, you try instantiating a Template Method pattern, to separate the what from the when: first read some data (in some way), then process it (in some way).

This will probably much better work with aggregation: give the Processing function to the Template method to be called at the right time. Maybe you can even do the same for the Read functionality.

The aggregation can be done in two ways:

1. Using virtual functions (i.e. Runtime Binding)
2. Using templates (i.e. Compile Time Binding)

Example 1: runtime binding

class Data {};
class IReader    { public: virtual Data read()            = 0; };
class IProcessor { public: virtual void process( Data& d) = 0; };

class ReadNProcess {
public:
    ReadNProcess( IReader& reader, IProcessor processor ){
       processor.process( reader.read() );
    }
};

Example 2: compiletime binding

template< typename Reader, typename Writer > // definitely could use concepts here :)
class ReadNProcess {
public:
     ReadNProcess( Reader& r, Processor& p ) {
         p.process( r.read() );
     }
};