Example
// 1. Base example not using language support for covariance, dynamic type checking.
class Top
{
public:
virtual Top* clone() const = 0;
virtual ~Top() = default; // Necessary for `delete` via Top*.
};
class D : public Top
{
public:
Top* clone() const override
{ return new D( *this ); }
};
class DD : public D
{
private:
int answer_ = 42;
public:
int answer() const
{ return answer_;}
Top* clone() const override
{ return new DD( *this ); }
};
#include <assert.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <typeinfo>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
cout << boolalpha;
DD* p1 = new DD();
Top* p2 = p1->clone();
bool const correct_dynamic_type = (typeid( *p2 ) == typeid( DD ));
cout << correct_dynamic_type << endl; // "true"
assert( correct_dynamic_type ); // This is essentially dynamic type checking. :(
auto p2_most_derived = static_cast<DD*>( p2 );
cout << p2_most_derived->answer() << endl; // "42"
delete p2;
delete p1;
}
