What are the best practices for implementing virtual functions in programming?

What are the best practices for implementing virtual functions in programming?

When implementing virtual functions, it's important to ensure proper use of polymorphism, maintainability, and performance. Always declare virtual functions in the base class and override them in derived classes as needed.

Can you explain polymorphism in this context?

Polymorphism allows methods to do different things based on the object it is acting upon, even if they share the same name. In the context of virtual functions, it enables a base class pointer to call derived class methods.

What are some common mistakes to avoid?

Common mistakes include not declaring a destructor as virtual in base classes, failing to override functions correctly, and not considering performance implications of virtual function calls.

How can I improve performance when using virtual functions?

To improve performance, consider using final specifier for functions that should not be overridden, and minimize the use of virtual functions in performance-critical code.