What are some examples of function overriding in C++?

What are some examples of function overriding in C++?

Function overriding in C++ allows a derived class to provide a specific implementation of a function that is already defined in its base class. For example, if you have a base class Animal with a method speak(), a derived class Dog can override this method to provide a dog-specific implementation.

Can you show me a code example of that?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

class Animal {
public:
    virtual void speak() {
        std::cout << "Animal speaks" << std::endl;
    }
};

class Dog : public Animal {
public:
    void speak() override {
        std::cout << "Dog barks" << std::endl;
    }
};

int main() {
    Animal* myDog = new Dog();
    myDog->speak(); // Outputs: Dog barks
    delete myDog;
}

What happens if I don't use the 'override' keyword?

If you don't use the 'override' keyword, the function will still override the base class function as long as the signatures match. However, using 'override' helps catch errors at compile time if the function does not actually override any base class function.

Are there any limitations to function overriding?

Yes, some limitations include that you cannot override static functions, and the base class function must be declared as virtual. Additionally, the access level of the overriding function must be the same or more accessible than the base class function.