What are the best practices for type casting in C++?

What are the best practices for type casting in C++?

When type casting in C++, it's important to use the right type of cast. Prefer using static_cast for safe conversions, dynamic_cast for polymorphic types, and const_cast to add or remove constness.

Can you explain when to use dynamic_cast?

dynamic_cast is used when you need to safely downcast pointers or references in a class hierarchy. It checks at runtime if the cast is valid, returning nullptr for pointers if the cast fails.

What about reinterpret_cast? Is it safe?

reinterpret_cast is used for low-level casts and can be unsafe. It doesn't perform any checks, so you should use it only when you are sure about the types involved.

Are there any performance implications with these casts?

Yes, static_cast and dynamic_cast can have performance implications. static_cast is generally faster as it performs compile-time checks, while dynamic_cast incurs runtime overhead due to type checking.