What are virtual methods in programming?

What are virtual methods in programming?

Virtual methods are functions in a base class that can be overridden in derived classes, allowing for dynamic polymorphism.

Can you give me an example of how virtual methods work?

Sure! In C++, if you have a base class 'Animal' with a virtual method 'speak()', derived classes like 'Dog' and 'Cat' can implement their own versions of 'speak()'.

Why would I use virtual methods instead of regular methods?

Using virtual methods allows for more flexible and reusable code, as it enables you to call derived class methods through base class pointers.

Are there any performance drawbacks to using virtual methods?

Yes, there can be a slight performance overhead due to dynamic dispatch, but it's often negligible compared to the benefits of flexibility.