Re: Is finalizing a virtual method possible in C++?

From:
"Alf P. Steinbach" <alfps@start.no>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:57:41 +0100
Message-ID:
<13rua9m2cm7i29a@corp.supernews.com>
* Jeff Schwab:

Alf P. Steinbach wrote:

* Kira Yamato:

On 2008-02-22 07:35:34 -0500, Pavel Lepin <p.lepin@ctncorp.com> said:

Kira Yamato <kirakun@earthlink.net> wrote in
<2008022206570016807-kirakun@earthlinknet>:

So, I don't want to say too hestantly that it is
impossible to simulate the finalizing of virtual methods
and classes in C++.

Hence, I rather turn to the experts and ask if anyone
knows if it is possible to simulate them in any way?


This is a FAQ.

  <http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/>


Yes. Thanks. But the FAQ does not say that finalizing method is
impossible. If in fact it did, then the answer is found. Instead,
it just proposes a "solution."

So let me try asking differently, has anyone gotten further with a
better solution than merely stating a comment?


There should be no reason to finalize a member function in C++.

But if you absolutely must it's not that difficult.

    class Base
    {
    friend class Derived;
    private:
        struct OverrideTag {};
    public:
        virtual void foo( OverrideTag = OverrideTag() ) = 0;
    };

    class Derived: public Base
    {
    public:
        virtual void foo( OverrideTag = OverrideTag() ) {}
    };

    class FurtherDerived: public Derived
    {
    public:
        // Nix njet.
    // virtual void foo( OverrideTag = OverrideTag() ) {}
    };

    int main()
    {
        Derived o;
        o.foo();
    }


What's to stop somebody from making OverrideTag public in the derived
class?

struct Derived: Base {
    using Base::OverrideTag;
    virtual void foo( OverrideTag = OverrideTag() ) { }
};


Nothing. So Base just provides a service to Derived: "you can make this
function final if you want, and that's what you get by default". The
whole thing about support in Base is just because C++ doesn't have
'final', which would only appear in Derived, none of Base's business.

But I gather, if someone want's it bad enough, they can add support in
the base class...

Or introduce an artifical base class.

Cheers,

- Alf

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