Maximum PC

hello, can someone explain to me the meaning of the following line?



Well, I know what a virtual function is, but what i don't understand is why there is a "=0" after the virtual function? What difference is there between

and

???

THANKS

The = 0 is a way to make a function a pure virtual function.
This in effect makes the class an abstract base class in which there is no implementation of the functions.

An abstract base class is a class that has no implementation. You cannot instantiate objects from abstract base classes. However you can create derived classes from these ABC's.

The purpose of an ABC is to create a generic class that you can derive from and then have a set of functions that you can implement differently for each derived class.

When a class has a virtual function, it just means that you can use a function name and have the compiler figure out which class to call. You can also define virtual functions in the implementation. Pure Virtual functions just say "hey don't make an object out of me, derive me first, then use my name". You cannot implement them.

hello dude-x. thanks for the detailed explanation.

what makes an abstract base class different from an interface? since neither can be directly instantiated into an object?

In C++, an interface is basically a class (a collection of functions and data types). Formally, an interface is the exposed part of a class that the programmer expects not to change(the public functions and variables in C++)

The difference between an abstract base class and and a regular class is that abstract base classes cannot be used to create (instantiate) objects. They serve as a template for derived classes.

Therefore, an ABC meets the formal definition of an interface. In practice, since you cannot define pure virtual functions in abstract base classes, they are not usable at all unless you derive the class.

thanks, dude-x. always learning something new here...

Deja Vu?