C++ Diamond Problem

What is the need for Virtual base classes?

• Required in scenarios of multiple inheritance where the derivation is like diamond.


• Compiler reports an error since there is a ambiguity since the derived class (Derived3) sees 2 instance of base class (Base).



• Using the keyword virtual in the derived classes (Derived1, Derived2) resolves this ambiguity by allowing them to share a single instance of base class.

EXAMPLE: Demonstrate the compilation error in the Diamond problem

#include <iostream>



using namespace std;



class Base {

    protected:

        int iData;



    public:

        Base() {

            iData = 10;

        }

};



class Derived1 : public Base {

};



class Derived2 : public Base {

};



class Derived3 : public Derived1, public Derived2 {

    public:

        int GetData() {

            return iData;

        }

};



void main ()

{

    Derived3 obj;

    cout << obj.GetData() << endl;

}



OUTPUT:

Error E2014 Diamond.cpp 24: Member is ambiguous: 'Base::iData' and 'Base::iData in function Derived3::GetData()

*** 1 errors in Compile ***

EXAMPLE: Demonstrate the usage of virtual base class in the Diamond problem to fix the compilation error

#include <iostream>



using namespace std;



class Base {

    protected:

        int iData;



    public:

        Base() {

            iData = 10;

        }

};



class Derived1 : virtual public Base {

};



class Derived2 : virtual public Base {

};



class Derived3 : public Derived1, public Derived2 {

    public:

        int GetData() {

            return iData;

        }

};



void main ()

{

    Derived3 obj;

    cout << obj.GetData() << endl;

}



OUTPUT:

10

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