Chapter 15: Problem 6

Which constructor is called first, that of the derived class or the base class?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: When a derived class object is created, the constructor of the base class is called first, followed by the constructor of the derived class. In inheritance, the order of constructor calling is from the base class to the derived class.

Step by step solution

Understanding Inheritance and Constructors

Inheritance is a key concept in object-oriented programming, where a new class (derived class) is created by extending an existing class (base class). Constructors are special member functions of a class, with the same name as the class, that are called whenever an object of that class is created. Constructors are used to initialize the data members of an object.

Creating a Base and Derived Class

Let's create a simple base class called "BaseClass" with a constructor that prints a message, and a derived class called "DerivedClass" that also has a constructor that prints a message. Here's the code for these two classes: ```cpp #include class BaseClass { public: BaseClass() { std::cout << "BaseClass constructor called" << std::endl; } }; class DerivedClass : public BaseClass { public: DerivedClass() { std::cout << "DerivedClass constructor called" << std::endl; } }; ```

Creating an Object of the Derived Class

Now, let's create an object of the DerivedClass and see the order in which constructors are called. Here's the main function code: ```cpp int main() { DerivedClass obj; return 0; } ``` When we run this program, we will see the output: ``` BaseClass constructor called DerivedClass constructor called ```

Conclusion

From the output, we can conclude that the constructor of the base class is called first, followed by the constructor of the derived class when a derived class object is created. So, in inheritance, the order of constructor calling is from the base class to the derived class.

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Which constructor is called first, that of the derived class or the base class?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understanding Inheritance and Constructors

Creating a Base and Derived Class

Creating an Object of the Derived Class

Conclusion

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