CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++inheritance
T. Saut
T. Saut

Reputation: 43

Providing a Base Class Constructor

Is it necessary to always provide your base class with a constructor? For example if I had the following base class, and then some derived classes.

class Animal
{
 public:

    //Is this constructor necessary?
    Animal(); 

    virtual ~Animal();
};

class Zebra: public Animal
{
 public:
    Zebra();
   ~Zebra();
};

class Elephant: public Animal
{
 public:
    Elephant();
   ~Elephant();
};

Assuming that I am creating Animal pointers and then dynamically allocating new Zebra and Elephant objects. If I never intend to create an Animal object, then is there any actual need to explicitly create an Animal constructor?

Upvotes: 3

Views: 44

Answers (1)

Jarod42
Jarod42

Reputation: 218278

You don't need to explicitly provide constructor. A default one is generated (if you don't provide other constructor).

so

class Animal
{
public:

    virtual ~Animal();
};

is sufficient.

Derived classes constructors would call Base class constructor (explicitly of implicitly).

Upvotes: 2

Related Questions