Inside the C++ Object Model - 5. Semantics of Construction, Destruction, and Copy

Abstract class cannot instantiate instance given pure virtual function exists.

Pure virtual function: you can define and invoke pure virtual function, but it can be only invoked statically rather than via virtual mechanism. 

Do NOT declare a pure virtual destructor: compiler will expand every derived class destructor, statically invoke all virtual base class destructors and base class destructors. So absence of one base class destructor will fail the link. 

// before
class Abstract_base
{
public:
    virtual ~Abstract_base() = 0;
    virtual void interface() const = 0;
    virtual const char* mumble() const { return _mumble;}
protected:
    char* _mumble;
}

// it should be
class Abstract_base
{
public:
    virtual ~Abstract_base();
    virtual void interface() const = 0;
    const char* mumble() const { return _mumble;}
protected:
    Abstract_base(char* pc = 0);
    char* _mumble;
}

1. Construction without inheritance 

For global variable:

• C consider it is a temporary definition without initialization, and it will be stored in a space for those "uninitialized global objects".
• C++ does NOT support temporary definition, it will be considered as an initialized global object. 

Explicit initialization list will be a bit more efficient than inline expansion of constructor.

2. Construction in inheritance chain

 

3. Object copy semantics

4. Object efficiency

5. Semantics of Destruction