Using “super” in C++

Question

My style of coding includes the following idiom:

class Derived : public Base
{
   public :
      typedef Base super; // note that it could be hidden in
                          // protected/private section, instead

      // Etc.
} ;

This enables me to use "super" as an alias to Base, for example, in constructors:

Derived(int i, int j)
   : super(i), J(j)
{
}

Or even when calling the method from the base class inside its overridden version:

void Derived::foo()
{
   super::foo() ;

   // ... And then, do something else
}

It can even be chained (I have still to find the use for that, though):

class DerivedDerived : public Derived
{
   public :
      typedef Derived super; // note that it could be hidden in
                             // protected/private section, instead

      // Etc.
} ;

void DerivedDerived::bar()
{
   super::bar() ; // will call Derived::bar
   super::super::bar ; // will call Base::bar

   // ... And then, do something else
}

Anyway, I find the use of "typedef super" very useful, for example, when Base is either verbose and/or templated.

The fact is that super is implemented in Java, as well as in C# (where it is called "base", unless I'm wrong). But C++ lacks this keyword.

So, my questions:

is this use of typedef super common/rare/never seen in the code you work with?
is this use of typedef super Ok (i.e. do you see strong or not so strong reasons to not use it)?
should "super" be a good thing, should it be somewhat standardized in C++, or is this use through a typedef enough already?

Edit: Roddy mentionned the fact the typedef should be private. This would mean any derived class would not be able to use it without redeclaring it. But I guess it would also prevent the super::super chaining (but who's gonna cry for that?).

Edit 2: Now, some months after massively using "super", I wholeheartedly agree with Roddy's viewpoint: "super" should be private. I would upvote his answer twice, but I guess I can't.

@Adam and Mike B: Of course... I guess this means I should go to sleep... :-p .... Thanks for the remark and correction !!!
Awesome! Exactly what I was looking for. Don't think I've ever needed to use this technique until now. Excellent solution for my cross-platform code.

Max Lybbert · Accepted Answer · 2008-10-07 22:00:31Z

Bjarne Stroustrup mentions in Design and Evolution of C++ that super as a keyword was considered by the ISO C++ Standards committee the first time C++ was standardized.

Dag Bruck proposed this extension, calling the base class "inherited." The proposal mentioned the multiple inheritance issue, and would have flagged ambiguous uses. Even Stroustrup was convinced.

After discussion, Dag Bruck (yes, the same person making the proposal) wrote that the proposal was implementable, technically sound, and free of major flaws, and handled multiple inheritance. On the other hand, there wasn't enough bang for the buck, and the committee should handle a thornier problem.

Michael Tiemann arrived late, and then showed that a typedef'ed super would work just fine, using the same technique that was asked about in this post.

So, no, this will probably never get standardized.

If you don't have a copy, Design and Evolution is well worth the cover price. Used copies can be had for about $10.

D & E is indeed a good book. But it seems like I'll need to re-read it - I don't remember either story.
I remember three features that were not accepted discussed in D&E. This is the first (look up "Michael Tiemann" in the index to find the story), the two week rule is the second (look up "two week rule" in the index), and the third was named parameters (look up "named arguments" in the index).

Roddy · Answer 2 · 2008-10-07 22:00:36Z

I've always used "inherited" rather than super. (Probably due to a Delphi background), and I always make it private, to avoid the problem when the 'inherited' is erroneously omitted from a class but a subclass tries to use it.

class MyClass : public MyBase
{
private:  // Prevents erroneous use by other classes.
  typedef MyBase inherited;
...

My standard 'code template' for creating new classes includes the typedef, so I have little opportunity to accidentally omit it.

I don't think the chained "super::super" suggestion is a good idea- If you're doing that, you're probably tied in very hard to a particular hierarchy, and changing it will likely break stuff badly.

As for chaining super::super, as I mentionned in the question, I have still to find an interesting use to that. For now, I only see it as a hack, but it was worth mentioning, if only for the differences with Java (where you can't chain "super").
After I few months, I was converted to your viewpoint (and I DID had a bug because of a forgotten "super", like you mentionned...). You are quite right in your answer, including the chaining, I guess. ^_^ ...

3 revs Kristopher Johnson · Answer 3

One problem with this is that if you forget to (re-)define super for derived classes, then any call to super::something will compile fine but will probably not call the desired function.

For example:

class Base
{
public:  virtual void foo() { ... }
};

class Derived: public Base
{
public:
    typedef Base super;
    virtual void foo()
    {
        super::foo();   // call superclass implementation

        // do other stuff
        ...
    }
};

class DerivedAgain: public Derived
{
public:
    virtual void foo()
    {
        // Call superclass function
        super::foo();    // oops, calls Base::foo() rather than Derived::foo()

        ...
    }
};

(As pointed out by Martin York in the comments to this answer, this problem can be eliminated by making the typedef private rather than public or protected.)

Thanks for the remark. This side effect had escaped my notice. While it would probably won't compile for the constructor use, everywhere else, I guess, the bug would be there.
However, private typedef will prevent chained use, mentioned in the original post.
Running into this exact bug is what lead me to this question :(

Colin Jensen · Answer 4 · 2008-10-07 22:00:46Z

Super (or inherited) is Very Good Thing because if you need to stick another inheritance layer in between Base and Derived, you only have to change two things: 1. the "class Base: foo" and 2. the typedef

If I recall correctly, the C++ Standards committee was considering adding a keyword for this... until Michael Tiemann pointed out that this typedef trick works.

As for multiple inheritance, since it's under programmer control you can do whatever you want: maybe super1 and super2, or whatever.

Michael Burr · Answer 5 · 2008-10-07 21:54:17Z

up vote 8 down vote

I don't recall seeing this before, but at first glance I like it. As Ferruccio notes, it doesn't work well in the face of MI, but MI is more the exception than the rule and there's nothing that says something needs to be usable everywhere to be useful.

answered Oct 7 '08 at 21:54

Michael Burr
144k 15 170 386

I fully agree... :-) ... – paercebal Oct 7 '08 at 21:56

3

Upvote just for the phrase, "there's nothing that says something needs to be usable everywhere to be useful."– Tanktalus Oct 7 '08 at 22:08

Agreed. It is useful. I was just looking at the boost type traits library to see if there was a way to generate the typedef via a template. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like you can. – Ferruccio Oct 7 '08 at 22:15

krujos · Answer 6 · 2008-10-07 22:51:55Z

up vote 7 down vote

FWIW Microsoft has added an extension for __super in their compiler.

answered Oct 7 '08 at 22:51

krujos
118 2 4

A few developers here started pushing to use __super. At first I pushed back since I felt it was "wrong" and "non-stanadard". HOWEVER, I've grown to love it. – Aardvark Oct 8 '08 at 17:43

1

I'm working on a windows app, and love the __super extension. It saddens me that the standards committee rejected it in favor of the typedef trick mentioned here, because while this typedef trick is good, it requires more maintenance than a compiler keyword when you change the inheritence hierarchy, and handles multiple inheritence correctly (without requiring two typedefs like super1 and super2). In short, I agree with the other commentor that the MS extension is VERY useful, and anybody using Visual Studio exclusively should strongly consider using it. – Brian Jan 10 '12 at 23:18

Konrad Rudolph · Answer 7 · 2008-10-08 09:17:16Z

I've seen this idiom employed in many codes and I'm pretty sure I've even seen it somewhere in Boost's libraries. However, as far as I remember the most common name is base (or Base) instead ofsuper.

This idiom is especially useful if working with template classes. As an example, consider the following class (from a real project):

template <typename TText, typename TSpec>
class Finder<Index<TText, PizzaChili<TSpec> >, PizzaChiliFinder>
    : public Finder<Index<TText, PizzaChili<TSpec> >, Default>
{
    typedef Finder<Index<TText, PizzaChili<TSpec> >, Default> TBase;
    // …
}

Don't mind the funny names. The important point here is that the inheritance chain uses type arguments to achieve compile-time polymorphism. Unfortunately, the nesting level of these templates gets quite high. Therefore, abbreviations are crucial for readability and maintainability.

I had used the "super" lately for the very same reason. The public inheritance was too painful to handle otherwise... :-) ...

paperjam · Answer 8 · 2011-04-11 14:22:32Z

I just found an alternate workaround. I have a big problem with the typedef approach which bit me today:

The typedef requires an exact copy of the class name. If someone changes the class name but doesn't change the typedef then you will run into problems.

So I came up with a better solution using a very simple template.

template <class C>
struct MakeAlias : C
{ 
    typedef C BaseAlias;
};

So now, instead of

class Derived : public Base
{
private:
    typedef Base Super;
};

you have

class Derived : public MakeAlias<Base>
{
    // Can refer to Base as BaseAlias here
};

In this case, BaseAlias is not private and I've tried to guard against careless usage by selecting an type name that should alert other developers.

I think your last code block should derrive from "MakeAlias<Base>" not "MakeBaseAlias<Base>," but otherwise I really like this trick.
public alias is a downside, as you're open to the bug mentioned in Roddy's and Kristopher's answers (e.g. you can (by mistake) derive from Derived instead of MakeAlias<Derived>)

James Hopkin · Answer 9 · 2008-10-07 21:52:59Z

up vote 2 down vote

I've quite often seen it used, sometimes as super_t, when the base is a complex template type (boost::iterator_adaptor does this, for example)

answered Oct 7 '08 at 21:52

James Hopkin
7,250 14 37

You're right. I found the reference here. boost.org/doc/libs/1_36_0/libs/iterator/doc/… – paercebal Oct 7 '08 at 22:04

Greg Hewgill · Answer 10 · 2008-10-07 21:56:49Z

After migrating from Turbo Pascal to C++ back in the day, I used to do this in order to have an equivalent for the Turbo Pascal "inherited" keyword, which works the same way. However, after programming in C++ for a few years I stopped doing it. I found I just didn't need it very much.

Toji · Answer 11 · 2008-10-07 21:59:53Z

is this use of typedef super common/rare/never seen in the code you work with?

I have never seen this particular pattern in the C++ code I work with, but that doesn't mean it's not out there.

is this use of typedef super Ok (i.e. do you see strong or not so strong reasons to not use it)?

It doesn't allow for multiple inheritance (cleanly, anyway).

should "super" be a good thing, should it be somewhat standardized in C++, or is this use through a typedef enough already?

For the above cited reason (multiple inheritance), no. The reason why you see "super" in the other languages you listed is that they only support single inheritance, so there is no confusion as to what "super" is referring to. Granted, in those languages it IS useful but it doesn't really have a place in the C++ data model.

Oh, and FYI: C++/CLI supports this concept in the form of the "__super" keyword. Please note, though, that C++/CLI doesn't support multiple inheritance either.

As a counter-point, Perl has both multiple inheritance and SUPER. There is some confusion, but the algorithm that the VM goes through to find something is clearly documented. That said, I rarely see MI used where multiple base classes offer the same methods where confusion could arise anyway.
Microsoft Visual Studio implements the __super keyword for C++ whether or not it's for CLI. If only one of the inherited classes offers a method of the correct signature (the most common case, as mentioned by Tanktalus) then it just picks the only valid choice. If two or more inherited classes provide a function match, it doesn't work and requires you to be explicit.

jdkoftinoff · Answer 12 · 2008-10-07 22:22:43Z

One additional reason to use a typedef for the superclass is when you are using complex templates in the object's inheritance.

For instance:

template <typename T, size_t C, typename U>
class A
{ ... };

template <typename T>
class B : public A<T,99,T>
{ ... };

In class B it would be ideal to have a typedef for A otherwise you would be stuck repeating it everywhere you wanted to reference A's members.

In these cases it can work with multiple inheritance too, but you wouldn't have a typedef named 'super', it would be called 'base_A_t' or something like that.

--jeffk++

Matt Dillard · Answer 13 · 2008-10-07 21:55:39Z

I don't know whether it's rare or not, but I've certainly done the same thing.

As has been pointed out, the difficulty with making this part of the language itself is when a class makes use of multiple inheritance.

Scott Langham · Answer 14 · 2008-10-07 21:57:45Z

I use this from time to time. Just when I find myself typing out the base class type a couple of times, I'll replace it with a typedef similar to yours.

I think it can be a good use. As you say, if your base class is a template it can save typing. Also, template classes may take arguments that act as policies for how the template should work. You're free to change the base type without having to fix up all your references to it as long as the interface of the base remains compatible.

I think the use through the typedef is enough already. I can't see how it would be built into the language anyway because multiple inheritence means there can be many base classes, so you can typedef it as you see fit for the class you logically feel is the most important base class.

score 0 · Answer 15

I use the __super keyword. But it's Microsoft specific:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/94dw1w7x.aspx

Using “super” in C++

Using “super” in C++

15 Answers