Understanding how function calls are resolved is crucial to understanding inheritance in C++. Given the call p->mem()(or obj.mem()), the following fours steps happen:
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First determine the static type of p(or obj). Because we’re calling a member, that type must be a class type.
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Look for mem in the class that corresponding to the static type of p(or obj). If mem is not found, look in the direct base class and continue up the chain of classes until mem is found or the last class is searched. If mem is not found in the class or its enclosing base classes, then the call will not compile.
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Once mem is found, do normal type checking to see if this call is legal given the definition that was found.
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Assuming the call is legal, the compiler generates code, which varies depending on whether the call is virtual or not:
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If mem is virtual and the call is made through a reference or pointer, then the compiler generates code to determine at run time which version to run based on the dynamic type of the object.
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Otherwise, if the function is nonvirtual, or if the call is an object(not a reference or pointer), the compiler generates a normal function call.
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