Override virtual protected method that is a friend of another class - c++

Basically, I want to somehow simulate friendship inheritance with the restriction that it can only happen from inside a certain method.
So essentially, this is what I want
class A; // Forward declaration
class Base{
friend class A; // friend declaration so that A is able to see protected methods
protected:
virtual void method() {// some definition, might also be pure virtual}
}
class Derived : public Base{
A aObj;
void method(){//override the one in base and also gain access to aObj private members.}
public:
//public interface
}
class A {
int var;
friend void Base::method();
public:
// public interface
}
is there anyway to achieve this?

How about this
class Base {
friend class A;
protected:
virtual void method() = 0;
std::tuple<int> GetAProperties(const A& a) {
// You can change the tuple params
// as per your requirement.
return std::make_tuple(a.var);
}
}
class Derived : public Base {
A aObj;
void method() override {
auto objProperties = GetAProperties(aObj);
}
}

You could get pointer to private's A member in Base, and then pass these member pointers to the Derived:
class A; // Forward declaration
class Base{
friend class A; // friend declaration so that A is able to see protected methods
private:
void method(A&);
virtual void do_method(A& a,int A::* var) {// some definition, might also be pure virtual
(a.*var)++;
}
};
class A{
int var;
friend void Base::method(A&);
};
class Derived : public Base{
A aObj;
virtual void do_method(A& a,int A::* var) {// some definition, might also be pure virtual
a.*var+=2;
}
public:
//public interface
};
void Base::method(A& a){
do_method(a,&A::var);
}
NB: do not use it on the critical pass!!

Related

Can a virtual function access the friend of base class?

I am just a beginner in C++, my question is can a virtual function access the friend of base class? or the virtual function will only access the class's friend function in which it is defined?
class A
{
friend class B;
public:
virtual void setData();
};
now if a class is derived from class A
class C:public class A{
public:
setData()
{
//can I use the friend class B here?
}
};
First, you have friendship backwards. B is a friend of A, but that gives A zero extra rights over B.
In C++, friendship does not commute. A says B is a friend, but A may not be a friend of B.
Second, friendship is not inherited. You don't go out drinking with your mother's friends.
Third, there are many ways to republish or share rights. The class that is a friend can have a method that does the operation on the friend.
Suppose you really wanted this:
class B {
friend class A;
void doStuff();
};
class A {
public:
virtual void setData(B* b) = 0;
};
class C:public A{
public:
virtual void setData(B* b) {
b->do_stuff();
}
};
C::setData generates an error. But we can change it like this:
class A {
protected:
void do_stuff_on_b(B* b) { b->do_stuff(); }
public:
virtual void setData(B* b) = 0;
};
class C:public A{
public:
virtual void setData(B* b) {
do_stuff_on_b(b);
}
};
we could also generalize this and create an access token:
class B {
struct access_token{ explicit access_token(int) {} };
friend class A;
public:
void doStuff(access_token);
};
class A {
protected:
static B::access_token access_b() { return access_token(0); };
public:
virtual void setData(B* b) = 0;
};
class C:public A{
public:
virtual void setData(B* b) {
b->do_stuff( access_b() );
}
};
where we gatekeep access to B private methods based on possession of an access token that can be passed around. The methods are public, but the token itself can only be created by friends.

How do I use composition and inheritance together?

I've a case where an object and a collection of objects behave similarly. So to represent the object I've a class:
class A {
public:
virtual void foo();
protected:
int x;
};
And to represent the collection of objects, I've another class:
class Collection: public A {
void foo(); //override base class function
private:
vector<A*> aList;
}
This is fine, but the issue is that Collection class will have a copy of A::x which I don't need. I don't want class Collection to inherit the data members. How do I achieve this?
Note: I can't edit "class A" because it is from a library.
Correction: I can't change the interface of A. A is being used in rest of the code. I can modify the implementation. I can change A::anyFunction() to virtual if it is already not virtual. I can change a private member to protected.
You can use an interface:
class AInterface {
public:
virtual void foo() = 0;
};
and then
class A : public AInterface {
/*...*/
};
class Collection : public AInterface {
/*...*/
};
If you cant edit A you could still use the interface, by writing a wrapper:
class AWrapper : public AInterface {
void foo() { a.foo(); }
private:
A a;
};

Implementing a class hierarchy properly

Say I have an interface hierarchy :
class A
{
virtual void commonFunc() = 0;
};
class B1 : public A
{
virtual void b1SpecificFunc() = 0;
};
class B2 : public A
{
virtual void b2SpecificFunc() = 0;
};
Interface A only exist to avoid duplicating the commonFunc() function.
Now if I want to implement this in order to have 2 instanciatable classes ImplB1 and ImplB2 i could do :
class ImplA
{
virtual void commonFunc();
};
class ImplB1 : public ImplA
{
virtual void b1SpecificFunc();
};
class ImplB2 : public ImplA
{
virtual void b2SpecificFunc();
};
The problem with this is that it makes ImplA instanciatable, which I don't want to. I only want ImplB1 and ImplB2 to be instanciatable, because ImplA is something asbtract that only exist to have the implementation of the common function in common.
How could i design this please ? Thank you.
Interface A only exist to avoid duplicating the commonFunc() function.
You certainly mean to avoid duplicating its declaration, don't you?
class ImplA
{
virtual void commonFunc();
};
This should probably be:
class ImplA : public A
{
virtual void commonFunc();
};
And I guess the point is that ImplA actually has an implementation of commonFunc. So for the sake of this answer's brevity, let's put it into the class definition:
class ImplA : public A
{
virtual void commonFunc() {} // implementation
};
The problem with this is that it makes ImplA instanciatable.
Just make ImplA's destructor pure virtual:
class ImplA : public A
{
public:
virtual ~ImplA() = 0 {}
private:
virtual void commonFunc() {}
};
This will prevent instantiation even inside of derived classes' functions. For example, the following will create a compiler error:
class ImplB1 : public ImplA
{
public:
virtual void b1SpecificFunc()
{
ImplA a; // error, cannot instantiate abstract class
}
};
In fact, you will not even be able to instantiate the class in its own functions:
class ImplA : public A
{
public:
virtual ~ImplA() = 0 {}
private:
virtual void commonFunc()
{
ImplA a; // error, cannot instantiate abstract class
}
};
But seriously, this all seems pretty over-engineered. Perhaps what you really need is to make commonFunc a non-virtual protected function of A, which derived classes can then call if they need to.
Or perhaps commonFunc can just be a free-standing utility function?
You can do the following. Also, here is a SO question/answer about this.
Note: While I'm answering the question that you can do this I'm not asserting it's what you should do.
Code
#include <iostream>
class A
{
public:
virtual void commonFunc() = 0;
};
void A::commonFunc() // Pure virtual but implemented anyway
{
// Derived classes can explicitly opt-in to this implementation
std::cout << "A::commonFunc()\n";
}
class B1 : public A
{
public:
virtual void b1SpecificFunc() = 0;
};
class B2 : public A
{
virtual void b2SpecificFunc() = 0;
};
class ImplB1 : public B1
{
public:
// This function must be implemented because its declared pure virtual
virtual void commonFunc()
{
// Can override the behavior if desired...
A::commonFunc(); // Explicitly use default implementation
}
virtual void b1SpecificFunc()
{
std::cout << "b1SpecificFunc()\n";
}
};
class ImplB2 : public B2
{
public:
// This function must be implemented because its declared pure virtual
virtual void commonFunc()
{
// Can override the behavior if desired...
A::commonFunc(); // Explicitly use default implementation
}
virtual void b2SpecificFunc()
{
std::cout << "b2SpecificFunc()\n";
}
};
int main()
{
//A a; // Won't compile (as expected/desired)
ImplB1 b1;
ImplB2 b2;
b1.commonFunc();
b1.b1SpecificFunc();
b2.commonFunc();
b2.b2SpecificFunc();
return 0;
}
Output
A::commonFunc()
b1SpecificFunc()
A::commonFunc()
b2SpecificFunc()

Access private data type in base class if only private function exist

Given the code below, we can access private data of base class if the function in base are protected by using inheritance. My question is, is there any way we can access private data if all methods in base class are also set to private?
class Base
{
int i;
protected:
void set(int data){
i = data;
}
int get(){
return i;
}
};
class derive: Base{
public:
void change(int x){
set(x);
cout<<get()<<endl;
}
};
int main()
{
derive b;
b.change(3);
return 0;
}
"we can access private data of base class if the function in base are protected by using inheritance", no you're not really accessing private data. You're invoking a setter in the base class that does it for you. And no you won't be able to call the private methods of your base class.
Setting the members to private in the base class will make it private for all children as well. You can define new public functions to change these members in the children.
By using friend
Making the derive class the friend of Base
class derive;//forward declaration
class Base
{
int i;
private:
void set(int data){
i = data;
}
protected:
int get(){
return i;
}
public:
friend class derive;
};
class derive : public Base{
public:
void change(int x){
set(x);
cout<<get()<<endl;
}
};
You should be aware of public/protected inheritance. class a : public/protected b
Do not use access specifier overloading/overriding:
C++: overriding public\private inheritance
http://www.learncpp.com/cpp-tutorial/116-adding-changing-and-hiding-members-in-a-derived-class/
Now I show how to redeclare the access specifier of an inherited member:
class derive : public Base{
public:
Base::set;//this is valid redeclaration within public scope. Now anybody could use derive::set(x)
void change(int x){
set(x);
cout<<get()<<endl;
}
}

Separation of interface from implementation in an inheritance hierarchy (C++ newbie)

I am trying to figure out how to arrange some classes. This is what I've got so far ...
The top of the inheritance hierarchy is (naturally) T:
(T.h)
namespace foo
{
class T
{
public:
virtual void method1(std::string a_parameter) = 0;
virtual void method2() = 0;
};
}
I have two sub-classes of T with some additional methods - here are
the header files:
(A.h)
namespace foo
{
class A : public T
{
public:
virtual ~A() {};
virtual void method3() = 0;
//and a factory function
static A* gimmeAnAyy();
};
}
(B.h)
namespace foo
{
class B : public T
{
public:
virtual ~B() {};
virtual void method4() = 0;
//and a factory function
static B* gimmeABee();
};
}
The implementation classes are in the respective .cpp files:
(A.cpp)
namespace foo
{
class AImpl : public A
{
public:
A(std::string member_data) : m_member_data(member_data) {};
~A() {};
void method3()
{
//something really important, can't think of it right now ;-)
};
private:
std::string m_member_data;
};
A* A::gimmeAnAyy()
{
return new AImpl("this is an impl of A");
};
}
(B.cpp)
namespace foo
{
class BImpl : public B
{
public:
B(std::string other_data) : m_other_data(other_data) {};
~B() {};
void method4()
{
//something really important, can't think of it right now ;-)
};
private:
std::string m_other_data;
};
B* B::gimmeABee()
{
return new BImpl("this is an imll of B");
};
}
Now the compiler complains - rightly so - about the virtual functions
method1() and method2() that I haven't implemented in AImpl and BImpl.
What I want is a TImpl class that both AImpl and BImpl can inherit from
so that I don't have to implement method1() and method2() in two different .cpp files.
Is it possible? Am I out to lunch? Am I asking too many rhetorical questions for a StackExchange post?
Thanks in advance,
Mike
Yeah, it is possible. Common practice is to use the following snippet:
template<typename Interface>
class TImpl : public Interface
{
public:
virtual void method1(std::string a_parameter) { /* implementation */ }
virtual void method2() { /* implementation */ }
};
And then inherit from it as follows:
class Aimpl : public TImpl<A>
{
public:
virtual void method3() { /* implementation */ }
};
class Bimpl : public Timpl<B>
{
public:
virtual void method4() { /* implementation */ }
};
You can put implementation of Timpl in cpp file, but then you have to explicitly instantiate it for every possible interface. This is done as follows in the cpp:
template<typename Interface>
void Timpl<Interface>::method1(std::string a_parameter)
{
/* implementation */
}
template<typename Interface>
void Timpl<Interface>::method2()
{
/* implementation */
}
template class Timpl<A>;
template class Timpl<B>;
Do not make method1 and method2 pure virtual functions. Give them an implementation!
i.e.
declare
class T
{
public:
virtual void method1(std::string a_parameter);
virtual void method2();
};
Define:
void T::method1(std::string a_parameter) { // Could use const/reference here perhaps
....
}
etc...
It seems your problem is the wrong believe that it is better to have only pure virtual functions in your base class! Just get over it and provide a default implementation in T. Although there are religious believes that is bad, there isn't any technical reason not to have it. Insisting in having only pure virtual functions in base classes is like insisting in all music having to be 12-tone music!
since both of the son classes (A & B) don't have (method1, method2) then you don't have to use the virtual. you can easily provide a default implementation in the base class and then invoke and use these methods through the inheritance chain since the inheritance type here is public.
In the A and B classes declaration, the methods 3 and 4 are pure virtual, so in the definition file you shouldn't gives an implementation of them. In my understand A and B are leading the implementation of the T methods and their own virtual methods to other concrete classes who inherit from them. If you thing that A and B are concrete classes, put away the "= 0" from the following lines:
class A : public T
{
public:
virtual ~A() {};
virtual void method3() = 0; // <-- Here
//and a factory function
static A* gimmeAnAyy();
};
class B : public T
{
public:
virtual ~B() {};
virtual void method4() = 0; // <-- and Here
//and a factory function
static B* gimmeABee();
};
If doesn't want to implement the methods 1 and 2 of the T class, give an empty or a default implementation to them, in the T class or in the A and B classes.
But consider this, if you inherits from an interface, is expected that you IMPLEMENT that interface. :)