Method and system for accessing virtual base classes

Details Method and system for accessing virtual base classes Method and system for accessing virtual base classes

1997-01-22

1998-12-29

Oberley, Alvin

395704, 395125, G06F 945, G06F 1500

Patent

active

058549315

ABSTRACT:
A method for a computer compiler for an object-oriented programming language for implementing virtual functions and virtual base classes is provided. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the data structure layout of an object includes a virtual function table pointer, a virtual base table pointer, occurrences of each non-virtual base class, the data members of the class, and occurrences of each virtual base class. If a class introduces a virtual function member and the class has a non-virtual base class with a virtual function table pointer, then the class shares the virtual function table pointer of the non-virtual base class that is first visited in a depth-first, left-to-right traversal of the inheritance tree. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, each instance of a given class shares a set of virtual function tables and virtual base tables for that class. In preferred embodiments, adjusters are used when a function member in a derived class overrides a function member that is defined in more than one base class, and when a derived class has a base class that overrides a function member in a virtual base class of that class and the derived class itself does not override the function member.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5175806 (1992-12-01), Muskovitz et al.
patent: 5361351 (1994-11-01), Lenkov et al.
Randall Meyers, "The Interaction of Poentes to Members and Virtual Base Classes in C++," Nov. 1990 pp. 1-7.
Byarne Stroustrup,"Multiple Inheritance for C++," Proceedings, EVVG Spring '87 Conference, 1987.
Ellis et al, The Annotated C++Reference Manual, 1990, Chap. 10 pp. 195-237.

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