Using “super” in C++
Filed under C++, tips & tricks on jan 06, 2010
My style of coding includes the following idiom:
class Derived : public Base
{
private:
typedef Base super;
// 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 overriden version:
void Derived::doSomething()
{
super::doSomething() ;
// etc...
}
It can even be chained (I have still to find the use for that, though):
class DerivedDerived : public Derived
{
public:
typedef Derived super;
// etc...
};
void DerivedDerived::doSomethingElse()
{
super::doSomethingElse() ; // will call Derived::doSomethingElse()
super::super::doSomethingElse() ; // will call Base::doSomethingElse()
// etc...
}
Anyway, I find the use of “typedef super” very useful, for example, when Base is either verbose and/or templated.
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