Inheritance: Copying and slicing

Lecture 5 - Slide 5 : 40

'Real object-oriented programming' relies on reference semantics (use of pointers or C++ references to objects) rather than value semantics (copying of objects)

The C++ Prog. Lang. (3. edition): Page 307

The C++ Prog. Lang. (4. edition): Page 513

In the example programs: The class B is derived from class A
- We copy an instance of B to a variable of type A
- No pointer types or reference types are involved
- The B part of the object is lost
- We say that it is sliced

Illustration of object slicing.

Program output.

Does this variant change the game.

Program output.

Slicing an object during parameter passing.