I have a question regarding the C++ Standard.
Suppose you have a base class with user defined copy constructor and assignment operator. The derived class uses the implicit one generated by the compiler.
Does copying / assignment of the derived class call the user defined copy constructor / assignment operator? Or do you need to implement user defined versions that call the base class?
Thank you for your help.
Best Answer
If a derived class does not declare a copy constructor, and implicit one will be declared (12.8/4 "Copying class objects") - even if the base class has a user-delcared and defined copy constructor. If the base class has a user-defined copy constructor in this case, that base class sub-object is copied using that user-defined copy ctor (12.8/8).
Similarly for copy assignment operators (12.8/10 and 12.8.13).
So you do not necessarily need to implement user defined versions that call the base class if the derived class doesn't need a user-defined copy ctor or copy assignment operator for 'its own stuff'. However, if the derived class does declare and define its own copy ctor/copy assignment operator, then those user-defined implementations are responsible for doing the right thing as far as the base class sub-object is concerned - that is no longer handled by the compiler automatically.