override Specifier
The latest version of this topic can be found at override Specifier.
You can use the override keyword to designate member functions that override a virtual function in a base class.
Syntax
function-declaration override;
Remarks
override is context-sensitive and has special meaning only when it's used after a member function declaration; otherwise, it's not a reserved keyword.
Example
Use override to help prevent inadvertent inheritance behavior in your code. The following example shows where, without using override, the member function behavior of the derived class may not have been intended. The compiler doesn't emit any errors for this code.
class BaseClass
{
virtual void funcA();
virtual void funcB() const;
virtual void funcC(int = 0);
void funcD();
};
class DerivedClass: public BaseClass
{
virtual void funcA(); // ok, works as intended
virtual void funcB(); // DerivedClass::funcB() is non-const, so it does not
// override BaseClass::funcB() const and it is a new member function
virtual void funcC(double = 0.0); // DerivedClass::funcC(double) has a different
// parameter type than BaseClass::funcC(int), so
// DerivedClass::funcC(double) is a new member function
};
When you use override, the compiler generates errors instead of silently creating new member functions.
class BaseClass
{
virtual void funcA();
virtual void funcB() const;
virtual void funcC(int = 0);
void funcD();
};
class DerivedClass: public BaseClass
{
virtual void funcA() override; // ok
virtual void funcB() override; // compiler error: DerivedClass::funcB() does not
// override BaseClass::funcB() const
virtual void funcC( double = 0.0 ) override; // compiler error:
// DerivedClass::funcC(double) does not
// override BaseClass::funcC(int)
void funcD() override; // compiler error: DerivedClass::funcD() does not
// override the non-virtual BaseClass::funcD()
};
To specify that functions cannot be overridden and that classes cannot be inherited, use the final keyword.