Virtual Destructor in C++

As we have discussed, in C++ a destructor is generally used to deallocate memory and do some other cleanup for a class object and it’s class members whenever an object is destroyed. Destructor is distinguished by the tilde, the ‘~’ that appears in front of the destructor name.

In order to define a virtual destructor add the keyword virtual before the tilde symbol.

Need of Virtual Destructor? :

Virtual destructor is to destruct the resources in a proper order, when you delete a base class pointer pointing to derived class object.

Here are some points:

• The destructor of base class can be virtual.

• Whenever upcasting is done, destructor of base class must be declared virtual for proper destruction of the object.

Program without virtual destructor

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
class Parent
{ int x;
  public:
//Parent'sConstructor  	
 Parent() 
 {
  cout<<"Parent's Constructor";
  cout<< endl;
 }
 //Parent's Destructor
 ~ Parent() 
 {
  cout<<"Parent's Desstructor";
  cout<< endl;
 }
};

class Child : public Parent
{ 
 int y;
 public :
//Child's Constructor 	
 Child()
  {
   cout<<"Child's Constructor";
   cout<< endl;
  }
//Child's Destructor  
  ~Child()
  {
   cout<<"Child's Constructor";
   cout<< endl;
  }
};

int main()
{
//Upcasting(implicit)
  Parent *p = new Child() ;
  delete (p);
return 0;
}          

Parent's Constructor
Child's Constructor
Parent's Destructor

As you can notice in the above example Child's Destructor is not invoking, means proper destruction of objects is not happening. For proper destruction of object you need to make base class destructor as virtual.

Program with virtual destructor

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
class Parent
{ int x;
  public:
//Parent'sConstructor  	
 Parent() 
 {
  cout<<"Parent's Constructor";
  cout<< endl;
 }
 //Parent's Destructor
 virtual ~ Parent() 
 {
  cout<<"Parent's Desstructor";
  cout<< endl;
 }
};

class Child : public Parent
{ 
 int y;
 public :
//Child's Constructor 	
 Child()
  {
   cout<<"Child's Constructor";
   cout<< endl;
  }
//Child's Destructor  
  ~Child()
  {
   cout<<"Child's Constructor";
   cout<< endl;
  }
};

int main()
{
//Upcasting(implicit)
  Parent *p = new Child() ;
  delete (p);
return 0;
}          

Parent's Constructor
Child's Constructor
Child's Destructor
Parent's Destructor

Note that the derived class destructor will be called before the base class.

So, now you’ve seen why we need virtual destructors and also how they work.

Note:
Constructors are never virtual, only destructor can be virtual.

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