Calling C++ class methods via a function pointer

Question

How do I obtain a function pointer for a class member function, and later call that member function with a specific object? I’d like to write:

class Dog : A         


        

Answer 1

I don't think anyone has explained here that one issue is that you need "member pointers" rather than normal function pointers.

Member pointers to functions are not simply function pointers. In implementation terms, the compiler cannot use a simple function address because, in general, you don't know the address to call until you know which object to dereference for (think virtual functions). You also need to know the object in order to provide the this implicit parameter, of course.

Having said that you need them, now I'll say that you really need to avoid them. Seriously, member pointers are a pain. It is much more sane to look at object-oriented design patterns that achieve the same goal, or to use a boost::function or whatever as mentioned above - assuming you get to make that choice, that is.

If you are supplying that function pointer to existing code, so you really need a simple function pointer, you should write a function as a static member of the class. A static member function doesn't understand this, so you'll need to pass the object in as an explicit parameter. There was once a not-that-unusual idiom along these lines for working with old C code that needs function pointers

class myclass
{
  public:
    virtual void myrealmethod () = 0;

    static void myfunction (myclass *p);
}

void myclass::myfunction (myclass *p)
{
  p->myrealmethod ();
}

Since myfunction is really just a normal function (scope issues aside), a function pointer can be found in the normal C way.

EDIT - this kind of method is called a "class method" or a "static member function". The main difference from a non-member function is that, if you reference it from outside the class, you must specify the scope using the :: scope resolution operator. For example, to get the function pointer, use &myclass::myfunction and to call it use myclass::myfunction (arg);.

This kind of thing is fairly common when using the old Win32 APIs, which were originally designed for C rather than C++. Of course in that case, the parameter is normally LPARAM or similar rather than a pointer, and some casting is needed.