C++ For Dummies, 7th Edition

Chapter 25

Inheriting Multiple Inheritance

In This Chapter

Introducing multiple inheritance

Avoiding ambiguities with multiple inheritance

Avoiding ambiguities with virtual inheritance

Figuring out the ordering rules for multiple constructors

Getting a handle on problems with multiple inheritance

In the class hierarchies discussed in other chapters, each class inherits from a single parent. Such single inheritance is sufficient to describe most real-world relationships. Some classes, however, represent the blending of multiple classes into one. (Sounds sort of romantic, doesn't it?)

An example of such a class is the sleeper sofa that creates the unbeatable combination of a harsh bed and an uncomfortable sofa. To adequately describe a sleeper sofa in C++, the sleeper sofa should be able to inherit both bed- and sofa-like properties. This is called multiple inheritance.

Describing the Multiple Inheritance Mechanism

Figure 25-1 shows the inheritance graph for class SleeperSofa that ...