C++ Primer, Fifth Edition

15.7.3. Derived-Class Copy-Control Members

As we saw in §15.2.2 (p. 598), the initialization phase of a derived-class constructor initializes the base-class part(s) of a derived object as well as initializing its own members. As a result, the copy and move constructors for a derived class must copy/move the members of its base part as well as the members in the derived. Similarly, a derived-class assignment operator must assign the members in the base part of the derived object.

Unlike the constructors and assignment operators, the destructor is responsible only for destroying the resources allocated by the derived class. Recall that the members ...