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This Is How to Use dynamic_cast in C++

What is casting in C++? What is a cast operator? What types of casting can be used in C++? What is dynamic_cast in C++? How can I use dynamic_cast in C++?

C++ is a fast and powerful programming language and excels at all sorts of different operations, such as manipulating data, operations with pointers, operations between classes, etc. In C++, both structs and classes can be used with dynamic_cast operations.

In this post, we will explain how to use dynamic_cast in C++.

What is do we mean by ‘cast’ in C++?

Casting is a technique by which one data type to another data type. The operator used for this purpose is known as the cast operator. It is a unary operator which forces one data type to be converted into another data type. It takes on the format:

In C++, a cast operator is an Unary Operator which forces one data type to be converted into another data type.
In general, C++ supports four types of casting:

  1. Static Cast
  2. Dynamic Cast
  3. Const Cast
  4. Reinterpret Cast

In C++ what is a Dynamic Cast?

A Dynamic Cast (dynamic_cast) is a safe cast operator that converts pointers or references to classes up, down, and sideways along the inheritance hierarchy. This cast is used for handling polymorphism. We can use dynamic_cast when we cast to a derived class. Thus, it can be used exclusively in inheritance when you cast from base class to derived class.

Is there an example of a Dynamic Cast in C++?

This is a simple example of using dynamic cast where the base is TBase.

Here is the full example of how to perform a Dynamic Cast,

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About author

Dr. Yilmaz Yoru has 35+ years of coding with more than 30+ programming languages, mostly C++ on Windows, Android, Mac-OS, iOS, Linux, and some other operating systems. He graduated and received his MSc and PhD degrees from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Eskisehir Osmangazi University. He is the founder and CEO of ESENJA LLC Company. His interests are Programming, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Artificial Intelligence, 2D & 3D Designs, and high-end innovations.
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