http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=47940
Summary: can call a pure virtual from a constructor/destructor Product: gcc Version: 4.4.5 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: enhancement Priority: P3 Component: c++ AssignedTo: unassig...@gcc.gnu.org ReportedBy: m...@yandex.ru A colleague of mine have been examining a crash that boils down to the following: --hellobug.cpp-- class Base { public: Base() { usefunc(); } virtual void func()=0; void usefunc() { func(); } }; class Derived: public Base { public: virtual void func() {} }; int main() { Derived d; return 0; } --eof-- $ g++ -Wall -Wextra hellobug.cpp {just nothing} $ ./a.out pure virtual method called terminate called without an active exception Aborted That is, "you asked for it, you got it" [1]. == [1] from "Real Programmers Don't" == A variation: ==byebug.cpp== #include <stdio.h> class Base { public: ~Base() { usefunc(); } virtual void func()=0; void usefunc() { func(); } }; class Derived: public Base { public: virtual void func() {} }; int main() { Derived d; printf("life is good\n"); return 0; } ==eof== $ g++ -Wall -Wextra byebug.cpp {again nothing} $ ./a.out life is good pure virtual method called terminate called without an active exception Aborted I have to note that in a big software project, the mistake is not so obvious. But what can be done? Functions that call pure virtual functions cannot be called from constructors and destructors. This may be discovered at compile-time, and the above text makes a good error/warning message. WHAT I GET: no warning WHAT I WOULD EXPECT: a warning or an error message: "Functions that call pure virtual functions cannot be called from constructors and destructors" $ gcc -v Using built-in specs. Target: x86_64-linux-gnu Configured with: ../src/configure -v --with-pkgversion='Ubuntu/Linaro 4.4.4-14ubuntu5' --with-bugurl=file:///usr/share/doc/gcc-4.4/README.Bugs --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran,objc,obj-c++ --prefix=/usr --program-suffix=-4.4 --enable-shared --enable-multiarch --enable-linker-build-id --with-system-zlib --libexecdir=/usr/lib --without-included-gettext --enable-threads=posix --with-gxx-include-dir=/usr/include/c++/4.4 --libdir=/usr/lib --enable-nls --with-sysroot=/ --enable-clocale=gnu --enable-libstdcxx-debug --enable-objc-gc --disable-werror --with-arch-32=i686 --with-tune=generic --enable-checking=release --build=x86_64-linux-gnu --host=x86_64-linux-gnu --target=x86_64-linux-gnu Thread model: posix gcc version 4.4.5 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.4.4-14ubuntu5)