What Is Virtual Function In C++?

In object-oriented programming (OOP), a virtual function or virtual method is a function whose behavior, by virtue of being declared "virtual", is determined by the definition of a function with the same signature furthest in the inheritance lineage of the instantiated object on which it is called. This concept is a very important part of the polymorphism portion of object-oriented programming (OOP).

The concept of the virtual function solves the following problem:

In OOP when a derived class inherits from a base class, an object of the derived class may be referred to (or cast) as either being the base class type or the derived class type. If there are base class functions overridden by the derived class, a problem then arises when a derived object has been cast as the base class type. When a derived object is referred to as being of the base's type, the desired function call behavior is ambiguous.

The distinction between virtual and not virtual is provided to solve this issue. If the function in question is designated "virtual" then the derived class's function would be called (if it exists). If it is not virtual, the base class's function would be called