C++ Virtual Destructor — Complete Guide

Introduction: “Deleted Derived Class but Got Memory Leak"

"Deleted with base class pointer but destructor not called”

In C++, when deleting derived class through base class pointer, without virtual destructor, derived class destructor is not called causing memory leak.

// ❌ No virtual destructor
class Base {
public:
    ~Base() {  // Non-virtual destructor
        std::cout << "~Base\n";
    }
};

class Derived : public Base {
    int* data_;
public:
    Derived() : data_(new int[1000]) {}
    
    ~Derived() {
        delete[] data_;  // Not called!
        std::cout << "~Derived\n";
    }
};

int main() {
    Base* ptr = new Derived();
    delete ptr;  // ❌ ~Derived not called → memory leak
    // Output: ~Base
}

What This Guide Covers:

• Why virtual destructor is needed
• Memory leak and undefined behavior
• Pure virtual destructor
• protected destructor

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1. Why Virtual Destructor is Needed

Problem: Non-virtual Destructor

Here is the main implementation:

// ❌ Non-virtual destructor
class Base {
public:
    ~Base() {
        std::cout << "~Base\n";
    }
};

class Derived : public Base {
public:
    ~Derived() {
        std::cout << "~Derived\n";
    }
};

int main() {
    Base* ptr = new Derived();
    delete ptr;  // ❌ Undefined behavior
    // Output: ~Base (derived class destructor not called)
}

Solution: Virtual Destructor

Here is the main implementation:

// ✅ Virtual destructor
class Base {
public:
    virtual ~Base() {
        std::cout << "~Base\n";
    }
};

class Derived : public Base {
public:
    ~Derived() override {
        std::cout << "~Derived\n";
    }
};

int main() {
    Base* ptr = new Derived();
    delete ptr;  // ✅ Correct destructor called
    // Output:
    // ~Derived
    // ~Base
}

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2. Memory Leak Examples

Example 1: Dynamic Memory

// ❌ Memory leak
class Base {
public:
    ~Base() {}
};

class Derived : public Base {
    int* data_;
public:
    Derived() : data_(new int[1000000]) {
        std::cout << "Allocated 4MB\n";
    }
    
    ~Derived() {
        delete[] data_;  // Not called!
        std::cout << "Freed 4MB\n";
    }
};

int main() {
    for (int i = 0; i < 100; ++i) {
        Base* ptr = new Derived();
        delete ptr;  // ❌ 4MB leak × 100 = 400MB leak
    }
}

Example 2: File Handle

// ❌ File handle leak
class Base {
public:
    ~Base() {}
};

class FileLogger : public Base {
    std::ofstream file_;
public:
    FileLogger(const std::string& path) : file_(path) {}
    
    ~FileLogger() {
        file_.close();  // Not called!
        std::cout << "File closed\n";
    }
};

int main() {
    Base* ptr = new FileLogger("log.txt");
    delete ptr;  // ❌ File handle leak
}

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3. Pure Virtual Destructor

Pure Virtual Destructor

Pure virtual destructor makes class abstract but must provide definition.

// Pure virtual destructor
class Base {
public:
    virtual ~Base() = 0;  // Pure virtual
};

// Definition required
Base::~Base() {
    std::cout << "~Base\n";
}

class Derived : public Base {
public:
    ~Derived() override {
        std::cout << "~Derived\n";
    }
};

int main() {
    // Base b;  // Compile error: abstract class
    Base* ptr = new Derived();
    delete ptr;  // OK
}

When to use: Want to make abstract class without other pure virtual functions.

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Summary

Key Points

1. Virtual destructor: Needed for polymorphic base classes
2. Memory leak: Occurs without virtual destructor
3. Pure virtual destructor: Makes class abstract
4. protected destructor: Prevents deletion through base pointer
5. Performance: 8-byte vtable pointer overhead

When to Use

✅ Use virtual destructor when:

• Base class for inheritance
• Polymorphic usage expected
• Delete through base pointer

❌ Don’t use when:

• No inheritance
• No polymorphism
• Performance critical (avoid vtable)

Best Practices

• ✅ Always virtual destructor for polymorphic base
• ✅ Use override keyword
• ✅ Consider protected destructor alternative
• ❌ Don’t forget virtual in base class
• ❌ Don’t delete derived through non-virtual base

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Related Articles

• C++ Rule of Five
• C++ Inheritance and Polymorphism
• C++ Slicing Problem

Master virtual destructors for safer C++ inheritance! 🚀

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. When would I use this in practice?

A. Everything about C++ Virtual Destructor : from basic concepts to practical applications.

Q. What should I read before this?

A. Follow the previous article or related articles links at the bottom of each post to learn in sequence. See the C++ series index for the full picture.

Q. Where can I study this more deeply?

A. Check cppreference and the relevant library’s official documentation. The reference links at the end of the article are also worth using.

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Related Articles (Internal Links)

Other articles related to this topic.

• C++ Rule of Five | ‘특수 멤버 함수’ 가이드
• C++ 상속과 다형성 | ‘virtual 함수’ 완벽 가이드
• C++ 슬라이싱 문제 | ‘객체가 잘렸어요’ 상속 복사 에러 해결

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Keywords Covered in This Article (Related Search Terms)

This article covers C++, virtual, destructor, inheritance, polymorphism, memory-leak.