Can virtual functions have default parameters?

Virtuals may have defaults. The defaults in the base class are not inherited by derived classes.

Which default is used -- ie, the base class' or a derived class' -- is determined by the static type used to make the call to the function. If you call through a base class object, pointer or reference, the default denoted in the base class is used. Conversely, if you call through a derived class object, pointer or reference the defaults denoted in the derived class are used. There is an example below the Standard quotation that demonstrates this.

Some compilers may do something different, but this is what the C++03 and C++11 Standards say:

8.3.6.10:

A virtual function call (10.3) uses the default arguments in the declaration of the virtual function determined by the static type of the pointer or reference denoting the object. An overriding function in a derived class does not acquire default arguments from the function it overrides. Example:

struct A {
  virtual void f(int a = 7);
};
struct B : public A {
  void f(int a);
};
void m()
{
  B* pb = new B;
  A* pa = pb;
  pa->f(); //OK, calls pa->B::f(7)
  pb->f(); //error: wrong number of arguments for B::f()
}

---

Here is a sample program to demonstrate what defaults are picked up. I'm using structs here rather than classes simply for brevity -- class and struct are exactly the same in almost every way except default visibility.

#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>

using std::stringstream;
using std::string;
using std::cout;
using std::endl;

struct Base { virtual string Speak(int n = 42); };
struct Der : public Base { string Speak(int n = 84); };

string Base::Speak(int n) 
{ 
    stringstream ss;
    ss << "Base " << n;
    return ss.str();
}

string Der::Speak(int n)
{
    stringstream ss;
    ss << "Der " << n;
    return ss.str();
}

int main()
{
    Base b1;
    Der d1;

    Base *pb1 = &b1, *pb2 = &d1;
    Der *pd1 = &d1;
    cout << pb1->Speak() << "\n"    // Base 42
        << pb2->Speak() << "\n"     // Der 42
        << pd1->Speak() << "\n"     // Der 84
        << endl;
}

The output of this program (on MSVC10 and GCC 4.4) is:

Base 42
Der 42
Der 84

This was the topic of one of Herb Sutter's early Guru of the Week posts.

The first thing he says on the subject is DON'T DO THAT.

In more detail, yes, you can specify different default parameters. They won't work the same way as the virtual functions. A virtual function is called on the dynamic type of the object, while the default parameter values are based on the static type.

Given

class A {
    virtual void foo(int i = 1) { cout << "A::foo" << i << endl; }
};
class B: public A {
    virtual void foo(int i = 2) { cout << "B::foo" << i << endl; }
};
void test() {
A a;
B b;
A* ap = &b;
a.foo();
b.foo();
ap->foo();
}

you should get A::foo1 B::foo2 B::foo1