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c++finalsealed

C++ Final or Sealed

Consider the following class:

class X {
};

One can easily inherit from this:

class Y : public X {
};

Okay so far... Let's say we don't want anyone to inherit from Y we can then do this instead.

class Y sealed : public X {
};

Or we could do this:

class Y final : public X 
};

What are the main differences between the two keywords final and sealed? I know their basic purposes and what they are used for; I just wanted to know if there was anything specifically different between the two.

Solution

  • sealed is not Standard C++ - it appears to be a Visual C++ CX extension. From that same page:

    The ISO C++11 Standard language has the final keyword, which is supported in Visual Studio. Use final on standard classes, and sealed on ref classes.