What is virtual constructors/destructors?

[chinmay]

Virtual destructors:
If an object (with a non-virtual destructor) is destroyed explicitly by applying the delete operator to a base-class pointer to the object, the base-class destructor function (matching the pointer type) is called on the object.

There is a simple solution to this problem declare a virtual base-class destructor. This makes all derived-class destructors virtual even though they don‟t have the same name as the base-class destructor. Now, if the object in the hierarchy is destroyed explicitly by applying the delete operator to a base-class pointer to a derived-class object, the destructor for the appropriate class is called. Virtual constructor: Constructors cannot be virtual. Declaring a constructor as a virtual function is a syntax error.

[traveloweb]

Virtual functions are used in order to invoke functions based on the type of object pointed to by the pointer, and not the type of pointer itself. But a constructor is not "invoked". It is called only once when an object is declared. So, a constructor cannot be made virtual in C++.

[RenderPlus]

All the derived class destructors are made virtual in spite of having the same name as the base class destructor.

[damponting44]

If an object is destroyed explicitly by applying the delete operator to a base class pointer to the object, the base class destructor function is called on the object.

[aanchalkaura]

Every time an instance of a class is created the constructor method is called. The constructor has the same name as the class and it doesn't return any type, while the destructor's name it's defined in the same way, but with a '~' in front: