Question

for example, your constructor might look like this:

myClass::myClass(Mesh &mesh) : baseClass(mesh) 
{
    pointer = new Thing(mesh);
}

mesh is not held in myClass, nor is there a getter for mesh in baseClass where it is held. Is this simply a case of having to implement a getter in the base class?

for example you cannot do this:

myClass::myClass(const myClass& original) : baseClass(mesh) //there is no mesh
{
    pointer = new Thing(mesh); //mesh is no longer in the parameter list
} 

How does the compiler make this copy when it creates a default copy constructor for such classes? Or is this a case where a copy constructor is necessary? mesh is not a private member of brain, and there is not getter for it so how do we make a new Thing?

EDIT – Updated the problem by adding Thing

Answer 1

mesh has to be copied inside the baseClass copy constructor.

class baseClass
{
  Mesh myMesh;
public:
  baseClass(const baseClass &other) : myMesh(other.myMesh) {} // <--- copy Mesh
};

class myClass : public baseClass
{
public:
  myClass(const myClass& other) : baseClass(other) {} // <--- simply pass
};