Question

For the following code fragment.

/*This program demonstartes how a virtual table pointer 
 * adds to a size of a class*/

class A{

};

class X{
    public:
        void doNothing(){}
    private:
        char a;

};

class Z:public X {

    public:
        void doNothing(){}
    private:
        char z;

}; 

class Y{
    public:
        virtual void doNothing(){}
    private:
        char a;

};

class P:public Y {

    public:
        void doNothing(){}
    private:
        char pp[4];

};

int main(){
    A a;
    X x;
    Y y;
    Z z;
    P p;
    std::cout << "Size of A:" << sizeof(a) << std::endl;// Prints out 1
    std::cout << "Size of X:" << sizeof(x) << std::endl;//Prints out 1
    std::cout << "Size of Y:" << sizeof(y) << std::endl;//Prints 8
    std::cout << "Size of Z:" << sizeof(z) << std::endl;
//Prints 8 or 12 depending upon wether 4 bytes worth of storrage is used by Z data member.
    std::cout << "Size of P:" << sizeof(p) << std::endl;
    std::cout << "Size of int:" << sizeof(int) << std::endl;
    std::cout << "Size of int*:" << sizeof(int*) << std::endl;
    std::cout << "Size of long*:" << sizeof(long*) << std::endl;
    std::cout << "Size of long:" << sizeof(long) << std::endl;
    return 0;

}

The behaviour I seem to notice is that whenever an empty class is instantiated or an empty class is inherited from byte boundaries are not considered(ie: an object of size 1 byte is allowed), in every other case object size seems to be determined by byte boundaries.

Whats the reason for this? I ask since at this point I am guessing.

Answer 1

Here is Stroustrup’s explanation of why size of an empty class cannot be zero. As to why it is 1 byte, as opposed to something that conforms to the alignment boundaries, I would guess this depends on the compiler.