Question

Let’s say I have three classes – Animal, Cat and Dog, where Cat and Dog are subclasses of Animal (this does sound like the first lectures, but it’s not homework I promise, just simplifying the real code)

Dog* spike = new Dog(); 
Cat* puss = new Cat();   

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    function(spike, puss);
    return 0;
}

void function(Animal *pet, Animal *pet2)
{
   magic->andSoForth();
}

Now this generates the following error:

Cannot convert parameter 1 from 'Dog *' to 'Animal'
  No constructor could take the source type,
    or constructor overload resolution was ambiguous

Changing the parameters to exactly match generates similar errors, only that it says it can’t convert from a class to the same class.

I have successfully called the subclasses functions and members that they inherit from the superclass, so I know that this, logically, should work. I just don’t know in what twisted way this language want me to bend logic.

EDIT

Solution happen to be: pointers confuse everyone.

• Declare pointers.
• Send pointers as arguments to a function that does NOT handle pointers.

In my example, I sent the “not-pointers” to the function that wanted pointers, I just switched that. Now it works fine.

Answer 1

This is how it should look.

Dog* spike = new Dog();
Cat* puss = new Cat();

function(*spike, *puss);

void function(Animal pet, Animal pet2)
{
   //magic
}

Tested and working.