Question

When inheriting two base classes, what happens if both have a method with the same name and signature?

class Physics
{
public:
    void Update() { std::cout << "Physics!" }
};

class Graphics
{
public:
    void Update() { std::cout << "Graphics!" }
};

class Shape : Physics, Graphics
{
};

int main()
{
    Shape shape;
    shape.Update();
}

What will happen?

Answer 1

Well, first of all your code does not compile regardless of the call to Update :

• The Update member functions lack returns types
• Shape inherits privately from Physics and Graphics, so Update is inaccessible from main

Now, that being said, what happens when you attempt to call Update is an ambiguity which will lead to a compilation error. This ambiguity may be lifted using :

shape.Physics::Update();
shape.Graphics::Update();