Runtime Polymorphism - Back to the Basics

This talk explores design choices for runtime polymorphism in C++, focusing on a policy-based approach to dispatch and storage. It compares tradeoffs among stack, heap, shared, and reference storage and offers guidance on when to use each design.

Syllabus

Introduction
Mumbling
Runtime Polymorphism
Variant Limitations
Relationship
Inheritance
Inheritance Problems
Reference Semantics
Heap Allocation
Null State
Ownership Questions
Algorithms
Intrusive
Conclusion
Pseudocode
Approach
Fat Pointer
Creating a Vtable
Creating a Library
Inline
Storage Policy
Magic DSL
Strengths
Small Buffer Optimization
Implementation
Changing Storage Policy
Using Buffers
Language Level Facility
No Allocation
Benchmark
Rough Guidelines
Value Semantics
Function View
Shared Remote Storage