The result of the expression dynamic_cast<T>(v) is the result of converting the expression v to type T. T shall be a pointer or reference to a complete class type, or “pointer to cv void”. The dynamic_cast operator shall not cast away constness.
If T is a pointer type, v shall be a prvalue of a pointer to complete class type, and the result is a prvalue of type T. If T is an lvalue reference type, v shall be an lvalue of a complete class type, and the result is an lvalue of the type referred to by T. If T is an rvalue reference type, v shall be a glvalue having a complete class type, and the result is an xvalue of the type referred to by T.
If the type of v is the same as T, or it is the same as T except that the class object type in T is more cv-qualified than the class object type in v, the result is v (converted if necessary).
If the value of v is a null pointer value in the pointer case, the result is the null pointer value of type T.
If T is “pointer to cv1 B” and v has type “pointer to cv2 D” such that B is a base class of D, the result is a pointer to the unique B subobject of the D object pointed to by v. Similarly, if T is “reference to cv1 B” and v has type cv2 D such that B is a base class of D, the result is the unique B subobject of the D object referred to by v.69 In both the pointer and reference cases, the program is ill-formed if cv2 has greater cv-qualification than cv1 or if B is an inaccessible or ambiguous base class of D. [ Example:
struct B { };
struct D : B { };
void foo(D* dp) {
B* bp = dynamic_cast<B*>(dp); // equivalent to B* bp = dp;
}— end example ]
If T is “pointer to cv void”, then the result is a pointer to the most derived object pointed to by v. Otherwise, a runtime check is applied to see if the object pointed or referred to by v can be converted to the type pointed or referred to by T.
If C is the class type to which T points or refers, the runtime check logically executes as follows:
If, in the most derived object pointed (referred) to by v, v points (refers) to a public base class subobject of a C object, and if only one object of type C is derived from the subobject pointed (referred) to by v the result points (refers) to that C object.
Otherwise, if v points (refers) to a public base class subobject of the most derived object, and the type of the most derived object has a base class, of type C, that is unambiguous and public, the result points (refers) to the C subobject of the most derived object.
Otherwise, the runtime check fails.
The value of a failed cast to pointer type is the null pointer value of the required result type. A failed cast to reference type throws an exception of a type that would match a handler of type std::bad_cast.
class A { virtual void f(); };
class B { virtual void g(); };
class D : public virtual A, private B { };
void g() {
D d;
B* bp = (B*)&d; // cast needed to break protection
A* ap = &d; // public derivation, no cast needed
D& dr = dynamic_cast<D&>(*bp); // fails
ap = dynamic_cast<A*>(bp); // fails
bp = dynamic_cast<B*>(ap); // fails
ap = dynamic_cast<A*>(&d); // succeeds
bp = dynamic_cast<B*>(&d); // ill-formed (not a runtime check)
}
class E : public D, public B { };
class F : public E, public D { };
void h() {
F f;
A* ap = &f; // succeeds: finds unique A
D* dp = dynamic_cast<D*>(ap); // fails: yields null; f has two D subobjects
E* ep = (E*)ap; // ill-formed: cast from virtual base
E* ep1 = dynamic_cast<E*>(ap); // succeeds
}— end example ] [ Note: [class.cdtor] describes the behavior of a dynamic_cast applied to an object under construction or destruction. — end note ]
The most derived object pointed or referred to by v can contain other B objects as base classes, but these are ignored.