Software Engineering

What's the difference between a subclass and a subtype?

The highest rated answer to this question about the Liskov Substitution Principle takes pains to distinguish between the terms subtype and subclass. It also makes the point that some languages conflate the two, whereas others do not. For the object-oriented languages that I am most familiar with (Python, C++), "type" and "class" are synonymous concepts. In terms of C++, what would it mean to have a distinction between subtype and subclass? Say, for example, that Foo is a subclass, but not a subtype, of FooBase. If foo is an instance of Foo, would this line: FooBase* fbPoint = &foo; no longer be valid?

Feb 11, 2025 - 12:10
 0
What's the difference between a subclass and a subtype?

The highest rated answer to this question about the Liskov Substitution Principle takes pains to distinguish between the terms subtype and subclass. It also makes the point that some languages conflate the two, whereas others do not.

For the object-oriented languages that I am most familiar with (Python, C++), "type" and "class" are synonymous concepts. In terms of C++, what would it mean to have a distinction between subtype and subclass? Say, for example, that Foo is a subclass, but not a subtype, of FooBase. If foo is an instance of Foo, would this line: 

FooBase* fbPoint = &foo;

no longer be valid?

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