bugprone-copy-constructor-init¶
Finds copy constructors where the constructor doesn’t call the copy constructor of the base class.
class Copyable {
public:
Copyable() = default;
Copyable(const Copyable &) = default;
int memberToBeCopied = 0;
};
class X2 : public Copyable {
X2(const X2 &other) {} // Copyable(other) is missing
};
Also finds copy constructors where the constructor of the base class don’t have parameter.
class X3 : public Copyable {
X3(const X3 &other) : Copyable() {} // other is missing
};
Failure to properly initialize base class sub-objects during copy construction can result in undefined behavior, crashes, data corruption, or other unexpected outcomes. The check ensures that the copy constructor of a derived class properly calls the copy constructor of the base class, helping to prevent bugs and improve code quality.
Limitations:
It won’t generate warnings for empty classes, as there are no class members (including base class sub-objects) to worry about.
It won’t generate warnings for base classes that have copy constructor private or deleted.
It won’t generate warnings for base classes that are initialized using other non-default constructor, as this could be intentional.
The check also suggests a fix-its in some cases.