What is Super class and when exactly I use it?

Development Programming & Scripting
1

I know it may seems a very noob question, But really I spent a lot of hours to find out what and when I use Super class

there is examples I Could understand such as Super::BeginPlay();
but what I couldn’t understand why we used it like so Super::PostInitProperties(); or Super::PostEditChangeProperty()

however there is no problem with me understanding the API itself, But still “Super” can’t understand it’s specific use exactly .or what does it mean?

Help please

thanks

2

This is something basic of C++.

If you have a BaseClass where you defined a virtual function and gave it some logic, and you create a child class from it where you override this functions, you can make sure that the BaseClass code is still called by calling “Super::Function()”.

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3

Are you sure? I’m new to C++ but after some quick googling around I can’t find any reference to Super:: being a C++ standard feature.

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4

Yes i’m sure. Super:: itself is not basic C++. In C++ you would go with

void ChildClass::Foo()

{

    BaseClass::Foo();

}

But in UE4 we just use Super::Foo();

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5

thanks a lot

6

Thanks also from me.

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7

Super is very important for inheriting basic functionality from a parent class. Use it extensively, if you want to save yourself the time.

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8

UE support this by using typedef

262936-15453106912245.png

It’s cool

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9

void AClassSample::BeginPlay()
{
Super::BeginPlay(); // we call default begin play from Super class
// But for what? Default Begin Play Function contains
// Some methods, that are neccessarry to execute it as
// actually BeginPlay function. but when we override it,
// all the functionality of default BeginPlay disappears.
// Because of overriding, we need at first to call default
// BeginPlay function, to include default function logic,
// and then do the rest of things.
}

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10

void AClassSample::BeginPlay()
{
Super::BeginPlay(); // we call default begin play from Super class
// But for what? Default Begin Play Function contains
// Some methods, that are neccessarry to execute it as
// actually BeginPlay function. but when we override it,
// all the functionality of default BeginPlay disappears.
// Because of overriding, we need at first to call default
// BeginPlay function, to include default function logic
// from Super class, and then do the rest of things.
}

11

Good followup - as the accepted answer described what super is generically in programming, but doesn’t exist in standard c++ because of multiple inheritance ambiguity. Hence OP’s long fruitless search.

A macrofied class system like UE has can however safely mimic it with a typedef.

1 Like
12

Why we want to call base class function ? What is the purpose of it ?

13

Because in some cases we want to allow the engine to do a lot of things and to follow its logical flow.
Two messages above yours, NkIceberg went through explaining Super::BeginPlay() as an example.

14

It IS cool