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12 1 C Analysis

This document summarizes key concepts in C++ object-oriented programming and how they are implemented in assembly code. It discusses how methods are associated with classes, the "this" pointer, method overloading and name mangling, virtual and nonvirtual functions and virtual function tables, and how objects are created and destroyed through constructors and destructors. Virtual function calls are determined at runtime by looking up the function address in the virtual function table, while nonvirtual calls are resolved at compile time based on the type of the object.

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Jayesh Shinde
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47 views11 pages

12 1 C Analysis

This document summarizes key concepts in C++ object-oriented programming and how they are implemented in assembly code. It discusses how methods are associated with classes, the "this" pointer, method overloading and name mangling, virtual and nonvirtual functions and virtual function tables, and how objects are created and destroyed through constructors and destructors. Virtual function calls are determined at runtime by looking up the function address in the virtual function table, while nonvirtual calls are resolved at compile time based on the type of the object.

Uploaded by

Jayesh Shinde
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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C++ Analysis

Chapter 20
OOP
 Functions (i.e. methods) in C++ associated with particular classes of objects
Classes used to define objects -> object: instance of class, same method
Similar to struct, but also include functions

“this” pointer
 Implicit pointer to object that holds the variable being accessed
 (By default) Passed as a compiler-generated parameter to a function (typically the ECX
register, sometimes ESI)
 Listing 20-2, Listing 20-3, p. 430
 Loads this pointer into ecx
 puts ecx into eax, then access x to compare it to 10
Create stack
space
Ref to the
Pointer into beginning of
ECX object
Overloading and Mangling
 Method overloading allows multiple functions to have same name, but accept different
parameters
 When function called, compiler determines which version to use (according to
parameters)
 C++ uses name mangling to support this construct in the PE file
 Algorithm for mangling is compiler-specific
 IDA Pro demangles based on what it knows about specific compilers
?TestFunction@SimpleClass@@QAEXHH@Z
public: void __thiscall SimpleClass::TestFunction(int,int)
 Shows the original function name and parameters
 IDAPro supports Microsoft, Borland, Watcom, Visual Age, GNU
 Inheritance is not visible in assembly code (a feature, does not require any
runtime data structure)
Virtual vs. Nonvirtual Functions
 Virtual functions
 Has the same name defined in child class
 Can be overridden by a child class (polymorphism)
 Execution is determined at runtime with the child class overriding
the parent
 Can keep parent functionality by changing the type of the object to
be an instance of the parent class
 Example: parent class Socket with a virtual function called
sendData , two child classes UDPSocket and TCPSocket to override
sendData function with specific protocol
Virtual vs. Nonvirtual Functions
 Nonvirtual functions
Execution is determined at compile time
 If object is an instance of the parent, the parent class's function will be called, even if
the object at run-time belongs to the child class, see example at Table 20-1, Page 433.
Defined as Class A Defined as Class A
Determined at Determine runtime
Compile
time
Virtual Function Tables
 C++ compiler add special data structure to support virtual
function tables
 Code look the same – Assembly Different
 Non-virtual call vs. Virtual call

Argument – a
reference to
function
V Table
 Each class (with virtual function) has own vtable
 Vtable -> first 4 bytes of the object

 The first 4-byte entry of the vtable is a pointer to the code for the first virtual function
(next 4 bytes -> first function)
 See which offset is being called to figure out which function is called
Recognize VTable
 Usually after new….
 Only the first value has cross-reference, the rest -> offsets
Creating and Destroying Objects

 Constructor and Destructor functions


 Constructor is called when object is created;
destructor is called when object is destroyed
 Object either stored on stack for local variables
 Object stored in heap if “new” is used (Listing 20-8, p.
437) -> keywords for creating heap space
 Initializes vtable for object stored on stack
 Does multiple loads of vtable (parent, then child)
 Creates another object via “new” call (see the name mangling)

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