Performing correct type casts

It is often the case that data has to be converted from one type into another type. Some conversions are necessary at compile time (such as double to int); others are necessary at runtime (such as upcasting and downcasting pointers to the classes in a hierarchy). The language supports compatibility with the C casting style in either the (type)expression or type(expression) form. However, this type of casting breaks the type safety of C++.

Therefore, the language also provides several conversions: static_cast, dynamic_cast, const_cast, and reinterpret_cast. They are used to better indicate intent and write safer code. In this recipe, we’ll look at how these casts can be used.

How to do it...

Use the following casts to perform type conversions:

• Use static_cast to perform type casting of non-polymorphic types, including the casting of integers to enumerations, from floating-point to integral values, or from a pointer type to...