Polymorphism 2: Heterogeneous Collections

This lecture delves into the concept of polymorphism, focusing on heterogeneous collections and the need for pointers. It covers virtual methods, destructors, and the management of resources by polymorphic subclasses. The instructor explains the importance of polymorphic destruction and the rule of three/five in C++. The lecture also explores the manipulation of drawings as sets of geometric figures, discussing the ownership of content and the use of pointers. Additionally, it addresses memory management, covariant return, and the use of unique_ptr in C++ 11. The examples provided illustrate polymorphic copying and the handling of object addresses within collections.