casts in C++

C++ provides us with 4 types of casting mechanisms . Namely:

1. static_cast
2. const_cast
3. dynamic_cast
4. reinterpret_cast

static_cast

In C casting is done via () operator

int i = 7;
e.g double d = (double) i;

in c++ to do something like this one should use static_cast .
e.g double d = static_cast<double>(i);

const_cast

const_cast is used to remove constness of an object .

jump(Person * person);

Person p;
const Person& constPerson = p;

then some thing like this wont work.
jump(&constPerson) , cause jump expects a non const object . To fix this you would have to use something like this.

jump(const_cast<person*>(&constPerson));

dynamic_cast

This cast is used with inheritance hierarchies . Say to cast a between pointers or references of base classes to references or pointers of derived classes.

e.g

Mammal * mammal;

jump(dynamic_cast<person*>(mammal));

if there was a function like

jump(Person& person); then

we would have something like

jump(dynamic_cast<person&>(*mammal));

if the casting is not possible , the dynamic_cast mechaism throws an excetion or the result is null (This is implementation specific)